In our taxation class, my professor once asked why is the State exempting the Church from taxation of its real estate and other activities related to religious purposes. The answer is because the Church provides services which the State cannot undertake on its own -- that of the molding of the society into God fearing, moral individuals imbued with values that ultimately benefit of the State. The functions of the two institutions, could be separate, but, as I take it, they are complementary and for the ultimate benefit of the individual. Of the person. For after all, aren't the two institutions created for the purpose of benefitting man? His government to serve and protect him, and his religion to teach him morals to separate him from the beast?
The recent development wherein a Congressman from the Party-list group Kabataan proposes that religious ceremonies and images should be banned from government offices can be taken 2 ways : that it could encourage other religions to exercise their religious rights OR to ban all religious practices altogether. I think the bill could, if passed in to law, have the latter effect. With respect to this, I agree with Cris Beltan's opinion on the Philippine Star with respect to the issue. Read it here.
Here are my thoughts on the matter of Separation of Church and state as I related it to a friend.
If the state should regard the church as a separate entity, walang issue. ang ginagawa ng church na pamemressure kung meron man ay ginagawa rin ng lobbyist group, ng tobacco companies, ni tony boy cojuanco
Kung sabihin man ng simbahan na idedeklara niyang erehe at pilibustero ang isang congresista, eh ano ngayon
May separation. yun nga lang, parang nahihighlight kasi malaking bloke ng populasyon ang mga Katoliko
Ang Iglesia ni Kristo, may block voting (ibig bang sabihin noon nakikialam din sila? Hindi dahil bumoboto sila at karapatan nila na bumoto ayon sa gusto nila. Kung may sanction man yun ng Iglesia o wala, wala tayong pakialam. Boto nila yoon eh)
Pero hindi sila (ang Katoliko, ang INC's) ang gobyerno.
pero pwedeng makialam yung mga tao (in general, regardless of religion), kasi ang tao ay gobyerno. at ang tao rin ang bumubuo sa relihiyon.
Sabi ng kaibigan ko, religion and faith are good pero iba na kapag pinapakialam na ng heirarchy ang machinery na dapat applicable sa lahat which is the government.
As for me, religion and faith are good. But what are those if you cannot practice it? Parang pagsasabi ng I love you, pero absentee partner ka naman. They don't want organized religion to call the attention of the government in matters that the Church thinks will violate Man and his Morals that is why they want to stop people from practicing their faith..
How are you to separate Church and State? Simple, it is written in the Constitution that the State should not favor any religious domination. Has the State filed a single law favoring the establishment of religion, favoring any religion? NO.
Does the law and the constitution guarantee freedom of expression and the freedom to practice religion? YES.
Just a thought, if the State cannot pass laws favoring the creation or favoring a particular religion, then it shouldn't also have the right to prevent people from getting into, practicing, or praying through our religion.
(Note: This blog is about Life is a Series of Destinations. I acknowledge, through this blog, that life is also a Spiritual Journey. I am writing this with the ultimate thought and the realization that I am also to depart from this body, this life, and I am undertaking this Spiritual Journey here on earth in preparation for the Life at the other side. I Believe in, Jesus Name)
