, The Relevance of the Reformed Tradition in the Struggle for Democracy in the Philippines by

Dr. Victor R. Aguilan2 Philosophy Department Silliman University Dumaguete City Philippines

INTRODUCTION In the history of Christianity the church has been involve! in the struggle for !emocracy in varying levels an! !egrees of activity. "ore so the church has al#ays insiste! that no political regime on earth lies outsi!e $o!%s sovereign rule. Christian theology regar!s the state as !ivinely or!aine! instrument for carrying out $o!%s plan in this fallen reality. Christians loo& at the state in vie# of an over'all un!erstan!ing of $o!%s #or& in the #orl!. (his vie# ho#ever varies from one tra!ition to another. (he Roman Catholic Church )RCC* vie#s the State as subor!inate to the spiritual authority of the Church. +hile the Protestant Christianity hol!s the vie# that the State is !istinct from the Church. (his vie# is calle! the !octrine of the t#o'&ing!om. (here is a !ualistic tension bet#een the relationship of the Church an! the State in the public sphere. (his !octrine focuses on the !istinction bet#een the State an! the Church. (he paper focuses on the significance of Protestant t#o &ing!oms theory in the public sphere. (he paper is !ivi!e! into four sections. Part , #ill !iscuss the Protestant%s !octrine of the t#o'&ing!om- Part 2 the tas& of the State- Part . tal&s about the t#o'fol! !uty of the Christians- an! Part IV/ State an! Church as partners #or&ing for 0ustice an! !emocracy. PROTESTANT DOCTRINE OF THE TWO KINGDOMS (he Protestant un!erstan!ing of church'state relation came out as a criti1ue of me!ievalism in theology an! politics an! the struggle against papal absolutism. During this perio! the papacy became #hat R.+. Southern !escribes as 2the !ominant institution in #estern 3urope.41 Popes coul! comman! armies an! coul! forge military political an! economic alliances on behalf of their temporal realm. In the papal bull Unam Sanctam ),.52* 6oniface VIII ),278',.5.* taught that the pope hel! both the temporal an! spiritual s#or!s meaning that the pope is the ultimate authority in both realms. 9ere the pope !eclare! 2for every human creature to be submissive to the Roman Pontiff is absolutely necessary for salvation.42

R. +. Southern Western Society and the Church in the Middle Age s (he Pelican 9istory of the Church 2 )9armon!s#orth 3ng./ Penguin 6oo&s ,7:5*.28 2 Richar! "c6rien #rites 2;Unam Sanctam< has been !escribe! as the most absolute theocratic !octrine ever formulate!4 Catholicism =e# 3!ition e!. )San >rancisco/ 9arperCollins ,778*. ?2@

