Reason and Religion

Publication:  Volume 2, Issue 2- January 7-13, 2011

International Tribune

Maybe the solution to the clash of civilization is the second coming of the messiah.  Perhaps, mankind must witness the final apparition of the holy one, the most awaited event in the bible called, the judgment day.  This could be the catalyst for peace on earth and the end of all religious and cultural clashes that plague the world today.  Religion (believer and non-believers) has been a volatile element in our society.  And our current events can prove that. 

This week, a proponent of secularism, Salman Taeser was gunned down because he was seen as a threat to religious extremism in Pakistan.  He was an opponent of Pakistan’s blasphemy law. Fifteen years ago, was almost the same scenario ended the life of former Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner  Yitzhak Rabin,, he was also gunned down by another religious zealot because of the Oslo Peace Accord that  between the Israelis and Palestinians.  In Indonesia, an Islamic nation that heralds itself as a pluralistic Muslim society that is tolerant of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism recently passed a decree on another blasphemy law.  This one bans the practice of other traditional Indonesian religion from its ethnic minorities.   There seems to be no safe haven for religion today.  Or is it only in nations where the separation of church and state is nonexistent? 

Let us not forget the Crusade.  In the last millennium, Europe suffered two hundred years of religious war not just against Islam, but also against other denominations that inhabited its territory: the pagans, Jews, and Mongols.  The Crusaders mission was to restore Christianity in the Holy Land, even though it means murdering millions.  Things have change since then, and yes, Europeans have learned from history-instead of eradicating or giving priority to one faith, they have established and embraced the practice of secularism.  The separation of church and state is not just another verse in a nation’s constitution, it shall be executed, implemented, and acted upon as a civil code.  Religion has no place in the public sphere- whether it is in official government buildings or public schools, the supreme law of the land reigns.

France is one of the biggest proponents of secularism in Europe. For the French, you can practice your own faith but your religion shall stay at home.  The separation of church and state can be traced back from the French revolution. It is a symbol of the progressive movement upholding reason over religion, evolution versus creation, and not just the overthrow of the monarchy.  Philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment such as Voltaire, Diderot and Montesquieu regarded religion as divisive, benighted and intolerant.  Human progress could finally exist without the bondage of fear installed by the church.  Voltaire quipped, “Of all religions, Christianity is without a doubt the one that should inspire tolerance most, although, up to now, the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men.”

Let me play devil’s advocate.  The first thing that comes to my mind is, if someone was to come down from heaven today and tell us which faith will really lead us to eternal paradise, do you think all conflict will stop and peace will reign?  Do we need a referee to end all the fighting and declare which religion is the champion?  Or do we need another age of enlightenment?  I thought the human race’s intellectual renaissance was not just a historical epoch but it is an ongoing discourse thanks to science and reasoning.  Let us pause and think this through.  In the meantime, it is time for all leaders to do something and stop the religious zealots who are fanning hatred and intolerance which is ultimately corroding our society today.