Re-Configuring Our Social Imaginary: Imaginary: A Rightful Place Place for “God-talk” “God-talk” in the Filiino Pu!lic "here By Romel Regalado Bagares1 __________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________ The Separation of Church and State shall be inviolable. -Art II. Section 6, 1987 Constitution No law shall be made respecting respecting an establishment establishment of religion, religion, or prohibiting the free exercise exercise thereof. The free free exercise and enjoyment enjoyment of religious religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of political rights. -Art. III, Section 5, 1987 Constitution eligious denominations denominations and sects shall shall not be registered registered !as a political party, party, organi"ation or coalition, by the Comelec# -Art. IX, C, Section Section 2(5) $ne%half of the seats allocated to the party%list representatives shall be filled, as provided by law, by selection selection or election election from labor, peasant, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, communities, women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law, e#cet the religiou" "ector . -Art. VI, sec. 5(2).
hould a Roman Catholc Bsho! e"er concern hmsel# $th the m!eachment o# a %resdent accused o# a host o# unconsttutonal msdeeds n o##ce& In other $ords, s t !ro!er #or a man o# the cloth to 'on the !oltcal #ray and demand that the hghest o##cal o# the land e tred n an m!eachment court #or "olatng her oath o# o##ce&
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A la$yer, *r. Bagares, +2, s a 'unor #ello$ at an e"angelcal thn-tan, the Insttute #or tudes n Asan Church and Culture (IACC). e holds degrees n communcaton research and la$ #rom the n"ersty o# the %hl!!nes. An assocate at the oque the oque and &utuyan 'aw $ffices, $ffices , he s a memer o# the legal team su!!ortng the ct/en-led m!eachment com!lant aganst %resdent 0lora *aca!agal-Arroyo. In 2+, the % College o# a$ 3aculty a$arded hm $th the naugural (yres S. (c)ougal *ri"e for +xcellence in 'egal riting in the field of -nternational 'aw and urisprudence urisprudence and the the ustice -rene Cortes *ri"e for +xcellence in 'egal riting in the field of Constitutional Constitutional 'aw. 'aw .
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4hat such a concern s eng rased at all n a country that, #or many years, has een under the s!ell o# someone le the late *anla Archsho! ame Cardnal n e6htng a most !ulc n"ol"ement n sundry !oltcal ssues seems so odd no$, not to menton the e6!lct !ronouncement n the !resent %hl!!ne consttuton that 7no relgous test shall e re8ured #or the e6ercse o# !oltcal rghts.9 But !laced n the e6!anded conte6t o# a country $th a !redomnantly Roman Catholc !o!ulace and a three hundred year-hstory under !ansh ecclesastcal su!remacy, the 8ueston s really drected at the !ro!er !lace o# #ath as a source o# stalty as $ell as rene$al n the !ulc s8uare. 4he ssues the 8ueston dra$s unto tsel# come nto a shar!er #ocus $hen $e real/e that there too s a gro$ng segment o# the 3l!no !o!ulaton dra$n nto :e$ Relgous *o"ements (:R*) ; Roman Catholc-ased and other$se ; $hch are also egnnng to #le6 ther !oltcal muscle n the %hl!!ne !oltcal landsca!e. Freedom of e!i"ion #s $referred i"%t
4he relgon clauses n the Consttuton are not meant to thro$ the ay out, along $th the ath$ater, so to s!ea. 4hey are not a re!udaton o# relgon< they are n #act, a recognton o# the m!ortant role relgon !lays n the democratc !olty. 4hey are #undamentally only a restrcton, ndeed, a !rohton, on any go"ernmental act that tends to !romote one relgon o"er the others, or dscrmnate aganst one n #a"or o# the others. It s also a !rotecton aganst any state-s!onsored mo"e coercng !eo!le to act aganst ther relgous conscences. It should e $ell noted that the 1=>? Charter tsel# carres a !reamle that, #or all ntents and !ur!oses, acno$ledges the !rmordal role o# relgon n socety@ /e, the sovereign 0ilipino people, imploring the aid of 1lmighty 2od ...92 em!hass mne In %hl!!ne 'urs!rudence, the #reedom o# relgon, along $th the #reedom o# e6!resson, occu!es a 7!re#erred9 !oston<+ that s, t occu!es the to! rung n the ladder o# rghts guaranteed y the Consttuton. ence n a consttutonal ad'udcaton n"ol"ng the #reedom o# relgon "ersus another #reedom, the #ormer 2
4he !resent !reamle s n star contrast to the one #ound n the 1=?+ charter, $hch n"oed, n a rather m!ersonal tone, the ad o# 7"ne %ro"dence.9 4he records o# the 1=>? Consttuton sho$ that the consttutonal commssoners !recsely ado!ted the change n recognton o# the m!ortance o# s!rtualty to 3l!nos as $ell as the dea o# 0od as ha"ng a !ersonal, and drect hand, n the sha!ng o# a countryDs hstory. It should also e noted that not e"en the Amercan Consttuton carres a !reamle $th such an e6!ress and !ersonal n"ocaton o# 0od n the ordnaton and !romulgaton o# the #undamental la$ o# the land. + %hl!!ne Bloomng *lls Em!loyees Frgan/aton ". %hl!!ne Bloomng *lls, 0.R. :o. -G5+GG, :o"emer =, 1=>+< 125 CRA 55+ (1=>+).
