RELIGION: A (CLASSICAL) TOOL OF POLITICS

CONSTELLATION OF THE GENERAL ELECTION IN

INDONESIAN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

Luvdhy Wahyu S. E.

Airlangga University

ABSTRACT

In Indonesian contemporary society or in any society else, we will face a relationship among

the religion, politics and voters. The relationship is barely a secret to be opened not as an

irresistible fact like before. The objective is to make the people realize the potential danger of

the miss-used of this instrument. In further explanation, the correlation of Marx’s thesis will

be reinterpreted with the reality of the Indonesian politics and societies today. It significantly

refers to the use of religion through the politic constellation in general election which seems

as a religion’s dogma. The politics in most of the countries in the world use a democratic

system based on the voting for majority. In this case, a need of general election will

absolutely appear and the way to attract the constituents is always the most problem to be

done. With the characteristics of Indonesian society, this moment that full of differences, the

existence of many parties with also many basic ideologies is not a strange performance. One

of the ideology and the way of attracting people vote on the party that seems never change in

the altering society of Indonesia is the religion. It has developed in a new or actually persists

in the similar way as a politics tool to construct the post-election constellation in Indonesian

contemporary society whether the practical using is in a right manner or in contrary.

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Keywords: Indonesian society, politics election, Marx’s thesis, religion

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INTRODUCTION

At these moments, the condition mindset that more opened. Then a

of Indonesian contemporary society comes to shocking event occurs when the

straight point of five years cycle of general quick count result has been

election. With the characteristics of published, the Democrat Party, a new

Indonesian multiculturalism and pluralism, one of the president Susilo Bambang

there are too many tools to persuade the Yudhoyono’s own, becomes the first

people to choose the provided parties when rank. It shows the raising of public

voting times. As we know we will face more trust to the government. In other side,

than one single period to vote because a predictable thing takes place in a

Indonesia has the legislative and president derivation of people’s vote to

direct vote. At this term, people are pushed to religion based parties. Every event in

be more confusing about what they will do in the general election 2009 seems to be

the election compared with the poor and a sign of the huge changes in

uneducated well of political knowledge they Indonesian politics constellation after

have to recognize. While the government still 1998 reformation.

try to upgrade the people’s participation in

One thing that not or
general election, the conditions precisely
even never different is about a tool of
forces the people to do the opposite that
Indonesian politics to invite people, it
discharging their smart awareness of the
is religion. In Indonesian politics,
election itself.
especially in general election

Many thing happened in the nowadays, religion is a tool which is

general election 2009, the addition still watched as an effective way to

number of the parties which allows 34 persuade the people who remain

participants , the change of the election holding to the values of religion

system from vote by punching ballot to fanaticism. The truth of this

scratch and the transformation of people expectation is an unanswered

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 question yet reflects to this time when the sometimes both of them, set aside the

victory of the three nationalism parties in religion as a political tool that still

temporary vote’s result is signified make any sense to the political elites

whereas the religion-based parties get community in particular and the

lower. But according to the map of post- people in general to be practiced

election political cooperation, whatever once again in Indonesian

the output, either the paradigm or the use, contemporary society .

DISCUSSION

1. THE THESIS OF MARX IN INDONESIAN SOCIETY TODAY

So far we are intimate with a the Europe society have noticed about

famous sentence of Karl Marx “Religion is the truth of the Marx thesis.

the opiate of the masses”, but the relevance of

Related to the contemporary
the thesis with our society condition now is
society of Indonesia nowadays, the
being debatable. Marx assumed this thesis at
thesis of Marx will meet its evidences
the middle-age of Europe when the power of
when we look at the map of the politics
religion takes the most authority of the human
parties. More than ten parties in the
life, beside the group of aristocracy. The
general election are the religion-based
power of the feudalism regime at that period
parties explicitly or implicitly which are
use the religion, it is Catholic for the most, as
PKS, PAN, PKB, PBB, PPP, PKNU,
an ideology to defend their control to the
PDS, PBR, PMB, PSI AND PPNUI. It
people. The church power is legitimacy for
shows that more than 30% of the
the attempt to oppress the masses. Fortunately
election participants are using religion
it is worked successfully that only a few of
as their basic values or purposes. The

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effect is that religions will directly or effectiveness till now, though only for a

indirectly being used to play the people’s limited community. The thesis of Marx

standpoint of the parties in general election. about religion as a opiate to the masses

According to the temporary vote result, the is relevant with the proofs above that

religion-based parties gain more than 25% said the use of the religion to persuade

vote and it still has a probability to increase. the people to vote the parties, at least it

The assumption of the religion attraction to works for a quarter of the voters.

the Indonesian people still argued as

2. THE ROLES OF RELIGION-BASED PARTIES IN GENERAL ELECTION

Without winning the majority votes, the lower point of the people trust to them

existence of the religion-based parties in the or the nothingness of the figure persons.

general election is only to be the followers

The reason why the religion-based
from the victors. Like what have done in the
parties never become one of the biggest
forming of coalitions among the participants,
three in the late three post-reform
the sides is all about the biggest three of the
elections is all about their contribution
pole position, then the religion-based parties
to the society. So far, they are seen as
which have one position lower or less will be
the ones who taking use of the religion
only a decision-follower not the maker. For
to attract the people, though sometimes
example, in a matter of the President
they use the power of the spiritual leader
candidates, there are no one of the religion-
of the religionists’ communities too.
based parties which courageous enough to
But, in fact after the have chosen, they
show off its member to be the president
can not do anything as a contribution to
candidate of this country. While the big three
the society except something important
that the nationalists ones is brave to mention
to their group interest. In this term,
its president candidate. It clearly refers to the

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religions are being used in a wrong direction ideology worked to legitimize the elite

to persuade the people power in a way of an power through the lower societies.