2 (he Protestant struggle against the pope%s absolutism !ovetails #ith the struggle of territorial princes for in!epen!ent statehoo! against Rome the seat of the church an! the empire. (#o important Reformers sought the liberation of the church an! the state from each other%s interference paving the #ay to the mo!ern concept of a secular state. (he church renounces political po#er #hile the state stays out of !octrinal an! church matters. Accor!ing to "artin Auther $o! governs the #orl! #ith his right han! an! #ith his left.3 +ith his right han! $o! governs the political sphere an! #ith his left the spiritual sphere. (he t#o are !istinct from each other an! shoul! not be confuse! or miBe! up. (he political pertains to the 2outer realm of creation4 #hile the spiritual refers to the 2inner realm of creation.4 (he political sphere concerns itself #ith creating an! preserving a political environment that abi!es by the rule of 0ustice. Cn the other han! the spiritual sphere atten!s to creating an! nurturing pious hearts among the faithful. Calvin li&e Auther emphasiDe! the !istinction bet#een the t#o realms. 6ut unli&e Auther he believes that although the t#o realms are !istinct they coul! neither be separate! nor coul! eBist in!epen!ently of the other.4 Calvin #as !eeply concerne! about the E!isor!erE in social ecclesiastical an! political institutions. 9uman social institutions have fallen an! humanity lac&s the capacity to re'or!er itself. Cnly $o! Fing of Fings an! supreme legislator can bring the #orl! to or!er. Disaster is al#ays close at han!. EInnumerable are the evils that beset human life- innumerable too the !eaths that threaten it.E5 9o#ever for some at least $o! has establishe! a spiritual or!er an! for all $o! has or!aine! the political or!er. (his is the Et#ofol! government E the spiritual an! the civil un!er #hich human beings eBist. (he one Eresi!es in the soul or inner man an! pertains to eternal life...)the other* pertains only to the establishment of civil 0ustice an! out#ar! morality.E 6 As !istinct from each other but not at variance both or!ers Calvin insists are or!aine! by $o!. Christians therefore possess a !ual citiDenship. 9e seems to have given more emphasis on the correlation than the !istinction bet#een the t#o realms. 7 9e begins #ith an assertion that there is a nee! to ma&e a clear !istinction bet#een the t#o realms an! then he argues for their inseparable relate!ness. In CalvinGs theology church an! state are t#o !istinct but e1ually !irect eBpression of !ivine provi!ence. 9e re0ecte! the i!ea that politics is a pollute! thing. Calvin uphol!s that civil government has a positive function for religion an! for society. 8 >or the proclamation of the
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"artin Auther ESecular Authority/ (o +hat 3Btent It Shoul! 6e Cbeye! E in Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings. e!. Hohn Dillenberger)Anchor 6oo&s ,7?2* .?.. see also the !iagram on page ,,. 8 +ilhelm =iesel The Theology of Calvin trans. 9arol! Fnight 6a&er )$ran! Rapi!s "ichigan/ 6oo& 9ouse ,7I?* 227ff. see also 9elmut (hielic&e Theological Ethics e!. +illiam 9. AaDareth vol. II )Phila!elphia/ >ortress Press ,7?7* I?I'?,8. an! 3verett "en!oDa Radical and Evangelical: ortrait of a !ili"ino Christian )JueDon City/ =e# Day Publishers ,777*. I Hohn Calvin #nstitutes of the Christian Religion e!. Hohn (. "c=eill trans. >or! Ae#is 6attles vol. I )+estminster Hohn FnoB ,7?5*. ? Hohn Calvin #nstitutes of the Christian Religion e!. Hohn (. "c=eill trans. >or! Ae#is 6attles vol. II )+estminster/ Hohn FnoB ,7?5* iv BB ,. : Ibi!. IV 25. cf. @ Ibi!. IV 25. .. p. ,8@@. CalvinGs position on the role of governments is briefly summariDe! in this brief passage from his #nstitutes/ E#t function among men is no less than that of $read% &ater% sun and air' indeed% its "lace of honor is far more e(cellent) !or it does not merely see it% as all these serve to do% that men $reathe% eat% drin*% and are *e"t &arm% even though it surely em$races all these activities &hen it "rovides for their living

. gospel re1uires a favorable social arrangement. Calvin even believe! that it #as the !uty of civil magistrates to provi!e the favorable political con!itions for the proclamation of the gospel.9 (hus he consi!ere! the vocation of civil authorities to be Emost sacre! an! by far the most honorable of all callings in the #hole of mortal men.E 10 9e regar!e! them Efoster fathers of the church.E11 9e even recogniDe! them as Evicars of $o!E. 12 6ut he is not proposing the notion that the civil authorities shoul! assume the tas& of proclaiming the +or!. (hat is the business of the Church. Christ commissions the Church to preach the $ospel 2in season an! out of seasonE )2 (imothy 8/2*. Instea! civil authorities coul! help the church by preserving or!er an! 0ustice !eterring evils an! la#lessness so that the Church can continue #ith its #or&. (he !istinction bet#een the church an! state prevents the state from interfering #ith it. 6ut it also obliges the Church to leave the public sphere open to all. An! both si!es to respect the boun!aries. THE TASK OF THE STATE (he Protestant t#o &ing!oms !octrine vie#s the primary tas& of the State is to help human beings in the pursuit of 0ustice. (he State can even remain secular an! oblivious to its transcen!ent source of eBistence as long as it performs its function of preserving 0ustice an! !eterring evils.13 3arthly political 0ustice becomes the primary tas& of political authorities. (he State !oes not eBist for its o#n sa&e. It eBists for the sa&e of human #ell'being an! in the pursuit of 0ustice. 9o#ever Protestant theology recogniDes that the State can an! is corrupte! by sin. It is neither !ivine nor perfect. =evertheless $o! uses this earthly institution to fulfill $o!%s provi!ential plan in history. >or $o!%s grace cannot be th#arte! by sin. (herefore the State can an! ought to be a significant instrument in the struggle for 0ustice in a sinful #orl!. (he State is not to be re0ecte! but rather to be restore! to its real purpose. >rom the Protestant perspective the po#er to govern society has been entruste! to the State- an! Church is never to usurp this po#er. =onetheless the Church is calle! to remin! the State of its !istinct tas&s in society. "oreover Protestant theology asserts that all po#ers belong to $o!. (hus political rulers must be responsible an! be goo! ste#ar! of $o!Gs po#er. (o use this po#er to commit in0ustice is to blaspheme $o!. As $o!%s instrument for the rule of 0ustice in the nation the state carries $o!%s authority to govern the citiDens inclu!ing the Christians among them. It is entruste! #ith the 2po#er of the s#or!4 or the right to apply coercive po#er inclu!ing violence )police po#er* #henever necessary.