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should e !r"leged o"er the latter. 4he 7!re#erred9 !oston a!!roach to Consttutonal ad'udcaton o# rghts s orro$ed #rom Amercan 'urs!rudence, and $as #rst roached n a $ell-no$n #ootnote y ustce tone n the case o# 3nited States v. Carolene *roducts Co@ there may e a narro$er sco!e #or o!eraton o# the !resum!ton o# consttutonalty $hen legslaton a!!ears on ts #ace to e $thn a s!ec#c !rohton o# the Consttutonalty, such as those o# the #rst ten amendmentsH9 4he Amercan u!reme Court later on #ully e6!ressed ths n the 1=+ case o# (urdoc4 v. *ennyslvania@ 73reedom o# the !ress, #reedom o# s!eech, #reedom o# relgon are n a !re#erred !oston.95
Inte!!ectu#! #nd &istoric#! oots
F#ten re#erred n Amercan consttutonal lterature as the Non% +stablishment Clause, ecton 5, Artcle III o# the 1=>? Charter, #nds hstorcal moorngs n the Amercan e6!erence, our consttutonal hstory eng closely lned $th an Amercan colonal hertage. G In Amercan consttutonal hstory, the clause has an nterestng !rogeny ecause as any astute student o# hstory no$s, the Amercan colones $ere estalshed y !eo!le $ho had had enough o# the relgous !ersecuton n the Fld Jorld and $anted to !ut u! a :e$ Jorld $here the #reedom o# conscence s res!ected. In #act, recent ree6amnatons o# ntellectual n#luences on Amercan consttutonalsm !laces s8uarely a tradton o# dssent aganst any tate-m!osed relgous dogma as #allng $thn the con#nes o# Cal"nsm, $hch dre$ ns!raton #rom the $rtngs o# the great 0ene"an %rotestant Re#ormer. Along ths lne o# scholarsh!, the great leral dea o# the 7lerty o# conscence9 !ro!ounded y the !hloso!her ohn oce has een traced to Cal"nst n#luences.? oce, s o# course, o#ten dent#ed n the lterature as the great ns!raton o# the Amercan Re"oluton aganst England.
+ .. 1, 152 (1=+>). Kuoted n *ram e#ensor antago, The Supreme Court 1pplies /Clear and *resent )anger56 &ut hich $ne7 G %I. . 5?. G 4he orgnal, Amercan "erson, reads thus@ 7 Congress shall mae no la$ res!ectng an estalshment o# relgon or ardgng the 3ree E6ercse thereo#.9 .. Const. Amend. I. *any 3l!no consttutonal la$ scholars trace the egnnngs o# Consttutonalsm n the %hl!!nes to the anne6aton y the Amercans o# the %hl!!nes #rom !an n 1>=>. :e$ scholarsh! !ushes t ac to the *alolos Consttuton. ee *ona 3rancesca Latga, 8istorical Transcendence6 The Significance of the &ill of ights of the (alolos Constitution ?+ %I. . (1==>). 4he *alolos Charter also contans a Non%+stablishment Clause. :e"ertheless, such $or as LatgaDs stll traces a common root #or oth the *alolos and Amercan consttuton n the deas o# the eral tradton orn n the $ae o# the Enlghtenment. ? ee #or nstance the $or o# %eter udson Rchards, 7The 'aw ritten in Their 8earts756 utherford and 'oc4e on Nature, 2overnment and esistance, 1> . AJ M REI0. 155-1>= (22). 4he artcle dscusses the n#luence o# Cal"nst thought on ohn oce, and com!ares hs $rtngs $th another Cal"nst !oltcal theorst, amuel Ruther#ord. 5
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Certanly, t s not s!ecous to say that such a consttutonal dea ; that o# the #reedom o# conscence as e6!ressed n the e6ercse o# oneDs relgon ; #nds some root n a !artcularly relgous groundng > although t s also argued that the n#luence s not entrely relgous, or lcal, ut also n"ol"es some !hloso!hcal sources. A recent $or, y consttutonal la$ scholar :oel 3eldman, o##ers a re"son o# much o# the scholarsh! on the 3rst Amendment $th res!ect to relgon. Fn the one hand, he !ro"des a hstory that deuns those $ho !ortray the 3ramers as secularsts on the model o# the 3rench secularst philosophes, !rotectng ratonal go"ernment #rom su!!osedly rratonal relgon. In #act, the consttutonal scholar sho$s that 4he 3ramersN ocean "e$ $as grounded n a set o# deas $th oth relgous and !hloso!hcal roots. Fn the other hand, he also argues aganst those $ho clam that the Non%+stablishment Clause $as mot"ated y an e"angelcal Chrstan m!ulse to ee! relgon #ree #rom the corru!ton o# $orldly a##ars. In 3eldmanDs hstorogra!hy, 7the e"angelcal su!!orters o# se!araton, as much as the ratonalsts, argued #or se!araton on the ass o# the t$n ocean "e$s that the tem!oral !o$er laced authorty to coerce n matters o# relgon and that nd"dual reason and choce must e !aramount n relgous ele#.9= 3eldmanDs $or s n star contrast to those o# other scholars $ho $sh to deny #ath-ased ntat"es any !oston o# ntegrty at all n the !ulc s!here y erectng a rgd, art#cal and unrealstc 7$all o# se!araton9 et$een Church and tate.
