Religion and politics

            Religious conflict, needless to say, is presently a very pervasive feature of our international society, and is likely to remain so well into the 21st Century, unfortunately. Every now and then, people switch on their TVs and are greeted with news of religious violence: the Moslems fighting the Hindus in India and Indian-controlled Kashmir; the Christians and Moslems battling it out in Indonesia, the Philippines, Spain, the Sudan and Nigeria; the repression of the Buddhists, Falun Gong and other religious groups in communist China - to mention a few. As such, there is now an increasing number of people who think that religion is now much more than "the opium of the masses", that it is actually a destructive feature of the society. But is it?.
             In spite of the above, we must not forget the immense positive role religion has played in our society, past and present. Religion has given people in this world hope and a future where there was aversion. It is worthwhile to notice that people are much more "into religion" in developing and underdeveloped countries than in advanced nations. These people, often in the throes of financial troubles, turn to religion as a source of fulfillment and sustenance. Also, the basic ideals of all religion are, on the average, the same: do not kill, do not steal, do unto others as you would have them do to you, honor your parents. Thus we owe our social civility to religion because it has laid down in our hearts the basic rule of law, which is another foundation of government; every law and every constitution is based on these simple beliefs. Several important social breakthroughs have been championed by religious leaders: such as Martin Luther King Jr. (a Baptist reverend), leading the fight for black civil rights, the fruits of which benefited all minorities; Mahatma Gandhi's successful fight for Indian independence from the British, wielding only the Hindu principle of ahimsa (civil disobedience).