The relationship between "religion" and "politics" is a subject that has long occupied the minds of thinkers so that it has become one of the most important issues in the field of social and political thought. According to the comprehensive definition of most thinkers, "religion" can be defined as a set of beliefs and ideas derived from divine revelation in relation to the world, man, society and the afterlife.
Its purpose is to guide man towards a better life and to become a perfect human being (Jevtic). On the other hand, "Politics", means the general management of the state and the strategy of affairs for the common good of the people. Politics is generally the choice of better ways of governing a country, or in other words, the science of governing society, which is directly related to human performance (Urban). Regardless of the implications of these two phenomena, there are two generally controversial views on the relationship between religion and politics.
The first view holds that religion and politics have nothing to do with each other. The politics of science is the management of relations between social forces and relates to the practical actions of man. While religion is a spiritual thing that goes back to the personal and inner beliefs of each person with an extraterrestrial source and is completely personal (Künkler & Michael). This view is known as the secular vision and is one of the theoretical foundations of western democracies. On the other hand, proponents of the second view believe that religion is a complete set of all matters of human life and entirely directs social actions. For this reason, it cannot be separated from politics, which is itself a part of practical life. Therefore, a politician must be subject to religion, and a believer must regulate all his political actions according to religious criteria (Ashford). Most religious systems tend to this view. In general, these two perspectives play a serious role in the policy of countries.
Separation of religion from politics or "secularism" is the idea of separating government institutions and those who sit in government and determine the policies of the country, from religious institutions and officials (Jevtic). This idea is generally rooted in the Enlightenment in Europe, and scholars believe that the invasion of Western culture and civilization, especially after the European scientific renaissance in Islamic countries, is one of the main roots of the emergence of the thesis of separation of religion from state (Urban). Proponents of the thesis of the separation of religion from politics argue, that since the religion of God is fixed and cannot be changed or manipulated, but the conditions and social affairs and government decisions are changeable, in no way can these two phenomena be linked by preserving their identity. In other words, the non-interference of religious beliefs in the state is the supremacy of human rights principles over the other values of any particular group (Dallas). Since the term secularism is used in a variety of contexts, its exact meaning varies depending on the type of its application.
Today, most of the world's great governments have realized the importance of secularism and democracy. According to Künkler & Michael, the separation of the institution of religion and the state in this view means that some political institutions under the control of the state are freed from the direct or indirect domination of religion. This does not mean that religious institutions cannot talk about public and political issues, but it does mean that the views of religious institutions should not be imposed on society, or be the basis of public policy. Therefore, in practice, the government should be as neutral as possible towards different religious beliefs; neither restrict religions nor act according to their wishes (Jevtic).
Proponents of the second view argue that there are similarities between politics and the realm of religion that link the two to the purpose and important issues of social life. In other words, a large part of religious issues is in the realm of political practice, many issues are related to religious realms (Ashford). In this sense, the act of Moses as the savior of the oppressed, even apart from the thought and action of the prophet and messenger of God, was itself a political act. Proponents of this idea believe that the prophets guided the political thought based on the monotheistic school for centuries and have caused great changes in history (Dallas). According to Ashford, religions aim to liberate man from the shackles that prevent him from evolving, and this goal cannot be achieved without a continuous political struggle for freedom in various individual, social and international dimensions. Thus, according to this theory, political actions and the cleansing of political scenes as a key element in life has always been one of the important goals of religion (Urban).
In conclusion, undoubtedly, the relationship between religion and politics is one of the most important issues in the field of social and political assumptions. The study of the relationship between religion and politics is very broad and controversial. In the present century, all human issues such as sociology, medicine, psychology, economics, etc. are all very specialized sciences, and commenting on each of these sciences requires years of research. The same is true for politics and religion. In my opinion, religion and politics should each resolve a specific difference of their kind. Religion should not be a tool in the hands of rulers to legitimize their system. A government that considers itself the guardian of the religion of God and exploits the religious feelings of the people to stay in power forever is not a just government. At the same time, all human beings have the right to practice the religion they believe in all aspects of their lives. However, politicians and government officials should not impose their decisions on society based on their religion believes. Because society is made up of people with different religions or attitudes, political decisions based on religious requirements will destroy the rights of these different people.
Works Cited
Ashford, Bruce. “Two Reasons Why Religion and Politics Cannot Be Separated.” Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. May 17, 2016.
Dallas, Kelsey. “Why the Relationship between Religion and Politics is more complicated than You Think.” deseret. Oct 29, 2018.
Jevtic, Miroljub. “Theoretical Relationship between Politics and Religion.” The Indian Journal Of Political Science. Apr 2, 2009.
Künkler, Mirjam. & Julia, Michael. “Religion and politics.” researchgate. Jan 26, 2011.
Urban, Hugh B. “Politics and Religion: An Overview.” encyclopedia. Sep 20, 2020.
Comments