OCTOBER ISSUE VOL.1 NO.

THE

WITNESS

BETWEEN POLITICS & RELIGION

The Witness is the official magazine of Political Science enthusiast all over the Globe. |
Rivera, Melissa L.

1. Major News for Today:

Religion and Politics Do Mix
Bradshaw, William

t has long been said

there are two topics
that
should
be
avoided
in
"polite
company," that is, at
social gatherings, parties,
service clubs,
during
intermissions
at
the
theatre and concerts, on
dates, with friends and
neighbours, and the like.
The two subjects are
religion and politics.
Tradition has it that
religion
should
be
reserved for sermons and
politics
for
political
speeches.
But
why
shouldn't
you
feel
comfortable in talking
openly about religion
and politics with your
friends,
neighbours,

family
members,
significant others, and
fellow citizens? Why?
Because both subjects
supposedly
are
so
controversial in nature
that talking about them
can lead to heated
arguments, harsh words,
hurt
feeling,
and
damaged relationships.
I would like to suggest, to
the
contrary,
that
people should be talking
about them.

{No two subjects

are more important for
one's total well-being
than
religion
and
politics. Politics is all
about one's well-being
when living in this life,
and religion is all

about one's well-being

in the life to come.
What could possibly be
more important than
these two subjects?}
So why shouldn't we be
discussing religion and
politics with our friends,
neighbours,
family
members,
significant
others, and in the wider
community? Let's look at
both
subjects
more
closely
and
their
relationship with each
other.
Although our politicians
contend
that
there
should be separation of
church and state, how
many times do we see
religious convictions and

political issues intersect in

such a way that religion
cannot
possibly
be
separated
from
the
state?
I
speak,
for
example, of such basic
religious and political
issues as: school prayer,
sex education in public
schools,
abortion,
legalized
marijuana,
euthanasia,
same-sex
marriage,
tax
abatements for not-for
profit organizations, war,
torture
of
prisoners,
religious symbols and
statues
on
public
property, and opening
public meetings with
prayer.

2Pew Survey: Nearly Half of Americans Now Say Religious Leaders Should Express Views on Social, Political Issues

ev. Rodriguez,

September, showed 49%

the early phases of a

and Boston Cardinal

who heads a

of those polled said they

presidential campaign,

Sean O'Malley have

national

support churches and

and at a time of friction

become prominent

organization of Hispanic

other houses of worship

between church and

voices for changes to

evangelicals and is

expressing views on

state. Religious groups

immigration law, and

outspoken on political

political and social

say their freedoms are

have advocated for the

issues including

questionsup from 40%

under threat by societal

rights of recent waves of

immigration policy and

in 2012.

shifts, such as the federal

migrants coming across

health-care overhaul

the southern border,

and same-sex marriage.

many of whom are

gay marriage, may be

giving his Sacramento,
Calif., congregation
exactly what more
Americans want.
According to a Pew
Research Centre study
released Monday, a
growing number of
Americans support
religious leaders
weighing in on social
and political matters.
The survey, conducted
the first week of

That still leaves

the nation divided:
48% said churches
"should keep out" of
politics.
The study, which polled
2,002 people aged 18
years or older from all 50
states, suggests a
reversal of a decline in
support for church
intervention. It comes as
the nation heads into
midterm elections and

Protestants and
Catholics alike have
fought the Obama

fleeing violence in Latin

America.
The study also reveals

administration over the

duelling pressures facing

part of the Affordable

Republicans from within

Care Act that requires

their own party.

employers to cover

Members surveyed

contraception in workers'

appear split on whether

health-care plans. Many

the party is too

religious leaders

conservative or too

including U.S. Catholics

liberal on issues such as

such as Archbishop Jos

abortion, immigration

Gomez of Los Angeles

and same-sex marriage.

3. Clash of Religions
ISLAM and CATHOLICISM
(By: B.C., 2014)

IGHT years ago

today, Pope
Benedict XVI made
a speech in a German
University which caused
a furore in the Islamic
world. It was publicly
condemned in Turkey
and Pakistan; it
prompted attacks on
churches in the West
Bank and Gaza; and it
probably led to the killing
of a nun in Somalia. The
lecture also had some
medium-term effects
which were, arguably,
more benign. It
prompted Christian and
Muslim leaders across
the world to start a series
of set-piece dialogues in
the hope that
unintentional

provocation could be
avoided in future. It's a
sad reflection on the
present state of the
Middle East that some
people, especially
conservative Catholics,
are saying that
Benedict has been
vindicated by history.
What exactly did the
pope say? Part of
his lecture was almost
sentimental in tone; the
pontiff was expressing his
feelings as an
elderly German
scholar, known for most
of his life as Joseph
Ratzinger, who for a brief
moment found himself
back in the world
of Teutonic academia
where he had spent his
best years. Inspired by
this august setting,
he plunged into the
deep waters: the