'%e C!#use #nd Its u#nces in $%i!iine *#+ #nd urisrudence
The ban on ecclesiastics in municipal office 4he classc case n Church-tate relatons n %hl!!ne 'urs!rudence s that o# *amil v. Teleron,1 $here the elglty o# a !rest to assume an elect"e munc!al !oston $as 8uestoned e#ore the u!reme Court n a certiorari !roceedng. 4he res!ondent, 3r. *argarto R. 0on/aga, $as elected n 1=?1 as munc!al mayor o# Alur8ue8ue, Bohol. A !etton $as #led to ds8ual#y hm #rom hs !ost ecause o# the Admnstrat"e Code !ro"son $hch states that@ 7In no case shall there e elected or a!!onted to a munc!al o##ce ecclesastcs, >
-d ., at 1>, ctng J.*. %E*A:, F: FCLE A: 4E %RFBE* F3 E%RAVI4O (1=>>). :oah 3eldman, The -ntellectual $rigins of the +stablishment Clause, ?? :.O.. .Re". +G, 2? (22). 1 >G CRA 2+ (1=?>). =
solders n act"e ser"ce, !ersons rece"ng salares or com!ensaton #rom !ro"ncal or natonal #unds, or contractors #or !ulc $ors o# the munc!alty.911 4he rulng, as character/ed y the ponente, ustce 3ernando, an emnent scholar o# consttutonal la$, s 7ndecs"e,9 manly ecause 7$hle #"e memers o# the Court consttute a mnorty, the "ote o# the remanng se"en does not su##ce to render the challenged !ro"son ne##ect"e.912 tll 3ernando, notng that the la$ n 8ueston $as enacted n 1=1?, oth the 1=+5 and the 1=?+ Consttutons ha"e !ro"sons that clearly stress that 7no relgous test shall e re8ured #or the e6ercse o# c"l or !oltcal rghts.9 74he !rnc!le o# the !aramount character o# the #undamental la$ o# the land thus comes nto !lay,9 $rote 3ernando. 74here are !re"ous rulngs to that e##ect. 4he an on the Admnstrat"e Code cannot sur""e. o the $rter o# ths o!non $ould hold.9 But the Court $as d"ded and t could not muster enough "otes ; eght ; to o"erturn the la$. 0"en the reasonng y the ponente n ths case, and under the 1=>? Consttuton, $hch also !rohts relgous tests, the legal e##ect o# *amil v. Teleron remans n dout. 4he !resent Charter s clear enough. As 'ustce %alma, n her dssent, !ut t@
But then, t s strongly argued that the electon or a!!ontment o# !rests or e"en nuns to munc!al o##ce $ll e "olat"e o# the se!araton o# church and state. I strongly ele"e t s not so. An emnent Consttutonalst !uts t@ $hat s sought to e ache"ed under the !rnc!le o# se!araton o# church and state s that the !oltcal !rocess s nsulated #rom relgon and relgon #rom !oltcs. In other $ords, go"ernment neutralty n relgous matters. 4hus, our consttuton !ro"des that no la$ shall e made res!ectng an estalshment o# relgon . a"ng an ecclesastc or !rest n a local go"ernment o##ce such as that o# the munc!al mayor $ll not necessarly mean the n"ol"ement o# !oltcs n relgon or "ce-"ersa. F# course the relgon o# the man cannot e se!arated #rom hs !ersonalty< n truth, ths relgon n#luences hs conduct, hs moral "alues, the #arness o# hs 'udgment, hs outloo on socal !rolems, etc. As stated n the 8ysong decson, ne"taly, n !o!ular go"ernment y the ma'orty, !ulc nsttutons $ll e tnged more or less y the relgous !rocl"tes o# the ma'orty, ut n all cases $here a dscreton s re!osed y the la$, t s to e assumed n the asence o# 11
ecton 21?5 o# the Re"sed Admnstrat"e Code (1=1?). 3eldman, supra note =, at 2.
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e"dence to the contrary, that the !ulc o##cer $ll !er#orm hs duty n the manner the la$ re8ures. I may add that there are legal remedes a"alale to the ct/enry aganst o##cal acton "olat"e o# any e6stng la$ or consttutonal mandate.1+
In any case, the !rohton has een lmted to a munc!al o##ce, there eng no smlar la$ annng ecclesastcs #rom seeng !ulc o##ces hgher than a munc!al o##ce. It s recogn/ed that the lne se!aratng Church #rom tate s d##cult to dra$. In 9ictoriano ope or4ers: 3nion v. +li"alde, the Court held "ald a la$ e6em!tng memers o# the -glesia ni ;risto #rom the re8urement that all em!loyees must 'on a unon as a condton #or contnued em!loyment n accordance $th the closed sho! agreement n the Collect"e Barganng Agreement. Inter!retng the Non%+stablishment Clause, the gh Court held thus@
The constitutional provision only prohibits legislation for the support of any religious tenets or the modes of worship of any sect, thus forestalling compulsion by law of the acceptance of any creed or the practice of any form of worship, but also assures the free exercise of one
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Supra note =, at 5+. 0.R. :o. -252G e!temer 12, 1=?
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4here s a long lne o# cases llustratng the "arous !ermutatons o# ths consttutonal problematique. But n all ths, the !rnc!al holdng remans that the Non%+stablishment Clause means that go"ernment must reman neutral n matters o# #ath< t must not !r"lege one #ath o"er the others. It cannot !romote one at the e6!ense o# the others. It su!!orts the cause o# #reedom est $hen t taes ts hands o## relgon, $hen t lets relgous adherents e, #ree to e6!ress n !ulc ther sel#-understandng o# ther sel#-denttes as de#ned y ther #ath ; o# course, 7$thn lmts o# utmost am!ltude.9
-ncidental benefits not a violation But the Non%+stablishment Clause s not "olated # the ene#t der"ed y a relgon #rom the e6!endture o# !ulc #unds s merely ncdental to a !ulc !ur!ose. 4hs $as held n the case o# 1glipay v. ui" ,15 $here the Court sad that the commemorat"e stam!s !ut out y the go"ernment to mar the ++rd Internatonal Eucharstc Congress n *anla dd not "olate the se!araton o# church and state ecause ts !rnc!al am $as to !romote the cty as a seat o# the Congress and hence, to attract toursts to t. :ot ha"ng een ns!red y any sectaran mot"aton to #a"or a denomnaton or to ene#t the Roman Catholc Church, $hate"er relgous character the stam! had (t sho$ed a ma! o# the %hl!!nes, not a chalce), $as only ncdental, sad the gh Court.
