Freedom and Religious Maturity
Let us wake up to maturity and learn to be more mature in religiosity. It is where the development of religious affairs is directed so that this nation attains the essence of freedom of religion.
The nation deserves to be proud and grateful that the Republic of Indonesia still stands strong at the age of 77 years. Much has yet to be accomplished, even though much progress has been achieved.
Things may come out as underwhelming, but there are far more overwhelming and pride-provoking achievements. Commemoration of Indonesia’s Independence Day should always be made an occasion for citizens to rejuvenate the spirit of nationalism and optimism that sovereignty will propel Indonesia into a just and prosperous nation in the future.
We are faced with critics who contend the virtue of “being independent”, and we do not blame them. They put forward questions, such as “Seriously, are we independent?” Or “What are we really free from?” etc. The responses to those questions can vary, depending on how those being questioned have rendered their life experience.
Claims that colonialism in other forms is still haunting may be justified. However, that this nation is no longer under colonization is an undeniable fact. We have been an independent nation for 77 years. We work, study and practice religious teachings without fearing intimidation as we used to.
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Questions may arise if citizens have the freedom to practice a religious life. It can be answered in two aspects.
First is the basic norm that guarantees the freedom of citizens to embrace religion and the faith belief system. This basic norm is stated in Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution. Although there is no specific organic law drawn from the Constitution, the substance of this article is self-explanatory and resistant to any interpretation other than what the provision literally reads.
Second is the freedom of religion for citizens seen from an empirical aspect.
After 77 years of independence, freedom of religion should no longer be an issue. People are free to choose their own religion and their belief system and practice the pure teachings of the creeds. However, the affairs of freedom of religion are not that simple. While complex, the implementation of freedom of religion requires sincerity and maturity among the theist communities.
Virtue of diversity
Indonesia is a nation-state with diversity in ethnicity, culture and religious beliefs. Diversity is a fact that deserves recognition and acknowledgement. A denial to this fact is akin to mindlessness and betrayal to history. Diversity demands mutual respect, big-heartedness and tolerance over the differences.
We are destined to live in diversity. Being diverse, we come to recognize and understand each other. We respect each other’s religious teachings. Apart from our differences, we have the opportunity to work together as well competing with each other for excellence.
In the environment we live in, we learn a lot from our diversity. Attempts for creed uniformity in society are doomed to failure. Let alone in a society with distinctly different religions, an attempt for uniformity in one school of religious jurisprudence, if forced, will receive resistance.
We are destined to live in diversity. Being diverse, we come to recognize and understand each other.
Religiosity is a matter of inner conscience. It is like not being forced to love someone. Religion and creed diversity should be a blessing if people understand who the creator of the universe is and what diversity is created for.
Through diversity we learn, as God teaches us, about many things. God is the “overseer” of the motherland and His teachings bind the entire inhabitants of the country with religious practices of their respective beliefs. Religious teachings prescribe the followers to live with each other in harmony and peace.
Unfortunately, the teachings are often distorted by their own adherents. God commands human beings to respect each other regardless the faith they embrace, but faith adherents spread hatred and vilify other religions.
They become easily angered when their religious symbol is disturbed, but they themselves fall prone to abusing symbols of deity of other religions. They claim that their religion is the only true one, but their attitude and behavior do not reflect the true teachings of their religion.
Freedom of religion demands matured piousness from its adherents, characterized with responsibility, maturity, rationality and restraint. On the other hand, being temperamental or ambitious to rule over others, using egoistic and volatile intimidation are a reflection of childishness in religious life. To be honest, we often find those attitudes among religious adherents.
Immaturity in religious life has implications in other aspects of life. Internal and inter-religious problems that occur in Indonesia are presumably triggered by this immature attitude.
For instance, the establishment of a place of worship will always trigger a problem if religious adherents show selfishness and stubbornness about their own opinion. The issue of religious extremism is also born out of religious immaturity, which leads to superficial understanding and being victimized by deception.
Religious development
After 77 years of Indonesia's independence, we don't want to behave and act in our religious engagement like snotty kids. We hope that our theist communities grow up as teenagers and then adults. We really hope to become real adults (matured in religiosity). We should not pretend to be pious adults, while in fact we are not mature in religiosity.
In the study of psychology, adulthood is a stage of mental shape characterized by a responsible attitude, emotional maturity, logical mindedness and improved intelligent agility against social situations. Religious maturity means religious adherents having the above qualities. With developed emotional faculty, they can refrain themselves from volatility.
Adultness is not always related to age. We often encounter parents whose attitude is like a child. The same is true when it comes to religious life.
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They may be seen as elder religious leaders in their community, but they may show religious childishness in social engagement, justified by their foul mouth through an instigation to be hostile against different religions. Such a religious elder is in reality still a "child" who needs to be educated so that they become more mature in attitude and behavior.
The issue of religious maturity needs to be raised and voiced to get public attention. We have been “childish” in religiosity for too long. We also often pretend to get along with other adherents, while in fact we harbor grudges and enmity. We often claim to be helping other religions. In reality, we are actually intervening in them. In short, we have been dishonest in religiosity for too long.
Let us wake up to maturity and learn to be more mature in religiosity. It is where the development of religious affairs is directed so that this nation attains the essence of freedom of religion. Happy 77th anniversary to the Republic of Indonesia.
Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Religious Affairs Minister
This article was translated by Musthofid.