Religion & Government Incompatible

When you consider the ongoing unrest in various parts of the Middle-East and some countries in Africa, there should be great cause of concern by those of us who casually ignore the situation with the rationalization that it is not in our backyard. The so-called Arab spring was advanced in some media circles as some sort of a tour de force that would ultimately rid the world of dictators with their governments replaced by democracies and the freedoms that some of us in this part of the world take for granted. Think again.

If you are an observant of those events unfolding in pursuit of democracy, you must have noticed that the overthrow of their dictators was not the cure-all anticipated. Most of these trouble spots have various factions, each with their own agendas, now competing for power. It is not the competition but the agendas that should be cause for concern. Without too many exceptions, each of these countries has groups bent on creating laws emanating from religious ideology. Religion, of any denomination, and the business of government have always been and always will be incompatible. Why don’t we learn from history? Those that will allow themselves into being hoodwinked into believing that a government based on religious ideology will give them a better life are short-changing themselves. When people learn to use religion as a means of spiritual sustenance rather than an instrument of domination, the world will be a better place. Unfortunately, religion can often trump common sense.