together) #t does not% # re"eat% loo* to this only% $ut also "revents idolatry% sacrilege against +od,s name% $las"hemies against his truth% and other "u$lic offenses against religion from arising and s"reading among the "eo"le' it "revents the "u$lic "eace from $eing distur$ed' it "rovides that each man may *ee" his "ro"erty safe and sound' that men may carry on $lameless intercourse among themselves' that honesty and modesty may $e "reserved among men) #n short% it "rovides that a "u$lic manifestation of religion e(ist among Christians% and that humanity $e maintained among men)7 Ibi!. IV 25. 7. 2And thus all have confessed that no government can $e ha""ily esta$lished unless "iety is the first concern: and that those la&s are "re"osterous &hich neglect +od,s right and "rovide only for men),5 Ibi!. IV 25. 8. ,, Ibi!. IV 25. I. ,2 Ibi!. IV 25. ?. ,. Auther.

8 Protestant theologians maintain that &ings are instruments of $o!Gs 0ustice for civil society- they are entruste! #ith the po#er to be use! against those #ho #oul! oppose the rule of 0ustice.14 (his sense of 0ustice becomes the norm or stan!ar! of all legal an! political la#s of civil government.15 In the 6ible 0ustice specifically means the protection of the #ea& the poor an! the innocent from the violence an! gree! of the po#erful.16 (he state is $o!%s han! that bin!s the #ic&e! #ho eBploits an! oppresses the little ones. In the negative sense of 0ustice the state protects the oppresse!- in the positive sense of 0ustice it provi!es them #ith the necessary provisions of life. +hen it fails to !o so it is the church%s tas& to remin! the state an! call upon the citiDens to see& 0ustice. TWO-FOLD POLITICAL DUT OF THE CHRISTIANS Christians are citiDens of t#o &ing!oms one a spiritual &ing!om an! the other an earthly &ing!om. 6ecause of this !ual citiDenship a Christian has !ual obligations. (he Protestant tra!ition hol!s that a government shoul! be obeye! because it has the authority institute! by $o!. Accor!ing to Calvin such obe!ience to magistrates is !emonstrate! Eby obeying their proclamations or by paying taBes or by un!erta&ing public offices an! bur!ens #hich pertain to the common !efence.E 17 9e further says it seems 2goo! to $o! to set &ings over &ing!oms senates or municipal officers over free cities it is our !uty to sho# ourselves compliant an! obe!ient to #homever he sets over the places #here #e live.E18 (hus to the eBtent that goo! an! 0ust rulers are so honoure! an! obeye! an! to the eBtent that rulers in turn fulfill their obligation to safeguar! an! promote the goo! of the community political social an! economic eBpression is given to the comman! to love oneGs neighbour as oneself.19 Even under despotic and tyrannical rulers both reformer Luther and Calvin recommended patience, prayer and the readiness to suffer
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Calvin #nstitutes of the Christian Religion IV 25. 7. p. ,87?. E.ut since they cannot "erform this unless they defend good men from the &rongs of the &ic*ed% and give aid and "rotection to the o""ressed% they have also $een armed &ith "o&er &ith &hich severely to coerce the o"en malefactors and criminals $y &hose &ic*edness the "u$lic "eace is trou$led or distur$ed),I Ibi!. IV 25. 2. ,? EDo not ta&e a!vantage of a #i!o# or an orphan.E 3Bo!us 22/22 EDo not !eny 0ustice to your poor people in their la#suits.E 3Bo!us 2./? EDo not go over your vineyar! a secon! time or pic& up the grapes that have fallen. Aeave them for the poor an! the alien. I am the ACRD your $o!.E Aeviticus ,7/,5 EDo not pervert 0ustice- !o not sho# partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great but 0u!ge your neighbor fairly.E Aeviticus ,7/,I ESpea& up an! 0u!ge fairly- !efen! the rights of the poor an! nee!y.E Proverbs .,/7 EShe opens her arms to the poor an! eBten!s her han!s to the nee!y.E Proverbs .,/25 E(his is #hat the ACRD says/ Do #hat is 0ust an! right. Rescue from the han! of his oppressor the one #ho has been robbe!. Do no #rong or violence to the alien the fatherless or the #i!o# an! !o not she! innocent bloo! in this place.E Heremiah 22/. EG9e !efen!e! the cause of the poor an! nee!y an! so all #ent #ell. Is that not #hat it means to &no# meKE !eclares the ACRD.E Heremiah 22/,? EHesus ans#ere! If you #ant to be perfect go sell your possessions an! give to the poor an! you #ill have treasure in heaven. (hen come follo# me.GE "atthe# ,7/2, E>or I #as hungry an! you gave me something to eat I #as thirsty an! you gave me something to !rin& I #as a stranger an! you invite! me in.E "atthe# 2I/.I ,: Ibi!. IV BB .. ,@ Ibi!. IV BB @ )on the Diversity of >orms of $overnment*. ,7 Hohn (. "c=eill Calvin: /n +od and olitical 0uty )=e# Lor&/ Aibrary of Aiberal Arts ,7I?* EPreface E p. Bviii.