$ther parameters in Constitutional 'aw Jhle t s true that the Consttuton mandates the se!araton o# church and state through the clauses o# :on-Estalshment, 3ree E6ercse, :o-Relgous 4est and the sallo$ance o# the Relgous ector (#rom eng a!!onted or elected as !arty-lst re!resentat"es), other !ro"sons o# the Charter outlne some e6ce!tons. 4he e6em!ton o# relgous nsttutons #rom ta6aton, #or nstance.1G %ulc #unds, $hle generally !rohted #rom eng s!ent #or relgous !ur!oses as an a!!lcaton o# the Non%+stablishment Clause, may e a!!led to !rests $orng as cha!lans n the armed #orces, a go"ernment or!hanage, or a !enal nsttuton.1? 15
G %hl. 21 Art. VI, ecton 2> (+), 1=>? Charter !ro"des@ 7Chartale nsttutons, churches and !arsonages or con"ent a!!urtenant thereto, mos8ues, non-!ro#t cemeteres, and all lands, uldngs, and m!ro"ements, actually, drectly and e6clus"ely used #or relgous, chartale or educatonal !ur!oses shall e e6em!t #rom ta6aton. 1? Art. VI, ecton 2= (2) 1=>? Charter !ro"des@ 7:o !ulc money or !ro!erty shall e a!!ro!rated , a!!led, !ad, or em!loyed drectly or ndrectly, #or the use, ene#ts or su!!ort o# any sect, church, denomnaton, sectaran nsttuton, or system o# relgon, or o# any !rest, !reacher, mnster or other relgous teacher or dgntary as such, e6ce!t $hen such !rest, !reacher, mnster or dgntary s assgned to 1G
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Also, the 1=>? Charter contans a ne$ !ro"son allo$ng o!tonal relgous nstructon durng regular class hours u!on $rtten re8uest y the !arent or guardan, to e taught y a teacher a!!ro"ed y authortes y the relgon o# $hch the chld s a memer, !ro"ded t s $thout cost to the go"ernment. 1> nder the old Admnstrat"e Code, the nstructon could not e $thn regular class hours. nder Art. +5= o# the C"l Code, relgous nstructon may e"en e made !art o# the currculum as a graded su'ect, so long as the !arents as #or t. E6ce!t sectaran schools, all schools most e o$ned y ct/ens or cor!oratons G-!ercent o$ned y 3l!nos. 3urthermore, they cannot e estalshed e6clus"ely #or alens, and the alen !o!ulaton n the school should not e6ceed 1P+ o# the total !o!ulaton o# the school.1= And so, the 8ueston@ -f a priest may run for public office in the *hilippines under the =>?@ Constitution, why may not a oman Catholic &ishop file an impeachment complaint against a *resident accused of a host of unconstitutional misdeeds in office7 A man o# the cloth may not e arred #rom e6ercsng hs !oltcal rghts on the ground that he s a memer o# the clergy< that s the essence o# the consttutonal !roscr!ton on any relgous test m!osed on the e6ercse o# !oltcal rghts. 0"en ths consttutonal hstory, any !resent-day challenge rased aganst a clerc runnng #or !ulc o##ce $ll not stand u! n court under the 1=>? Charter. In the same "en, o'ectons on the ground o# the Non%+stablishment Clause to the n"ol"ement o# Roman Catholc Bsho! eogracas IQgue/ n the mo"e to m!each the %resdent s at est, a msn#ormed cam!agn, and at $orst, a de!lorale e6ercse n des!erate !oltcal s!n-doctorng. 'o+#rds # ostmodern socio!o" of f#it% in t%e u!ic s%ere
F# course, n the %hl!!nes, $hen t comes to !oltcs, anythng, n #act, e"erythng, s #ar game. o, $hat usually ha!!ens s 7select"e se!araton.9 Fther$se, !oltcans, or the %resdentDs a!ologsts, dsmss counter-cultural #ath ased !oltcal ntat"es as so much lather. Jhen t s con"enent to them (es!ecally durng the electon !erod), !oltcans court churches #or ther su!!ort. In ths $ay, a !eo!leDs #ath s carcatured and dened o# an ntegrty that other$se should ser"e as a dee! moral resource #or ct/ens n ther conduct o# !ulc l#e. E"en the so-called !rogress"e the A3%, or to any !enal nsttuton, or go"ernment or!hanage or le!rosarum.9 1> ee Art. IV, ecton +(+) o# the 1=>? Charter. 1= ee Art. IV, ecton (2) o# the 1=>? Charter.
