No Absolute Separation

         In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth; light and darkness; air, land, and water; the sky and the stars; living creatures and vegetation; and finally, man and woman (Genesis 1:1-27), God also created a government. As the Executive, He gave them everything they needed, permitting them to eat from any tree (Genesis 2:15). As the Legislative, he only gave one law: to not eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:15). And finally, as the Judiciary, he penalized both Adam and Eve when they disobeyed that law (Genesis 3:24). 

Most governments have their roots on religion. Regardless of what type of government, or religion, there would always be that belief of a Higher Being who would judge us at the end of life; thus, the need to walk accordingly to a set of values.

Religion is embedded in arguably every government, especially in ours when we have Catholics and Protestants as our colonizers. During the Spanish era, we became a non-secular state from 1565 to 1898. And even at the onset of the Revolutionary Period in 1896 to 1899, the Malolos Constitution still proclaimed Roman Catholic as its state religion. Then after that, the Americans introduced the “free exercise of religion”, but still continued to use the word “God” in all of its organic acts. At present, even though we are now a secular country and that we are guaranteed an inviolable separation of the Church and State by the 1935, 1973, 1987 Constitutions, the influence of religion is still immense [1].

I do believe that it is just right for the Government to consider religious aspects because religion has a way of establishing moral reference points. The Philippine Government may have even recognized such since the word “God” is used in official prayers of public offices, in oaths, in contracts, and in no less than the our current Constitution. The word “God” is possibly placed in the hopes that if people could not keep the law for the sake of fellow men and women, then they would do so out of the fear of God.

           

            However, it has already gotten more complicated than that. The Government has to deal with the proliferation of different religions and sects, as well as the religions’ alleged interferences. However, the Government, I must say, has done a good work in keeping their part of the separation (Art. II, Sect. VI) and the establishment clause (Art. III, Sect V). The Executive does not have any offices regulating or monitoring religion [2]; the Legislative boldly fought for the then RH Bill [3]; and, the Judiciary has a long list of jurisprudence on respecting such clauses [4].

            Ultimately, I still believe that an absolute separation of the Church and State may not be possible, maybe even futile. We must not discredit the role of religion (or faith, as I would like to call it) in enriching culture and providing guidance for sustainable living [5]. Although our Government must continue to respect such clauses, this should not hinder our officials to fully consider religious views and beliefs in decision making especially in the rising of controversial issues such as divorce; same-sex marriage; and the banning of religious icons, symbols, and ceremonies in government offices.

           

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[1] [2] “Religion and the Secular State: National Report of the Philippines” by Dean Raul C. Pangalangan http://www.iclrs.org/content/blurb/files/Philippines%20wide.pdf 
[3] http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/12/18/887331/its-final-rh-bill-hurdles-congress

[4] Ebralinag v. Division Superintendent of Schools of Cebu, G.R. No. 95770, 29 December 1995

     Estrada v. Escritor, 408 SCRA 121, A.M. No. P-02-1652, 4 August 2003

     Aglipay v. Ruiz, G.R. No. 45459, 14 March 1937

     Graces v. Estenzo, G.R. No. 53487, 25 May 1981 
[5]  http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_c/mod10.html