Balance between faith

and reason in
Christianity and Islam,
and the implications of
that relationship for
peace and violence. For
Christians, he suggested,
God could not be other
than reasonable, and
He could never bless
violence as a way of
compelling people's
obedience. For Muslims,
by contrast, God
transcended all
categories and was
therefore subject to no
such limit.
Benedict quoted,
without endorsing, the
words of a Byzantine
emperor who declared
that Islam's prophet had
brought into the world
"things only bad and
inhumane, such as his
command to spread by
the sword the faith he

preached." The pope

went on to imply that the
marriage between faith
and reason, mediated
through Greek
philosophy, was an
essential feature of
Christianity; it was a
mistake to think, as some
modern theologians
did, that Christianity
could be stripped of its
Hellenic accretions and
reduced to an
authentic core.
Christianity was
essentially "reasonable",
and that might not be
case for Islam.
In every faith that
believes in divine
revelationthe idea that
at certain moments,
God discloses essential
truths about Himself or
the universe.

4. Contemporary Issues:

This is not America

President Obama: If

Assembly, I made very

President Obama: What

make us
America?(Kroft,Steve)

against ISIL. This is

you'll recall, Steve, you

clear we are not at war

America leading the

had an international

against Islam. Islam is a

international community

network in al Qaeda

religion that preaches

to assist a country with

between Afghanistan

peace and the

whom we have a security

and Pakistan, headed by

overwhelming majority of

partnership with. To make

Bin Laden. And that

Muslims are peaceful.

sure that they are able to

structure we have

But in the Muslim world

take care of their business.

rendered ineffective. But

right now, there is a

what I also said, and this

cancer that has grown

was two years ago and

for too long that suggests

a year ago, is that you

that it is acceptable to

have regional groups

kill innocent people who

with regional ambitions

worship a different God.

teve Kroft: Are you

saying that this is
not really a war?

President Obama: Well,

what I'm saying is that
we are assisting Iraq in a
very real battle that's
taking place on their soil,
with their troops. But we
are providing air support.
And it is in our interest to
do that because ISIL
represents sort of a
hybrid of not just the
terrorist network, but one
with territorial ambitions,
and some of the strategy
and tactics of an army.

Steve Kroft: Two years

ago, in the White House,
in this building, you
talked about al Qaeda
being decimated. Two
years later, you've got al
Qaeda affiliates and al
Qaeda offshoots
controlling huge chunks
of both Iraq and Syria.
And you have militias,
Islamic radical militias in
control of Libya.

and territorial ambitions.

And what also has not
changed is the kind of
violent, ideologically
driven extremism that
has taken root in too
much of the Muslim
world. And this week, in
my speech to the United
Nations General

4. Philippines Update:

However, more than 90%

population belong to the

held as well. A Midterm

The Influence of Religion

in Politics (Atheistmov,
Vladimir)

of the population are

Muslim religion.

elections are held in

Christians: about 80%

between the Presidential

belong to the Roman

The elections in the

elections where only the

Catholic Church and 10

Philippines are held

12 senators, 200 plus

% belong to other

every three years. A one

congressmen, governors

Philippines are one of

Christian sects like the

that includes the

and mayors are elected.

those anticipated events

Protestants, Jehovah

election of a President of

A This year in 2013,

here in a country so

Witnesses, the very

the country is called a

midterm elections will be

influenced by religion

influential Iglesia ni

Presidential election,

held to elect the 12

specifically by the

Christo (Church of Christ

which is held every six

senators and the 200 plus

Christian religion. And

as translated in English)

years. The last

congressmen who will be

and others. the

Presidential election of

the key people

May 13, another one will

Philippines therefore is

this country was held in

responsible for adding

go through history as one

one of the most

May of 2010. And during

and changing the laws

predominantly Roman

presidential elections, A

of the land for the next

a battleground for

Catholic countries in

the polls for the 12 six-

three years.

religious supremacy

Asia, this is because of

year termed senators of

when it comes to

the Spanish colonizers

the 24-seat senate, A

influencing the political

influence which has

200 plus three-year

demography of this land.

remained for the past

termed congressmen for

448 years since they

the lower house

began their 333-year

congress, A three-year

colonization of this

termed governors of

country. The rest of the

provinces and mayors of

country10% of the

cities and towns are

Elections in the

on this year of 2013 on

that can be considered

The Philippines is
considered a secular
nation that has a
population of about 92
million people. A

simultaneously being

Sources:
Atheistmov, Vladimir. (2013). The Influence of Religion in Politics. Retrieved from,
http://patas.co/articles/the-influence-of-religion-on-philippine-elections/. October 17, 2014.
Audi, Tamara. (2014). More Americans support mixing religion and politics. Retrieved from,
http://online.wsj.com/articles/pew-survey-more-americans-support-mixing-religion-and-politics-1411401662.
October 15, 2014.
B.C. (2014). Islam and Catholicism. Retrieved from,
http://online.wsj.com/articles/pew-survey-more-americans-support-mixing-religion-and-politics-1411401662.
October 17, 2014.
Bradshaw, William. (2014). Religion and politics do mix. Retrieved from,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-b-bradshaw/religion-and-politics-do_b_4581352.html, Oct. 15, 2014.
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