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grou!s could e gulty o# ths $hen they dsmss o'ectons y relgous grou!s to say, art#cal contrace!ton, or se6 educaton n the !ulc schools on the ground o# relgous or #ath-ased reasonng as sheer moralsm or rratonal meanderngs o# mede"al thnng. 4hus they call such o'ectons a "olaton o# the se!araton o# Church and tate. In ths, they haren to secular, modernst as!ratons. But $hen t talles $th ther o$n !oltcal agenda, they $ll not hestate to ln u! $th church grou!s to ad"ance ther #a"ored re"oluton and here, they suddenly trans#orm nto !ostmodern accommodatonsts. As Oale a$ choolDs %ro#. te!hen . Carter $ould !ut t n hs oo The Culture of )isbelief (BascBoos,1==+) a #ath !ushed nto the !r"ate s!here s no #ath at all. I# #ath s an m!ortant as!ect o# sel#-dentty, then under the Consttuton, t must e !rotected and allo$ed to #lo$er, ecause sel#-dentty and ts !ulc as!ect, sel#-e6!resson, as an emodment o# the #reedom o# relgon and o# conscence, are a !rotected consttutonal rght. 3or the legal theorst *chael %erry, #orcng relgous arguments to e restated n other, secular-soundng $ays, re8ures a ct/en to 7racet9 the con"ctons o# her #ath #rom the rest o# her !ersonalty, as # t $ere at all !ossle to s!lt her !ersonalty et$een the secular and the sacred@ 74o racet them $ould e to racet ;ndeed to annhlate ; hersel#. And dong that $ould !reclude her ; the !artcular !erson she s ; #rom engagng n moral dscourse $th other memers o# socety.92 But the est e6am!le o# man!ulat"e !oltcal du!lcty s 0lora *aca!agal-Arroyo hersel#. he has ecome 8ute ade!t at harnessng the language o# #ath, or relgon, #or her cause, as can e seen n her most recent tr! to the Vatcan to !resent the ne$ly-sgned la$ aolshng ca!tal !unshment to %o!e Benedct. trct se!aratonsts $ll rght a$ay rase #lags o# alarm o"er ths as a needless e6!endture o# !ulc #unds ; she #le$ $th an entourage o# 15 or so hangers-on, rememer& 3or all ntents and !ur!oses, she $as usng !ulc money to curry #a"or #rom the Vatcan. I# that $asnDt enough, the "st to the Vatcan $as also meant to loy #or the canon/aton nto Roman Catholc sants o# dead relat"es o# the 3rst 0entlemanS I# there e"er $as a "olaton o# the consttutonal Non%+stablishment Clause, ths s t. er spinmeisters $ere also 8uc to clam su!!ort #rom the %o!e hmsel# #or her go"ernment, $hch has een under steady assault #rom many 8uarters ecause o# charges o# electoral #raud, among other unconsttutonal msdeeds. Fne need not e a strct se!aratonst to see ho$ 0lora *aca!agal-Arroyo musters her relgous ca!tal $here t suts her !oltcal ends. 2
*chael . %erry, *FRAI4O, %FI4IC, A: AJ@ A BICE:4E::IA EAO, ?2-?+ (1=>>), as cted n 4E%E: . CAR4ER, 4E C4RE F3 IBEIE3, 5G (1==+).
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o no$, loo $hose talng& 0lora *aca!agal-ArroyoDs a!ologsts, ele"ng they are on hgh moral ground, lashed out at the Catholc Bsho! #or allegedly "olatng that 7$all o# se!araton9 y sgnng the m!eachment com!lant aganst her< yet n the same reath, they made a #ool o# themsel"es y callng #or an n"estgaton on $hether the sho! had "olated any church doctrne. In case they #orgot ther catechsm, doctrne s the !ro"nce o# the Church, not the tate. 4he tac they ha"e taen has ac#red, as the Catholc Bsho!Ds Con#erence o# the %hl!!nes (CBC%), nstead o# dso$nng ther #ello$ clerc, closed rans ehnd hm. 4he Amercan neo-!ragmatst !hloso!her Rchard Rorty has remared some$here that all 70od-tal9 n the !ulc s!here s really nothng more than a 7mere con"ersaton-sto!!er.9 Rorty, one o# the most taled-aout thners o# the contem!orary ntellectual scene, has most certanly s!oen dsmss"ely o# relgon n re#erence to hs o$n countryDs mult-cultural scene. Fther contem!orary thners, at least, n the Amercan scene, $ll dsagree, o# course< (thereDs e##rey tout, #or e6am!le, a %rnceton !ro#essor o# relgon $ho, though not a relgous man, has argued #or a ey !lace #or relgon n the democratc !ulc s8uare). Jell, # he $ere al"e, Ale6s de 4o8ue"lle, $ho had sad that relgon !ro"ded Amercans $th the strong character $thout $hch democracy n ther day $ll not ha"e #lourshed, $ll ha"e certanly rased a !other o"er RortyDs remar (although to e #ar, $hen the 3rench !oltcal !hloso!her $rote hs oo )emocracy in 1merica n the md-1>+s, Chrstan language stll "ery much domnated !oltcal dscourse n the nted tates). ere n the %hl!!nes, # he $ere stll al"e, %ro#. *aro Bolasco, n hs tme, argualy one o# the #nest scholars o# relgon ths country has e"er had ; yes, he $ho had systematcally studed the dynamcs o# leraton theology n the %hl!!ne settng ; $ll ha"e "gorously o'ected to the suggeston. 3r. Roert Reyes, $ll de#ntely ha"e somethng m!ortant to say aout that too, consderng that all the runnng he has een dong n the name o# hs !rogress"e causes he attrutes to hs eng, #rst and #oremost, a Chrstan $ho ele"es that t s hs duty to 0od to ser"e hs country $ell and to #ght #or $hat s moral and $hat s rght n ths day and age domnated y a dscourse o# contingencies, to orro$ #rom Rorty. (At least, Rorty s!eas #rom sncere ele# and strong con"cton< ut the same cannot e sad o# someone le *chael e#ensor or Ignaco Bunye r , $ho only s!eas #rom the com#ortale con#nes o# !oltcal con"enence). And yet, n the run-u! to the last %resdental electons, $th the emergence o# Bro. Edde Vllanue"a as a serous contender, e"en someone as esteemed a 1
scholar o# !oltcal socology as %ro#. Randol# . a"d $ould tae e6ce!ton to t as yet another sym!tom o# the regrettale dssoluton o# modern c"c culture. In hs A!rl 1>, 2 *ublic 'ives column n the -nquirer , %ro#. a"d $rote (on eligion and )emocracy)@
I ha"e gra"e reser"atons aout churches !layng a domnant role n the go"ernance o# a socety. I ele"e t goes aganst the ethos o# a modern democracy. 4o m6 churches $th !oltcs s to mo"e closer to the nd o# relgous #undamentalsm that has red the mltant relgous $arrors o# the !resent !erod. 4he use o# relgon as an nstrument o# !oltcal goals s !recsely $hat relgous #undamentalsm s aout.