I martyrdom if necessary.20 Protestant tradition rejects the idea that the Church should usurp the power of the state. The Church has no authority to wage war against wicked rulers but only to implore the Lord!s help, in whose hands are the hearts of kings, and the changing of kingdoms. 21 "owever it would be a false understanding of Protestant political theology if we focus only on the counsel to obedience. #hen the $tate falls under the power of evil and political rulers become tyrannical, Protestants are to e%ercise their prophetic witness. 22 The ruler has no authority apart from &od!s ordinance. The power of the $tate is derived ultimately from &od. Thus the e%ercise of $tate power is subordinated to &od!s power. 'n this conte%t, Christian!s obedience to political ruler is never absolute.23 (ur obedience to political authority is subject to &od!s command. Thus when rulers violate &od!s command, Christians are necessarily boun! to obey their o#n magistrates an! la#s eBcept #hen comman!e! to sin for then they ought to obey $o! rather than men )Acts I/27*. 24 )ccording to Paul Tillich, *the most important contribution of Protestantism to the #orl! in the past present an! future is the principle of prophetic protest against every po#er #hich claims !ivine character for itself'#hether it be church or state party or lea!er.425 (hus prophetic responsibility is another !uty of the Christian to#ar!s the State. +hat is prophetic responsibilityK Prophets #ere not pre!ictors of the future. It is a vital form of #itness of the church also in politics. (o be a prophet is to be $o!%s spo&esperson. In the 6ible prophets #ere often portraye! as critics of &ings in the name of $o!.26 (he prophets% main aim is precisely to appeal to their lea!ers an! citiDens to repent to confess their sins an! to men! their #ays. In many instances this implies the nee! for reform/ in the case of &ings reform of their un0ust an! oppressive policies an! in the case of the rich reform of their eBploitative actions against the poor.27

