Religion and rationalism

Religion and rationalism

The article The rise of Islamic protestantism in Indonesia
published in The Jakarta Post on May 18 tries to reveal that
Islamic protestantism is a response to the hegemony of organized
religion in this country.

What is the cause? What we have learned from clerics until now
is almost dogma. "You should do what Allah prescribes, and do not
do what is forbidden. That is all". They cannot answer if we ask
them "What is the gain of shalat (prayer), what do we gain by
fasting (puasa), and what is the meaning of the haj pilgrimage?
Why did Allah create Ramadhan and Idul Fitri? Why is a dog cursed
as a filthy animal? Why is pork considered haram (forbidden)?

What we now need is religious thinkers, so at least they will
reveal the sacred meaning of our religious rituals. Being
educated, we have to criticize. What has happened in the world
has always been a principle of "cause and effect rule". Religion
must not be a dogma but must be rational, and can answer all of
those questions mentioned above.

What cleric Yusman in Malang did by praying in two languages
-- Arabic and Indonesian -- is not wrong and can be understood,
because people want to know and understand the meaning of those
rituals. The Indonesian Muslim Council (MUI) must open the
people's "eyes and minds", because if they cannot answer those
questions, should they fool the people of this nation?

If so, there will be many more fundamentalist people like
Amrozi and Imam Samudra in this country. So it is better for the
MUI to hold a dialog with religious thinkers, to solve this
problem.

AGUS UTORO
Serang, Banten