%erha!s, %ro#. a"d, $ho s no$ one o# the lead com!lanants n the ne$ m!eachment case aganst 0lora *aca!agal-Arroyo, $as only e6!ressng some concern aout the !oltcal amgutes that seem to attach to the rse o# :R*s such as the %rotestant charsmatc grou! led y Bro. Edde (or !erha!s, o# Bro. *eDs Roman Catholc-ased +l Shaddai, #or that matter)< ut hs o'ecton to $hat, accordng to hm, s the eroson o# modern c"c culture ; that s, the dssoluton o# the church-state dchotomy ; y the ad"ance o# relgouslymot"ated or #ath-ased !oltcs e6em!l#ed y Bro. EddeDs !resdental as!ratons may e assuaged y the !hloso!her Charles 4aylorDs dea o# the social imaginary. (et t e sad that I ha"e my o$n 8uestons aout the theologcal under!nnngs o# Bro. EddeDs canddacy and ther !ractcal m!lcatons on go"ernance ut thatDs another story altogether). ra$ng #rom urgen aermas, Benedct Anderson and *chael Jarner, among other contem!orary theorsts, 4aylor argues n an nter"e$ $th Christianity Today that e"ery socety has an m!lct dee!er orderTa set o# taen #or granted understandngs out o# $hch ts memers mae sense o# ther !ractces ( &oo4s A Culture Section, ulyPAugust 22). Fn the le"el o# theory, leral democraces may seem to share a common set o# !ractces $hen t comes to the relatonsh! et$een the nd"dual ct/en and the state ut n realty, n the !artcular hstorcal conte6ts o# such democratc !oltes, d"ergences do e6st. 3or the socal magnary o# the *ddle Ages, 0od $as 7nesca!ale.9 It $as taen #or granted that oth moral and !oltcal order $ere ultmately #ounded u!on the d"ne order, as the natural la$ theology o# t. 4homas A8unas $ould !ut t. o$e"er, the rse o# modernty demolshed that noton. A secular system
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too o"er n the course o# many centures, one $here the moral order e6sts only to !romote the mutual ene#t o# nd"duals and de#end ther rghts. 7In such a socety, the noton that moral order s ultmately grounded n 0od may a!!ear to threaten to u!set the nd o# !olte socalty and tolerance that deally character/e the modern !ulc s!here,9 says 4aylor, a noted egel scholar $ho s also est no$n #or hs $or Sources of the Self6 The (a4ing of (odern -dentity (ar"ard n"ersty %ress, 1=>=). 73rom ths !ers!ect"e, Chrstanty ecomes not only somethng that you donDt need ut t actually ecomes a danger.9 But s ths decdedly modern socal magnary stll "ald or tenale& In a mult-cultural $orld, or # you $ll, the postmodern era, the modern, secular dea has ecome only one e6!lanaton o# !oltcal realty. I# t s any consolaton to the secularsts, 7there are com!etng understandngs, mutually contradctory, ut none s ca!ale o# a nocout lo$ aganst all the others,9 argues the !hloso!her. 4hat, says 4aylor, s the meanng o# l"ng n a secular c"l/aton. And he s dsmss"e o# #ears that the re""al o# the relgous magnaton, !erha!s, at least n leral democraces, $ould result n a nd o# 7unanmty9 that e6sted n !reRe"olutonary 3rance, the great bete noire o# the philosophes o# the Age o# Enlghtenment. (But the #ear, let t e sad, has remaned dee!ly ngraned n contem!orary 3rench !oltcs, $here an ant-clercalsm orderng on the rratonal contnues to hold go"ernment authortes n a tght gr!, as can e seen n ther harsh actons aganst the $earng y *uslm $omen o# the "el n !ulc schools). 4aylor argues@ H4hat $ll ne"er e6st agan n human hstory unless $e catastro!hcally destroy modern c"l/aton and go ac to the ca"es. And any attem!t to m!ose such unanmty, $hether o# an athest or a thest nd, $ll come to a terrle end as Communsm dd. In ths ne$ scheme o# thngs, there s a ne$ s!ace #or 0od n the secular $orld, $here 7relgon occu!es a d##erent !lace,9 and s 7com!atle $th the sense that all socal acton taes !lace n !ro#ane tme.9 e e6!lans thus@ ust as n !ersonal l#e the dssoluton o# the enchanted $orld can e com!ensated #or y de"oton, y a strong sense o# the n"ol"ement o# 0od n my l#e, so n the !ulc $orld the loss o# sacred tme and an un8uestoned transcendent order can e re!laced y a strong sense o# 0od n our !oltcal dentty. 0odDs $ll can stll e "ery !resent to us n the desgn o# 12