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Calvin #nstitutes of the Christian Religio n. IV 25. .5. p. ,I,:- H.". Porter Luther: Selected olitical Writings )Phila!elphia/ >ortress Press ,7:8* @.'@?. 2, Calvin% #nstitutes of the Christian Religion)% p. ,I,: 22 Aevi Cracion E(heological Reflection on Church an! State E in 1ournal of the roceedings of the !irst 2uadrennial +eneral Assem$ly )Cagayan !e Cro/ Unite! Church of Christ in the Philippines ,7:@* Appen!iB IM p. .:8. 2. Hohn Calvin ECommentaries on the 3pistle to the Romans Chap ,.. E in Calvin: /n +od and olitical 0uty% e!. Hohn (. "c=eill)=e# Lor&/ Aibrary of Aiberal Arts ,7I?* @.'@:. 28 Aeif $rane% The Augs$urg Confession: A Commentary) )"inneapolis/ Augsburg Publishing 9ouse ,7@:* ,??',?:. 2I Paul (illich E(he 3n! of the Protestant 3raKE (he University of Chicago Press http/NN###.religion' online.orgNsho#chapter.aspKtitleO.@5PCO,52 )accesse! 2@ Sept 25,,*. 2? e.g. 3li0a an! Ahab ), Fings ,:'22*- Davi! an! =athan )2 Samuel ,2*- "oses an! Pharaoh )3Bo!us* 2: e.g. Amos I/,5',I 2,'28- Isaiah,/2,'2:- )Her 22/. ,.',:- cf.2,/,,',2 "ic ./7',5*/ 2(hus says the ACRD/ Act #ith 0ustice an! righteousness an! !eliver from the han! of the oppressor anyone #ho has been robbe!. An! !o no #rong or violence to the alien the orphan an! the #i!o# or she! innocent bloo! in this place. . . . +oe to him #ho buil!s his house by unrighteousness an! his upper rooms by in0ustice- #ho ma&es his neighbors #or& for nothing an! !oes not give them their #ages . . . Are you a &ing because you compete in ce!arK Di! not your father eat an! !rin& an! !o 0ustice an! righteousnessK (hen it #as #ell #ith him. 9e 0u!ge! the cause of the poor an! nee!y- then it #as #ell. Is not this to &no# meK says the ACRD. 6ut your eyes an! heart are only on your !ishonest gain for she!!ing innocent bloo! an! for practicing oppression an! violence.4

? STATE AND CHURCH AS DEMOCRAC PARTNERS WORKING FOR !USTICE AND

>rom a theological perspective the Philippine State remains a legitimate institution #ith the po#ers to eBecute 0ustice preserve or!er an! safeguar! the public sphere. 3ven a !ictator un!erstoo! this perhaps better than most. In ,7:2 "arcos s&illfully use! the peopleGs craving for social 0ustice peace an! or!er by posing as the arch'enemy of oligarchies an! criminal syn!icates to #in the consent of the governe!.28 Churches #ere #illing to give martial la# a chance precisely for this reason.29 6ut they #ith!re# their tacit support #hen it became abun!antly clear that "arcos #as using the State for his personal enrichment an! his Ecrony capitalists.E30 (he po#er to govern therefore entails the !uty to !o 0ustice !eter evils an! safeguar! the peace. (he responsibility to eBecute 0ustice becomes the norm to assess the performance of the political lea!ers. (he past an! present political lea!ers are a#are of this eBpectation. Cory A1uino >i!el Ramos Hoseph 3stra!a $loria "acapagal'Arroyo an! 6enigno S. A1uino III have style! their respective a!ministrations to be pro'poor an! committe! to pursue social 0ustice. "oreover this un!erstan!ing of the function of the State #as clearly state! in the ,7@? Philippine Constitution #hich states in section 8 Art.2 Eis to serve an! protect the people.E Section 8 clarifies further the !uties of a Philippine government/ E"aintenance of peace an! or!er the protection of life liberty an! property an! the promotion of the general #elfare.E (hese Constitutional principles of the Philippine state an! government are lau!able. 6ut !oes the government maintain peace an! or!er protect life liberty an! property in that or!er an! promote the general #elfareK (he evi!ence seems other#ise. (he $overnment has safeguar!e! the property of the elites an! foreign capitalists at the eBpense of the lives of poor an! marginaliDe! >ilipinos. (he government therefore must eBert great effort to fulfill its !ivine man!ate to maintain the moral basis for it to govern. "oral evaluation of the performance of a political lea!er must be gauge! by #hether he !efen!s the poor an! !efenseless. Secon!ly the man!ate to !o 0ustice re1uires that the State pursues a policy of broa!ening the !istribution of po#ers an! responsibilities. =obo!y can !eny the temptation of those in po#er to arrogate upon to themselves a greater !egree of control.
2@