3. THE WAY RELIGION BEING USED TO WORK OUT THE PEOPLE POWER

The people now become more what the ideals will take along to the

rationalist and pragmatist, therefore they are reality’s surfaces. Just like Machiavelli’s

even harder to be tricked by. Mostly are more written, the largest numbers of the

educated about the politics and what a religion-based parties only require the

government must be. They are believe in the ideals of religion to deceive the society,

praxis way a party or its member do well in a meanwhile the one ideal within them are

government, not limited in the values a party interest.

carrying it on.. But it still doesn’t close the

The use of religion to resemble
entry of the religion based party because the
what is good or a movement in the
power of individual cults or religion bad
God’s sakes has make at least one
fanaticism that remains strong in their
quarter of the people who do vote to
existence. Anyway, the acquisition of the
believe in any religion-based parties
religion-based parties has change into a new
which are campaigning for it. But the
proportion with many of them become more
other greatest parts who have realized
modern, younger or precisely trapped into a
the power of the ideology of wrong used
disorientation values between nationalist and
religion by their rationalism, knowledge
religionist foundation used. The changes of
or pragmatism will get two choices,
the religion-based parties direction have make
don’t vote or vote for the other parties
a mark to the society that they only want to
which give more real contribution to the
gain the people votes without a consistency of
society. The religion, somehow in false

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ways, has been misunderstood as a promise to that it’s not a new way due to the similar

the Indonesian dream of justice, prosperity pattern like what have occurred in the

and glory. Unfortunately, this past elections and power regimes. In

misunderstanding has been built by some broadly definition, the religion-based

people who claim to against secularity as a parties is a tool to apply the power of

politics tool to create an interest constellation religion ideology to work out the

pointing to the power sharing after general achievement of the party’s interest

election. Eventually, it’s not a surprising fact goals.

4. THE POLITICS CONSTELLATION RESULT AS A REFLECTION OF THE

INFLUENCE OF RELIGION POLITICIZATION

Whether it decrease or not, the a fatwa/rule to the Moslem to be obeyed

influence of the religion toward the efforts to for, makes a controversial fatwa to ban a

gain the people power is still observed as an golput , a name of the group of people

effective classical tool of politics. As we don’t vote in Indonesia. It can be looked

know, most of the parties usually take an aid as a abundant approach of the

from the spiritual leaders of any religions to government to the private areas of the

make the people under their supremacy will people, a pursuit of an agreement of the

also support the parties in the general election democratic system in Indonesia or

some of the legislative or even the president moreover a betrayal of the meaning of a

candidates may be come from the religionists. word choice itself because it is also a

The standard points of view of the people choice not to choose. It will cause

always argue that the religionist is the one politicization within the religion

who is better to hold the authority of the institutions, members or the ideas of the

country. In other sample, we see that MUI, an religion itself. The politics constellation

Islamic organization that has a right to decide happened in general election with so

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many advertising of religion personage result in the in the aims of religion

support toward the parties has reflected the politicization.

CONCLUSSION

The Marx thesis of the wrong shape or names will continuously be in

direction religion has met the truth once used of the politics of Indonesia. The

again in Indonesian contemporary society. general election is both a moment and a

With all of the events of politics way to put in check the validity of the

communication, constellation and religion in political arts of the Indonesian

cooperation of the use of religion to draw contemporary societies that is being wrong

out the votes from the people in general or right used as a classical politicization.

election, the remarkable fact is that religion Thus the answer lies in a difficulty to say

still holds its roles as a classical tool of the that it is certainly not a kind of right roles

way politics are played. Regardless to the of the religion through the Indonesian

condition of the Indonesian contemporary conditions and politics here. In brief

society which is nowadays changing and explanation, the fact that religion is a

still possibly in the future do more, the political tool is thereby a truly reality in

influences of the religion whatever its our contemporary societies today.

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9
THE AUTHOR

Name : LUVDHY WAHYU SARWO EDY

Religion : Islam

Place, Date of Birth : Banyuwangi, November 5th 1988

Address in Surabaya : Jl. Dharma Husada Utara No. 39

Inspiring words : we live alone and bring our burden by our self. But with
everyone besides us, each day is a happy day.

Email : luvdhy@hotmail.com

Phone number : 085730024926

Hobby : Reading, writing, thinking and chatting

Education : fourth semester student of English Department faculty

of humanities Airlangga University

Organization : The head of Student Executive Board Faculty of

Humanities Airlangga University 2009

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