Religion and Politics: A topic of the book ‘Religious Liberty, Freedom, Power and the Role of the West' written by Sardar Mushtaq Gill

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This topic is extremely debatable. Straightforwardly it can be explained in this manner that a religion is not politics and the politics is not a religion. The both are pillars and spheres of human life. They work together hence they ought to be opened to be discussed without repression or accusation of heresy. They are interrelated to each other. People should not be arrogant and fanatical when talking about religion and politics. The discussion should not be so useless that it could no longer differentiate between religion and politics. It should not be for with a purpose of win or loss because the both have never ending arguments. They both are institutions and the both have always been intertwined with each other. It’s not bad rather it’s good for public at large because people are attached with them.

One says that there should not be mixed of religion and politics. His perspective for religion is that their movement is anti-intellectual and they use tactics which confuse, bewilder, or sidestep human rationality. Their stances are based on intuition rather than rationality. It’s blurred the lines between religion and politics. We should separate religion and politics, such as the constitution separates states. Some say that Religion and politics is a potent mix. It is beneficial to have discussions on religion and politics as long as done in decent order and people must be adult about it.

Religious Rituals, Sharia-Rules or Principles of a Religion is a part of Religion, but religion is not politics. It’s not true that religious rituals, sharia-rules or principles, have nothing to do with religion, but religion cum politics is not a religion. If a religion try to take place of Politics it means that wishes to overpower other religions, it is trying to create a base that is hostile to people. Political Religion with extremism approach is a cancer of the world. It will never tell someone that one is inferior because he believes differently than oneself in respect of worldly life. Who one worships do not define one, it's how one practices it. The godliest and most virtuous man can also be the worst human being and the barbarous can also be the best human being. One asks if few followers of a faith does something wrong, then it means that entire religion is wrong or the faith itself is wrong. Answer is yes, if those few give references from faith or religion to endorse their wrongs based on violence cum terrorism, no one should be allowed to use the strategy and tactics of politics and war for a religion that endorses the wrongs based on violence cum terrorism. Some Religions are still in their teenage state of merging politics and religion, making life pathetic in religious countries for everyone else other than ultra-religious.

Disagree about religion because it's not a discourse. One says he doesn’t want to talk about religions. Everyone should believe in what he feels right for him. But because of religion and politics, there are wars. His claim is based on the argument that he is a cosmopolitan and oppression is never good. He is thinking about those innocent humans who are in jails and sufferings. One says beyond religion and politics is humanity. Humanity unites us, we acknowledge beyond the things that divides us. We should be taught to talk about religion and politics in a respectful manner in public. Yes, it is the first work of religion and a binding duty on it to teach its followers a good walk in life. It is extremely needful to have a discussion on religion and politics on this planet for achieving the purpose of freedom of religion and peaceful life for human being. It’s also a binding duty on politics to pinpoint the harmful and destructive practices of the religion so that those practices not to be implemented under the protection of the constitutions and charters.

Religion should be based on compassion, simplicity and clarity and Politics should honestly implement on these virtues. In this present time, all have study to some extent every religion, and its mistakes based on violence cum terrorism which its followers have done because of their religions. All know there are some religions which did some mistakes based on violence cum terrorism to gain political power and it showed itself as emerging political power of the world and overthrown many regions of the world with its harmful tactics and teachings and still it is doing so on. In matters concerning religion and politics, a man's reasoning powers should be above the monkey’s reasoning powers. As long as there are people in the world workplace, there'll be talk of religion and politics. We have not be discredited to those who are constantly interact with one another about issues and for their peaceful solutions.

In a village, there was a woman who filed a lawsuit against a neighbor. When the case was unfounded, the people of her village suggested that you would lose the case and also money and time. But she refused to accept their advice. Twenty-five years later, she sold the land for attorneys’ fees and other expenses. During this time, her son also became a young man who went to court with his mother. The last part of the ancestral land was also booked due to constant expenses. And the case was also lost. When relatives came to express their grief over the economic loss, the lion's daughter did not give up. Do not be discouraged, she said the case was lost, the land was booked but my son became familiar the courts and got knowledge of the court process.

Now our world is a global village where human beings in any corner of the globe are connected with one another, no one can use religious card against politics, an unambiguous and principled stance on separating religion and politics is required. Blending religion with politics and state affairs in such a way, where it has already inflicted irreparable damage to some countries and their citizens, cannot be accepted particularly where a religion could be a blockade to politics when it takes a step for the development of the human values and the human rights including freedom of religion, and where it enforces its harmful and destructive teachings and practices to overthrow others faith believers.

The West has its beautiful history and values owing to Christian structure which are being admired and they are playing leading role to maintain peace of the world. It’s their duty to preserve Christian structure, do not intermingle it with structure of the destructive and harmful practices of those who are against and not compatible with the western cultures and values. If the West will excuse that the individuals are not responsible of the destructive and harmful religious structure, which is not making them ready to intermingle with the western cultures and values, then it’s a big mistake for her. In future, it will become difficult to eradicate that destructive and harmful religious structure from the Western society. In this situation, it’s a duty of politics and religion to handle it with the mutual understanding diligently. Save the human society from that harmful designs of those who wish to destroy the Western structure which actually they better know that is a Christian structure.

One may tell he doesn't need to learn about Religion which has harmful and destructive approach. But do not endorse it by declaring he knows it well enough to be the most natural and practical, which is and should be a way of life for human beings. What is allowed and what is prohibited, is very clearly stated in his religion. One should also not say, try not to be much influenced by western culture, rather, he ought to say respect the western cultures and its values.

Religion which has peaceful and peace promoter structure for foundation of humanity, that religion should not be removed absolutely from politics. It must be given the status of the estate, the clergy, same as there are the legislature, the executive, the judiciary and the press. But where the religion has its destructive and harmful approach; and with this approach, it is spreading hatred and violence in the world, it should be removed rather it should be limited within its own walls.

Religion and Politics are like a scissor that only can work properly when it should be held equally and firmly by thumb and index finger of right hand and remaining three fingers collectively give it support of as a hand. To sum up, Religion and Politics are separate in their identities but they are one to support to run the world.

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