sam
07-09-2005, 04:50 PM
The Philippines and Its Mocked Democracy and Christianity
I am a democrat because I believe in the Fall of Man. I think most people are democrats for the opposite reason. A great deal of democratic enthusiasm descends from the ideas of people like Rousseau, who believed in democracy because they thought mankind so wise and good that every one deserved a share in the government. The danger of defending democracy on those grounds is that they're not true. (C.S.LEWIS, ’Equality’ in Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces)
The battle cry of the first EDSA Revolution was: ‘The voice of the people is the voice of God’ and we defined democracy that way. A decade and a half later, we have another bloodless revolution and it only shows that we affirmed that view of democracy. Then we have another political crisis and some religious right group are again calling for another EDSA. If you have read the message of James Reuter in his article ‘The Only Hope for the Philippines’ circulating around, he is right in his assessment that ‘At best, we have moved one step forward, but three steps backward’.
A while back, I was reading ‘Why Government Can’t Save You’ and in that book you will realize that ‘Over the past several centuries, people have mistakenly link democracy and political freedom to Christianity.’ Was the author dead-on? Some may say, "Well without it (EDSA) where would we be today?" Who knows, but the Sovereign God has ordained every government-even a government like that of Nero for His own purposes. We should be reminded by Isaiah that “God’s ways are not your ways; neither are His thoughts your thoughts”. Yes we are like Rousseau, and we defend democracy on the wrong ground and we mistakenly equated Christianity with democracy.
Kevin Swanson said: It is not democracies that will win freedom, for democracies can selfishly vote for stronger government controls on minority groups. Democracies can vote for Hitler and Stalin. Democracies can vote for lawlessness. But freedom is dependent on Christians. (The Second Mayflower). Isn’t it ridiculous that we always boast to our neighboring countries that we are the only Christian country in Asia and yet we are lagging economically and morally? Why? Because we love to identify with Christianity but we don’t practice it. Our faith has played a destructive role in politics rather than a constructive one.
I remember posting an article just before the previous presidential election urging the Church to go back to its peculiar role (its two fold ministry of prayer and preaching the Gospel) and not to waste its time, money and energy to political activism and political lobbying (in many cases the Roman Catholic Church but alarmingly the Evangelical Protestants at large). Some have reacted saying: “Manood na lang ba tayo?” What I mean is we should not forget our God-given role as Christian citizens which is explicitly outlined in Romans 13 and Titus 3.
By abandoning the peculiar duty of the Church I agree with one writer in saying that ‘one of the great obstacles to reform is likely to be the clergy’. I even remember refuting Eddie Villanueva in that article because he is using the name of Christianity for political gain. Has he not learned one from Pat Robertson? I read in the news the other day that he is urging the Filipinos to participate in another EDSA revolution (and it is good that the Archbishop of Manila is not calling for one). Nakakasawa na! What a waste of time and money! During the presidential elections, he claimed that he was called by God for the presidency and that this is the highest calling. I think he is not reading the Scriptures and he is back to his old ways- political activism.
The highest calling for a man is to be a preacher of the Word and social reform can’t be achieved by political means! I said that because I have in view the Fall of Man. I have experienced living in a First World country like Japan and it has its own problem--basically the same--graft and corruption, crime, bird flu, economic, political, you name it. It is just in varying degrees of form but basically the problem we have in a Third World is the same with that of a First World. (If you think that you can escape this social problems by migrating to another country, I’ll tell you you will only be frustrated.) We all struggle, whatever government it may be, whatever society we may fit in, we struggle because of the Fall of Man. The social problems that we encounter daily is only the symptoms of our real problem--SIN--rooted from The Fall.
The real issue is men’s heart. The problem is--we tend to cure always the symptoms but not the illness itself. We major the minor and we minor the major. I am addressing that especially to the Church who is so much preoccupied with making its impression in the political world rather than in a spiritual dimension as if Christianity is another political organization-prioritizing the minor and abandoning its peculiar duty as the ‘ground and pillar of truth’. Are we really Christians? Sin is what ails society and politics is not the gospel. If we are going to see our nation transformed, it has to be done from the inside out. The Gospel is our only hope.
There is a kind of happiness and wonder that makes you serious.