In his nation#i!e statement broa!cast on national ra!io an! (V on evening of September 22 ,77:2 he sai!/ -# am utili3ing this "o&er))) to save the Re"u$lic and reform our society))) We &ill eliminate the threat of a violent overthro& of our Re"u$lic) .ut at the same time% &e must no& reform the social% economic and "olitical institutions in our country) >er!inan! "arcos residential S"eeches vol. IV ),7:@* ,.7.. >er!inan! "arcos The 0emocratic Revolution in the hili""ines )"anila/ ,7:,*. 27 Robert A. Loungbloo! Marcos against the Church: Economic 0evelo"ment and olitical Re"ression in the hili""ines )JueDon City/ =e# Day Publisher ,77.*. cites as typical of this attitu!e the comments of 6ishop 3stanislao AbainDa $eneral Secretary of the Unite! Church of Christ in the Philippines )UCCP*. 9e lau!e! the Eenforce! !iscipline of the ne# societyE an! urge! the citiDenry not to EminimiDeE the Epositive effectsE of "artial Aa#. .5 During the >irst Jua!rennial $eneral Assembly of the Unite! Church of Christ in the Philippines )UCCP* on 2,'2? "ay ,7:@ in Cagayan !e Cro City a resolution #as approve! by the Assembly calling for the lifting of "artial Aa#. (he resolution strongly state! that the UCCP is -against the "er"etuation of one4man rule in the country' that it is for the immediate and full restoration of all civil li$erties of the citi3ens' and that it is for the immediate dismantling of the machinery of martial la& in the country)- Ay!ia =igui!ula e!. UCC Statements and Resolutions 567894677:* )JueDon City/ Unite! Church of Christ in the Philippines ,775*.

: Protestants recogniDe! the nee! to have a system of chec&s an! balances in running the affairs of the State.31 Accor!ing to Reinhol! =iebuhr 2"anGs capacity for 0ustice ma&es !emocracy possible but manGs inclination to in0ustice ma&es !emocracy necessary.432 DemocratiDation is so far the effective mechanism to guar! against the misuse of po#er an! to encourage citiDens% participation in !ecision'ma&ing. In the Philippine situation there is an urgent nee! to !istribute political po#er. (his can be !one through grassroots participation in planning an! !ecision'ma&ing. Instea! of planning government from the top !o#n#ar!s or the center out#ar! political participation nee!s to strengthene! at the local community. $overnment agencies entruste! to !eal #ith such social issues as lan! reform protection of the environment an! public health must involve those sectors most !irectly affecte!. (he !iffusion of government po#ers can minimiDe graft an! corruption in the government bureaucracy. In a!!ition a system of accountability for government officials can also serve to minimiDe corruption an! abuse of po#er. Accountability of public servants means that the po#er to govern is not absolute but rather entruste!. Accountability of public officials entails !isclosure of their public eBpen!itures an! sources of fun!s policies an! public contract entere! into an! other acts eBecute! by them. (he current A!ministration shoul! prioritiDe the passage of the >ree!om of Information )>CI* Act pen!ing in Congress. (hrough a system of transparency an! accountability the people can assess the performance of public officials. (hir!ly the !iffusion an! !istribution of po#er entails the empo#erment of people. Cften government officials ma&e it appear that they are consulting the common people #hen in truth much of the so calle! consultations are controlle! by the political elite an! fail to provi!e opportunities for genuine !ialogue #ith the marginaliDe! of society. (he poor an! marginaliDe! are left out in the Ecol!.E Since the State is $o!Gs gift to humanity there is a moral imperative for the State to provi!e a public space for people to effectively eBercise their po#er through all &in!s of peopleGs assemblies councils associations an! citiDenGs bo!ies. >urthermore the formation of these various community an! peopleGs organiDations can safeguar! the State from groups or in!ivi!uals attempting to monopoliDe its po#er an! use it for their o#n selfish interests. (he care of the State is too important to be left completely in the han!s of those #ho actually govern. PeopleGs participation is integral #ith social 0ustice an! !emocracy. (he Philippine State as $o!Gs instrument of 0ustice an! civil or!er is therefore re1uire! to empo#er the people an! other sectors so as to compete #ith the !ominant elites in influencing an! charting the social policies of the Philippine government. (his entails the formation of !ifferent po#er bloc&s or countervailing centers in Philippine society. (he formation of various peopleGs groups an! political organiDations is necessary in !ealing #ith various social problems confronting the Philippine society. (here is the imperative to form farmer an! peasant organiDations labor unions sectoral organiDations
.,

