By MARY ANN MANJA BAYANG
www.nordis.net

There’s an environment of hullabaloos with the controversial RH Bill that is now under consideration by Congress. In the middle of this hubbub, emerged the never ending debate on separation of the Church and the State. When the Church comes out to criticize and make a stand on social, political and economic issues, does it violate the principle of separation of Church and State?

The “separation principle” is embodied in Article II, Section 6 of our Constitution that says “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.” In this relation, “No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.” (Article III. Section 5, Constitution)

If one has to review the moral and political bases for the separation principle, one will know when it can be said that this inviolable separation is violated. This principle basically prevents any State from curtailing or interfering with the people’s right to the free exercise and enjoyment of their religious beliefs, as long as the individual civil and political rights of each person is not transgressed by the exercise and enjoyment of such religion. On the other hand, the Church cannot use the State machinery to advance or impose its beliefs and aspirations. The Church cannot, for example, use Congress to pass laws or use the President to implement programs to favor its doctrines.

But like any other citizen, the Church enjoys the freedom of expression and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. When the Church stands strong in its opposition against the RH Bill, I do not see this as anything different from when other citizens go out into the streets and denounce the US military exercises in the country. But if the State kowtows to the demands of the Church because it is the Church, then the State violates the separation principle. The State cannot have a profiling attitude against people who exercise their freedom of expression, be it the Church, the militants, the Muslims, the downtrodden, the disabled, the minorities or the rich. They maybe “dissenters” but in this world of supposed democracy, anyone can freely exercise his right without fear of persecution. The fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in our own Bill of Rights and also espoused by international laws, apply to everyone without discrimination, and without regard to one’s own religion, beliefs, race, gender or status. The State should not also be bigoted in its treatment of “dissenters” by improperly using the separation principle against the Church, or labelling the rest as terrorists or enemies of the State. # nordis.net