Religious figures and politics

Religious figures and politics

From Pikiran Rakyat

I find the following news report, published in a number of dailies on Dec. 22, interesting to respond to: "The National Committee of Human Rights also very much hopes that religious figures will intensify their efforts to teach their followers. Until now, religion has been utilized to pursue political ambitions."

As far as I know, every religion has a fixed principle, namely a guidance that God has passed on only to the prophets (divine inspiration) in order that the latter may pass on to human beings. This guidance includes both ways to reach heaven/nirvana and also ways to behave properly -- ethics and morality -- in human interaction in political, economic, legal, educational, social and many other sectors.

The news report quoted above is not intended as a hidden campaign aimed at preventing religious leaders from involving themselves in political matters and confining their movement to religious affairs only. Unless my guess is right, this statement by the National Committee on Human Rights smacks of secularism.

According to experts, secularism is a way of life pursued by certain religious people and atheists. These people are concerned only with material or worldly satisfaction and do not recognize the existence of God and the hereafter.

Although these people show themselves devoutly religious people, they do not see the need to establish a mental relationship with God, in terms of behavior or prayers and religious services. They also do not recognize the existence of divine inspiration as a source of belief and the foundation of science and technology.

These people believe that belief and ethical as well as moral values are created by the community. They have been produced by history and are the traces left behind by man's beastly nature. Therefore, these people concentrate all their deeds on fulfillment of physical needs only.

Two relevant and actual examples are rampant practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism and violations of human rights during the New Order era. These practices could go on unchecked perhaps because the religious leaders and the majority of the religious followers were influenced in such a way that they considered political involvement a taboo.

Another reason was that during the New Order era, the general tasks of the government and political, economic, legal and other development undertakings smacked of secularism. Religious leaders and their followers could not then make their best choice.

So, now that Soeharto has stepped down, efforts must be made to ensure that religion-based parties win the 1999 general election. May God bless the struggle of religious people in Indonesia in upholding justice and democracy.

SUNGKOWO SOKAWERA

Bandung, West Java