Politics and the Problem of Power
February 2, 2008 by murrayo
Politics has been descibe as power with people. The problem with power is that it corupts, and ultimate power without accountability corupts ultimately. On the one hand, man is moral, but society tends to be immoral.
Unfortuntly, religion, defying its foundations, has purpertrated the many crimes of man against man. Historically, religion mixed with politics has produce a range of evils from discrimination to war. Althought the perversion and not the logical entailments, the mixture has not proved itself exempt from the temptations of power.
The separation of Chruch and State, combined with the division of powers, is to prevent such a slipage into the corruption of power. Secularism, as first describe by the church father Thomas Aquinus as the laws of God and the laws of nature, was a language of the public square to provide checks and balances for religion in public life. Both the religous and the secular are held accountable to each other.
Christ was curcified by the Romans for claiming to be a king. He spoke of the “Kingdom of God” more then any other topic. He even said that his kindgom was not of this world. His most popular pray, the Lord’s Prayer, envokes his kindgom to come. What does this kindgom have to do with the power structures of today?
Is polictics accountable to faith? Is faith something that can be used in politics?
The Muslim world largly rejects the proposition that Islam should be separted from political rule. At one extreme, Muslim believe that Sharia law is the palform for rule of law. Are they right? What are the objecting to when they resisting modern standards of democracy and freedom? Does the teachings of Christ in the gospels give us any clarity in our response to authority?
Early 20th century politics of Maxism dealt with religion by trying to stamp it out. Today, religion is contain by pushing into the private sphere. Is this right? What about US Founder’s freedoms triangle, of freedom, virture and faith? Has faith no role?
Have a comment? Write is out and post it here.
