Samsudin Berlian, Jakarta
The question of religion and ethics raised by the article “Religiously we are good, what about morally?” in The Jakarta Post on Dec. 24 is at least as old as the first organized monotheistic institution.
Three thousand years ago, the last leader of the 12 tribes of the Hebrews, Samuel, peacefully handed over power to the first King of Israel, Saul.
Samuel was both a spiritual and political leader for many decades. He led loosely knitted tribes in sacrificing offerings to God, as well as in wars against hostile neighbors. He handed down his judgments on religious matters as well as civic disputes.
Then, on that day, right after the crowning ceremony, Samuel stood up and gave his farewell speech. He said, “Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD… “.
“Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe…?”
What a speech. If only all outgoing politicians and those seeking re-election were required to undergo such a public examination.
Note the questions Samuel asked were ethical. Nobody doubted his religious credentials and it was not an issue. But the ethical conducts of a leader have to be examined and confirmed in public, by the public.
In the eighth century BC, Hebrew prophet Amos sharply contrasted religious and ethical conducts.
He said of the leaders and important people of his time: “They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals”.
“They trample on the heads of the poor, as upon the dust of the ground, and deny justice to the oppressed…
“You oppress the righteous and take bribes, and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts…”
Consequently, Amos declared God said, “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.
“Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs!
“I will not listen to the music of your harps… .
“I will turn your religious feasts into mourning, and all your singing into weeping.”
What God wants, Amos said, is this: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
In the Christian Bible is a story seldom told about the Day of Judgment. Jesus said that at the end of time all people will be divided into two groups in front of the ultimate court. One group will be blessed and the other punished. But what is the yardstick?
Not how many times they prayed, how much money they gave as offerings, how long they fasted, how strict they were in following religious rules, or how many times they mentioned the Name of God.
To the blessed God said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
They, naturally, will be perplexed. When did they ever do such things to God? He will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”.
“The least of these brothers” are of course the needy, the poor, the vulnerable, the disfranchised, the oppressed, the marginalized, the discriminated.
They are God’s face on earth. Those who do not care for them will face eternal punishment.
So for thousands of years it has been recognized that to be religious and to be ethical are two very different things. To say that only religious people are ethical is not only naive, it is dangerous.
Some people would even say that only the adherents of their religion could be morally sound. This in essence put the society in two camps: we are good; they are bad.
Such a divisive stance is naive because it defies reality. The simple fact is there are both ethically good and bad people among the religious, non-religious, and antireligious. One can be ethical and not religious. And one can be religious and not ethical.
The Europeans, arguably the most irreligious people on earth, do not consist of monsters. In fact, the majority of global humanitarian funds (i.e., charity, an unmistakable sign of goodheartedness) come from European people and nations.
Among the worst in the world in terms of justice, human rights, humane treatment for the helpless and needy, are countries where the majority of inhabitants call themselves religious.
Indonesians are among the most religious and its bureaucrats and politicians are also the most corrupt.
Some people would argue religious people who are not ethical are not really religious, and the ethical people who are not religious are really religious in their heart.
This is cheating. There are ethical people who vehemently oppose religion and believe it is a source of violence and bigotry.
And there are religious people who sincerely believe doing God’s work means destroying persons whose theology is different to theirs.
The naivete is dangerous because unscrupulous politicians know very well how to exploit this public gullibility. Shameless displays of religious piety would become the norm and rational debates on proper policies would have no place in the public life.
Thus the whole nation would be put under the mercy of the politicians’ power play.
Religious showiness is detrimental to democracy, as proven track records of ethical conducts in the public realm will strengthen it.
The writer works for a UN agency and can be reached at samberlian@hotmail.com. The opinion expressed is personal.