thngs, n the cosmos, n oth socal and nd"dual l#e. 0od can stll e the source o# our !o$er to m!art order to our l"es. 4he alternat"e, he says, s the nd o# readng o# the socal magnary $here 7more and more the consensus $ll e around an unele"ng "arant o# the modern socal magnary.9 But to hm ths really s 7'ust a dream9, $holly emraced y those $ho are 7con"nced as a matter o# #ath9 that relgon, as 3reud had $anted t to e, $ll dsa!!ear and e"eryone else $ll hold #ast to the #orddng ele# n the non-e6stence o# 0od. 74hatNs an m!ossle scenaro, and the more they thn le that, the $orse tNs gong to e,9 says 4aylor n the nter"e$ $th AmercaDs to!-o#-the-mnd e"angelcal 'ournal. 4he challenge, then, s ho$ to co!e $th ths ne$ e!och $here d"ersty could sometmes e 7#rghtenng.9 It s one $here on the dee!est le"el, $e $ould e dsagreeng $th our #ello$ ct/ens on many !onts. But under the crcumstances, $e couldnDt e more ha!!y, counsels 4aylor, ecause $e ha"e $ored so hard o"er the centures to get to $here $e are no$, $hch, as yet, s the est !oltcal order there could e (at least, n hs o$n estmaton o# the :orth Amercan stuaton). 4aylorDs arguments should e"en ha"e a greater cogency n the %hl!!ne settng, a country !eo!led y a relgous ct/enry , though lessed $th a go"ernment that ; rony o# rones ; s !lagued y so much gra#t and corru!ton. /od #nd t%e ostmodern ci0ic s#ce
4he !hloso!her 4homas Brdges, n hs oo The Culture of Citi"enship6 -nventing a *ostmodern Civic Culture (:O %ress, 1==) has noted that c"c l#e n the !ostmodern era s no longer de#ned e6clus"ely y the essentalsm and un"ersalsm that leral thought had es!oused. Jhere once, the deas assocated $th thners le oce, Rousseau, Bentham, Lant and *ll held s$ay, !ro"dng the domnant nter!retaton o# the asc leral democratc deals o# nd"dual #reedom and e8ualty, today, such deas no longer !ro"de a 7rhetorc that a!!ealed to notons o# !o!ular so"eregnty, socal contract, natural human rghts, and to related deas o# authentc nd"dualty and autonomous !ersonhood9 $th an 7mmedate ntellglty and "aldty.9 e calls ths demse a crss o# 7c"c culture9 ; a culture de#ned as a 7ody o# narrat"es, re!resentatons, and dscourses that ser"e to render ntellgle and su!!ort the e##ect"e nternatonal/aton o# the norms !ro!er to leral democratc ct/ensh!.9 uch a crss s the !rolem o# de"elo!ng ct/ens $ho someho$ ele"e n the !rmacy o# the role o# the ct/en n relaton to the dea o# leral 1+
democratc !olty o"er ther s!ec#c ethnc, relgous, or #amlar conte6ts and allegances. But $here the secular dea o# ct/ensh! once regned, todayDs socetes no$ #ace a stuaton $here ct/ens do not necessarly !r"lege ther memersh! n the democratc !olty o"er ther memersh! n a church, or an ethnc grou!. F# course, others may e"en #nd t hghly arguale $hether the %hl!!nes e"er reached that !ont $here a ma'orty o# ct/ens $ere ale to totally shed o## ther commtments to #ath n e6change #or ther memersh! n the !oltcal s!here ; or $hat %ro#. a"d calls a 7modern c"c culture.9 eral democracy, as a !oltcal arrangement, s su!!osedly ult u!on #ree and e8ual ct/ens $ho, n BrdgesD $ords, 7are ruled n ther o$n name@ they rule themsel"es.9 Oet n a 7de"elo!mental sense9 they are not #ree and e8ual #rst< they are !roduced through the n#luence o# a !artcular nd o# culture ; one sha!ed y a !ulc educaton that encourages and !roduces #orms o# culture ale to sustan denttes consstent $th ct/ensh!. *odernty has #aled to !roduce that nd o# culture ecause t n tsel# s a rhetorc, or language, o# e6cluson. uch #alure has tremendous m!lcatons on any !ro'ect o# natonhood. 3or to uld a naton, n a certan sense, s to uld #rst o# all, a communty< the !ro'ect o# natonhood or the narrat"e o# natonhood must e one o# ncluson ; o# a greater communty $here !eo!le #rom "arous ethnc acgrounds, #aths, and economc classes #nd a common meanng n e6stng as a democratc !olty. But ho$ do $e no$ ache"e a naton at a tme $hen the secular dea o# ct/ensh! ; a crucal conce!t n the dscourse o# natonhood ; has een undermned& o$ do $e sustan a democratc !olty n the on-gong !ro'ect o# natonhood $hen the #undamental !hloso!hcal !remses u!on $hch such !olty has een ult ha"e come to 8ueston n the !ostmodern onslaught& *oc#tin" /od in t%e 0er!#in" of Consensus
Brdges goes #arther than 4aylor y !ro!osng the creaton o# a 7!ostmodern c"c culture.9 3or Brdges, the de"elo!ment o# a !ostmodern c"c culture, or n 4aylorDs $ords, a ne$ socal magnary, ale to transcend the lmtatons o# a modernst leral ethc must de!end u!on an 7o"erla!!ng consensus9 on the !art o# !artcularstc cultural communtes that no$ character/e many socetes. e argues that n order to contrute to ths consensus n su!!ort o# leral moral deals, adherents o# !artcularstc cultural tradtons must dent#y or de"elo! resources $thn those tradtons that encourage the !ursut o# c"c 'ustce and c"c #reedom. 4he tas o# ct/ens and go"ernment s to dsco"er and to
