Panel weighs state-church connections

"Religions View Government: Working for the Real, Praying for the Ideal" assembled representatives of the Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Hindu and Buddhist faiths to talk about what role -- if any -- they believe religion should have in government.

"This topic is very appropriate at this time," stated David Rook, who moderated the discussion and represented Buddhism. Part of ecumenical dialogue, he said, is discovering where different faith traditions agree; another part is seeing where they diverge.

Goals and roles

"God is our king," began Rabbi Deborah Gordon of Congregation Berith Sholom in Troy. She explained that from ancient times, Jews had a civil government based on a king. Their laws governed not just public order, but also education, justice and even morality.

Sudhir Kulkarni, who called Hinduism "a way of life," noted that no book like the Bible is central to the Hindu faith, but he quoted advice on governance from a third-century Hindu contemporary of Alexander the Great: Try to negotiate, offer bribes, punish offenders, or divide and rule.

Working in world

"We of the Reform tradition view government as a gift of God," she added. "It brings order into a society. Government must take into account the uniqueness of its people."

On this, she cited reformer John Calvin, who said that no one form of government will serve all people best.

Catholic view

Social teaching can be summarized in three values, she said: Each person is endowed by God with a dignity that is sacred; from this dignity flow basic human rights to food, shelter, employment, education and health care; and institutions must be developed to ensure those rights.

"Catholic social teaching assigns a positive role to government. It insists the government has a moral function: ensuring human rights," she said, adding that the litmus test of society's justice is how it responds to the needs of the poor.

Muslim approach

He listed five "essential, universal values": faith, life, the mind, family and progeny, and property. Government, he said, should assure that those are acquired to the greatest extent possible within the context of the common good.

Buddhists would say "the government's role is to encourage the development of wisdom and compassion in human beings as a primary goal," said Mr. Rook.

Ideal and real

"There is always a difference between what ought to be and what is," he explained. "That's part of being human."

"Government can only provide a rough, imperfect kind of justice, because we are human beings and are prone to sin," agreed Rev. Jameson.

Rabbi Gordon spoke about the creation of the state of Israel having been controversial to many Orthodox Jews, because in their tradition, the "ideal Jewish government is not supposed to show up until the messiah arrives. We are by definition in this less-than-ideal world."

Sister Maureen brought up the current "bare-bones" state budget as a good example of government's imperfections. "We always say the budget is supposed to be a moral document [regarding] how we care for the poor," she argued. "That is not a reality. How do we make it a reality?"

One and many

Mr. Kulkarni quoted Gandhi's practice of nonviolence, but Mr. Rook noted that even believers in nonviolence restrain children who are acting out -- and that government must act in a similar fashion.

Still, each panelist said their faith affirms the need for free will. Mr. Kulkarni joked that "we as Hindus believe in free will because we have so many gods -- you are free to choose any god you want!"

On a more serious note, he said that the purpose of life for Hindus is to attain ultimate bliss, which is achieved through free will. However, it's important not to become a slave to the self, said Sister Maureen; becoming too self-indulgent can be a mistake.

Citizen's role

Sister Maureen cited the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, saying that the government is responsible to help smaller initiatives, not destroy them. Good government intervention, she said, is when the government "truly helps other groups contribute to the common good."

Prophetic voices

Imam Magraoui's approach brought up the spectre of war and terrorism. "To speak the truth in the presence of a tyrannical authority is called the most virtuous aspect of jihad [holy war]," he said. But even in an Islamic country, "never should that lead to a violent encounter with government unless they violate the very essence of Islamic law."

In non-Islamic countries, he said, those who believe the government is violating these principles should practice the concept of immigration by going to another place where they can freely practice their faith.

Armed rebellion is never an option, he said, "because an armed rebellion would lead to more harm. The consequences would be worse than the harm that is already there."

Basic good

"If human beings are being discarded as having no value, then action has to be taken," he said.

Jews, countered Rabbi Gordon, have not historically been passive in the face of poor government actions. She noted that Jews have been at the forefront of many social action movements in America -- something "that seems to be a cultural value that has held on. It may have something to do with being an outsider."

Sister Maureen remarked that for Catholics, being a prophetic voice is a continual effort.

"One of the challenges the Catholic community faces is trying to integrate that call to change the world," she said. "We're always challenged to change the system, to change society."

(11-01-01) [[In-content Ad]]