Editorial

Political scenario amid religious rites

The Lenten season among Christians and the Fasting (Ramadhan) season among Muslims are close calendar months with each other this year. Both are seasons for spiritual nourishment through prayers and atonements with revitalization of solidarity among people. We need these periods for self-reflection ---how much we care for our spiritual growth and how we have lived with our faith. In faith to God, we submit to Him… that is being true to one’s religion.

Incidentally, the religious rites also coincide with the 2019 midterm electoral period with the voting day scheduled on May 13 when registered voters would elect their chosen senators and their respective local government officials, including those for the House of Representatives. So, two social institutions come into interplay --- religion and politics.

Religion has its uniqueness of influence over politics… in that the former somehow tames the latter so it won’t go astray in its functions in serving the populace in terms of quality and responsive leadership and delivery of services. Religion puts a check against political abuse and condemns unwarranted political actions. Religion sets guides in the choice of leaders representing the greater population being served by the government, which is the instrumentality of political institution. Religion reminds government leaders of their actuations toward people through insistence of core values.

We equate the church with religion and government with politics. And mind us… people are both members of the church and government, the latter, in our democratic state, is represented by the chosen or elected officials. People then have the responsibility to discern who among those are capable of representing them in the government. The church, in modern times, in setting the guidelines or qualities in the choice of leaders, provide the people with insights on the manner of naming their political representatives. On the other hand, the people have also set the core values behind public service as stipulated in our constitution which has been ordained by the public. If this is so, religion through the church reminds the people on who are deserving to be seated in government posts. And the government likewise checks its personnel if they adhere to the tenets of public service “as a public trust.”

Through prayers in religious rites, people are deemed enlightened on their obligation to choose the value-mandates in the choice of leaders come suffrage day. Voting is not merely a matter of right, it is also a moral responsibility… moral because the choice process is one of service for the people enshrined in a religion --- genuine public service as one of moral obligation.