1
ca!tal/e on those relgous or #ath-ased tendences that $ll su!!ort a c"c culture that !romotes the leral dea o# the common good. In contrast to Rorty, $ho dsmsses all 70od-tal9 n the !ulc s!here as nothng more than a mere 7con"ersaton-sto!!er,9 Brdges sees the !otental o# #ath communtes, n !artcular, o# Chrstanty, to contrute to the de"elo!ment o# a !ostmodern c"c culture. And $here %ro#. a"d notes a !otental slde nto relgous #undamentalsm, Brdges ulds a case #or the Chrstan ethcal !rnc!le o# lo"ng oneDs enemes as a !arallel to the leral dea o# the search #or the common good. 4o my mnd, the challenge s s!ec#cally drected to the Chrstans, $ho consttute a ma'orty n the %hl!!nes ut t s drected as $ell to other #aths that ha"e a rght#ul clam to eng a relgon o# truth, 'ustce and !eace. Amercan hstory teaches us an m!ortant lesson no$ largely #orgotten y such secularst grou!s as the Amercan C"l ertes non (AC)@ the C"l Rghts mo"ement, #or e6am!le, $as #rst and #oremost, a mo"ement ennoled and em!o$ered y the Chrstan relgous deal.21 *artn uther Lng, untl he learned to dra$ #rom the dee! resources o# the #ath o# the ordnary lacs o# hs tme (A#rcan-Amercans, n todayDs %C language), $as a relgous leral $ho had douts aout hs o$n ca!actes, e"en aout hs o$n #ath. Oes, he $as a relgous se!tc< that s, untl he redsco"ered the ne6haustle resources o# $hat the old hymn $rters called 7that Fld 4me Relgon.9 Fur o$n hstory sho$s that t $as manlne %rotestant churches, some e"angelcals, and the !rogress"e rans n the Roman Catholc Church that too u! the cudgels #or "ctms o# the human rghts "olatons commtted y the *arcos Regme. Oes, t $as the Church that ecame a ha"en o# re#uge #or those esca!ng #rom the mnons o# *artal a$< yes, t $as that Church that had the moral strength to stand u! to the auses o# the agents o# the tate. And yes, t $as the Church that !rotected *essrs. Ramos and Enrle n $hat s no$ no$n as the 3eruary 1=>G Edsa Re"oluton. Fr to go ac #arther nto the !ast, the #rst !rogress"e laor unons n the country $here estalshed y churchmen le Isaelo e los Reyes, $ho $as one o# the #ounders o# the natonalst -glesia 0ilipina -ndependiente. Jell, today, one can also tal aout the Cou!les #or ChrstDs 2awad ;alinga, a hghly admrale communty-uldng ntat"e that s decdedly #ath ased. Oet many !oltcans and local go"ernments endorse and su!!ort ts amtous !ro'ect, and e"en !ro"de t $th go"ernment resources, n certan nstances. o much then, #or the se!araton o# Church and tate. Jhch also says so much o# *ar6Ds dctum that relgon s the o!um o# the masses. It sm!ly does 21
CAR4ER, supra note 2 at 22?-22=.
15
not hel! to dsmss relgon altogether as a ul$ar o# !oltcal conser"atsm. uch a lanet re'ecton o# relgon etrays an gnorance o# the nuances o# #ath as an m!ortant source o# !oltcal and socetal rene$al. %ro#. a"d hmsel# has $rtten, n a more academc settng, aout the !o$er o# relgous symols to dra$ !eo!le together n a common cause o# #reedom ; as $hat the $orld $tnessed n Edsa 1=>G, or n the tearng do$n o# the Berln Jall, $hch started really as a !rayer mo"ement o# ct/ens n East 0erman churches, the only !laces $ere !ulc gatherngs $ere allo$ed y the Communst regme.22 4oday, $e are n a crss o# c"c culture, $here our !oltcal leaders ; and e"en some o# our s!rtual leaders ; re#use to tae u! the demands o# truth, so that 'ustce s dr"en ac, and rghteousness stands at a dstance< truth has stumled n the streets, honesty cannot enter.2+ …
O
et, I too, $ould le to ele"e that y $orng hand-n-hand $th Bsho! OQgue/ (and o# course, $th Bro. Edde, $ho s also a com!lanantS) n the ne$ m!eachment case aganst hs 4abalen, %ro#. a"d rea##rms the m!ortant !lace n the !ulc s!here o# the nd o# relgon the !ro!hets had s!oen o# n the Fld 4estament@ that relgon $hose unceasng !rayer t s to Oah$eh to let 7'ustce roll on le a r"er, rghteousness le a ne"er-#alng stream.92
22
Fn ths latter !ont, see 0lenn . tassen, ust *eacema4ing6 1 New *aradigm for a New orld , n CRI4IA: M %FI4IC BEOF: 4E C4RE JAR, 25-22? (a"d %. 0ushee, ed., 2) 2+ Isaah 5=@ 1 (:IV). 2 Amos 5@ 2 (:IV)
1G
