The Separation of Church and State: An Illusion of Dichotomy? (Part 1)

Can one separate his body from his spirit without dying?

Our country is a country of believers, and that is true philosophically, religiously, and practically. Also, a country is required to have some semblance of order or governance that guides the masses to act according to agreed-upon rules of living and maintain peaceful and harmonious co-existence. However, in the dynamics of governance, power is a consequential acquisition for those who lead since their decisions and actions mold the national character. Whether or not these are concurred by what the masses desire depends on the social orientation of the leaders which includes religious beliefs or the absence of the same. In turn, the masses choose their leaders according to what they believe in, whether  for the welfare of the community or for political favours and self benefit.

While our 1987 Constitution holds that the separation of Church and State shall be inviolable (Article II, Section 6), historical and current events point to the significance of religion as a major factor in government law-making, in the execution of  these laws, and the implementation of the justice system in cases of violation. Our Spanish colonizers, as mentioned by Teodoro Agoncillo, a Filipino historian from the University of the Philippines, used the combination of secular and religious might to readily subjugate the Indios (“native Filipinos”). The theoretical wall of separation  reintroduced by the American jurisprudence remains abstracted, as cases upon cases are filed to show how this wall or line has not been respected.

Read Part 2 here.