Proposal on religion

Proposal on religion

From Kompas

President Soeharto's recent statement on the need to hold periodic meetings with elders of the various religions in Indonesia, is a laudable proposal. Especially since the people of Indonesia highly respect religious norms, as reflected in the first principle of Pancasila.

A degradation of religious values could see misunderstanding of the first principle. Being a citizen loyal to Pancasila, I hope very much the President's statement will soon be realized. It should be institutionalized, if necessary.

Such meetings, however, should not be held in Jakarta alone. They should be introduced at village level too. Meetings of the various religious elders in villages are essential because of the authorities' influence on the people. As such, any deviation from religious norms could be dealt with immediately.

CORNELIS DOKUBANI

Tangerang, West Java