[b]C.S.Lewis, The Last Battle
I am a democrat because I believe in the Fall of Man. I think most people are democrats for the opposite reason. A great deal of democratic enthusiasm descends from the ideas of people like Rousseau, who believed in democracy because they thought mankind so wise and good that every one deserved a share in the government. The danger of defending democracy on those grounds is that they're not true. (C.S.LEWIS, ’Equality’ in Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces)
The battle cry of the first EDSA Revolution was: ‘The voice of the people is the voice of God’ and we defined democracy that way. A decade and a half later, we have another bloodless revolution and it only shows that we affirmed that view of democracy. Then we have another political crisis and some religious right group are again calling for another EDSA. If you have read the message of James Reuter in his article ‘The Only Hope for the Philippines’ circulating around, he is right in his assessment that ‘At best, we have moved one step forward, but three steps backward’.
A while back, I was reading ‘Why Government Can’t Save You’ and in that book you will realize that ‘Over the past several centuries, people have mistakenly link democracy and political freedom to Christianity.’ Was the author dead-on? Some may say, "Well without it (EDSA) where would we be today?" Who knows, but the Sovereign God has ordained every government-even a government like that of Nero for His own purposes. We should be reminded by Isaiah that “God’s ways are not your ways; neither are His thoughts your thoughts”. Yes we are like Rousseau, and we defend democracy on the wrong ground and we mistakenly equated Christianity with democracy.
Kevin Swanson said: It is not democracies that will win freedom, for democracies can selfishly vote for stronger government controls on minority groups. Democracies can vote for Hitler and Stalin. Democracies can vote for lawlessness. But freedom is dependent on Christians. (The Second Mayflower). Isn’t it ridiculous that we always boast to our neighboring countries that we are the only Christian country in Asia and yet we are lagging economically and morally? Why? Because we love to identify with Christianity but we don’t practice it. Our faith has played a destructive role in politics rather than a constructive one.
I remember posting an article just before the previous presidential election urging the Church to go back to its peculiar role (its two fold ministry of prayer and preaching the Gospel) and not to waste its time, money and energy to political activism and political lobbying (in many cases the Roman Catholic Church but alarmingly the Evangelical Protestants at large). Some have reacted saying: “Manood na lang ba tayo?” What I mean is we should not forget our God-given role as Christian citizens which is explicitly outlined in Romans 13 and Titus 3.
By abandoning the peculiar duty of the Church I agree with one writer in saying that ‘one of the great obstacles to reform is likely to be the clergy’. I even remember refuting Eddie Villanueva in that article because he is using the name of Christianity for political gain. Has he not learned one from Pat Robertson? I read in the news the other day that he is urging the Filipinos to participate in another EDSA revolution (and it is good that the Archbishop of Manila is not calling for one). Nakakasawa na! What a waste of time and money! During the presidential elections, he claimed that he was called by God for the presidency and that this is the highest calling. I think he is not reading the Scriptures and he is back to his old ways- political activism.
The highest calling for a man is to be a preacher of the Word and social reform can’t be achieved by political means! I said that because I have in view the Fall of Man. I have experienced living in a First World country like Japan and it has its own problem--basically the same--graft and corruption, crime, bird flu, economic, political, you name it. It is just in varying degrees of form but basically the problem we have in a Third World is the same with that of a First World. (If you think that you can escape this social problems by migrating to another country, I’ll tell you you will only be frustrated.) We all struggle, whatever government it may be, whatever society we may fit in, we struggle because of the Fall of Man. The social problems that we encounter daily is only the symptoms of our real problem--SIN--rooted from The Fall.
The real issue is men’s heart. The problem is--we tend to cure always the symptoms but not the illness itself. We major the minor and we minor the major. I am addressing that especially to the Church who is so much preoccupied with making its impression in the political world rather than in a spiritual dimension as if Christianity is another political organization-prioritizing the minor and abandoning its peculiar duty as the ‘ground and pillar of truth’. Are we really Christians? Sin is what ails society and politics is not the gospel. If we are going to see our nation transformed, it has to be done from the inside out. The Gospel is our only hope.
There is a kind of happiness and wonder that makes you serious.
[b]C.S.Lewis, The Last Battle