The
Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the three most prominent, national newspapers,
issued recently Opinion articles on the relation of morality and religion.
Former director at the World Bank in South Asia, Joseph M. Pernia raises a
question (23.3.15): “Why does the Philippines, for so long only Catholic
country in Asia, rank near the bottom in terms of corruption, poverty
incidence, investment climate and other standard international socioeconomic
metrics”. He accuses Philippine –style Catholicism for disconnection of faith
and social righteousness. As a remedy for that malaise he suggests an ecumenical
movement strengthening social responsibility in faith.
Science
Teacher and Principal Edwin de Leon goes a long way further in his opinion
(25.3.15). He says there is no God,
which is an invention by a human. Religion is an archaic phenomenon that should
be abandoned. Influence of religion on society is damaging. The countries with
strong religiousness are corrupted while atheistic societies are more righteous
and generous. As examples of latter ones de Leon mentions Denmark and Sweden.
In order to
make the corrections demanded and to showcase complexity of relation between
religiosity and morality I offered to publish my comment (30.3.15) on de Leon`s
column.
The
background of the Opinion articles cited is concern over corruption in The
Philippines. Death of Father of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew has sparked a lot of
discussion on the economics of the country compared to Singapore and the
outcome is very negative from point of view of The Philippines. The discourse
is always returning to the impact of corruption. After elected for Presidency
Noy Noy Aquino promised to get rid of corruption. In fact he has moved into the
right direction but he has taken only a few steps up to now. Corruption is
still underlying in the complicated branches of the government. The authors of
the articles cited agree that corruption is an obstacle to investments and
financial development. What to blame for corruption? The Philippines differs
from the other Asian countries in respect of religiosity being an only for long
Catholic country in Asia. So should we accuse Catholicism for the failure of
the society?
Looking
closer into Catholicism in The Philippines, one finds out there are different
layers of religiousness. For an ordinary Filipino the most crucial function of
the belief might be to cope with the powers threatening health or endangering
in the other way success in the life. So she or he might have got an icon to pray
and to beg for help, or one might attend the cult, from which she or he will
acquire luck or power for life. That religiousness is called Folk Catholicism
and differs sharply from the perceptions typical to Catholic elite, which in my
view consists of the bishops and the priests in the higher ranks of the
hierarchy.
Folk
Catholicism is dealing with issues of safety and success in life. The questions
of morality are not so crucial and it does not open ways out of an individual
life circle. So it seems to be quite powerless in fight against immorality. In Elite
Catholicism the importance of ethical call is underlined, but it is directed
mainly into human relationships. At the level of society The Church has
concentrated to fight usually only for marriage and sexuality. Passion to
pursuit the own one-sided political agenda has immersed the Church in the daily
politics and endangered the neutral position. In several cases instead, the Church
has showed indifference to corruption.
So there is
a Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament. Who is reading that sermon and who
is listening?