(hus he suggests that -to $e safer and more $eara$le for a num$er to e(ercise government% so that they may hel" one another% teach and admonish one another' and if one asserts himself unfairly% there may $e a num$er of censors and masters to restrain his &illfulness); Calvin% #nstitutes of the Christian Religion% #<% =:) 9) "c=eill BBii f. .2 Reinhol! =iebuhr The Children of Light and the Children of 0ar*nes s 2n! e!. )Charles ScribnerGs Sons ,7?5 ),788**.Biii

@ community organiDations an! non'government organiDations. (he failure to recogniDe this imperative reveals an erroneous un!erstan!ing of the forces of evil #or&ing in human society. CogniDant of the compleBities of the social issues the solutions re1uire the active participation of the community or sectors greatly affecte! an! paying a heavier social cost. In other #or!s given the realities of in0ustice an! oppression in Philippine society the struggle for 0ustice necessitates organiDing people for po#er.33 (hus the Church an! the political or!er are not in competition. Separate in theory Church an! state nevertheless relate interact an! co'operate in practice. Derive! from an! responsible to one source in the !ivine goo!#ill yet !istinct the one shoul! not attempt to !ominate the other but rather shoul! reciprocally re1uire the one of the other the fulfilment of their respective obligations to mutual an! complementary collaboration. EAs the magistrate ought by punishment an! physical restraint to cleanse the church of offences so the minister of the +or! in turn ought to help the magistrate in or!er that not so many may sin. (heir functions ought to be so 0oine! that each serves to help not hin!er the other.E34 6ase! upon the insights of the Protestant t#o &ing!oms !octrine Churches have a t#ofol! political !uty. >irst of all Christians have the !uty to cooperate #ith the State specifically in areas #hich promote social 0ustice. Christians are calle! by $o! to sho# relative consent to political authorities. Since the State is un!er $o!Gs sovereignty Christians ought to sho# respect to political authorities. Christians freely give their consent an! support programs an! policies of the State as long as these programs are base! on 0ustice an! for the #elfare of the citiDens. (hus relationship bet#een the Church an! the State must be un!erstoo! not as subservience but rather in term of 0ust partnership an! principle! collaboration. (his notion of collaborative efforts #ith the State entails a proper un!erstan!ing of the #or&ing of the politico'legal system. Churches an! Christians ought to seriously stu!y la#s programs an! government agencies #hich they can support an! eBten! principle! partnership to ensure that 0ustice is serve!. 6efore engaging in any collaborative efforts #ith the government church lea!ers an! members nee! to be fully informe! about social an! political issues an! ho# government functions at all levels #hat services are available an! ho# in!ivi!ually an! collectively they may best become involve!. (he more informe! the Churches are the better they can maintain their free!om an! autonomy. 6ut information !epen!s largely on the capacity to gather it. $overnment has the ten!ency to be un!uly secretive an! insufficiently concerne! about communicating #hat it is !oing. 9ere churches have a vital role to fulfill not only for their o#n members but also for the public at large. +ith their available resources they can gather the much nee!e! information an! share the information to gui!e the general public. Access to public information is vital in the pursuit of 0ustice. 6efore one cannot participate in the affairs of the State one must &no# #hat one is participating in. Philippine Churches can also sho# their support to the government an! at the same time maintaining their free!om through pioneering community services. Churches
..

9enry 6. Aguilan 0i&ang .uhay: Living Thoughts on the Conce"t and Meaning of 0evelo"men t )Philippines/ JueDon City ,7@@*. .8 Calvin #nstitutes of the Christian Religion IV Bi ..

7 are able to go to places #here government agencies are not #elcome an! there they can initiate services at least at the initial stage. >urther to this the churches are calle! upon to have especial concern for the impoverishe! un!er'privilege an! #hose rights are violate!. Churches are to support programs of government that #oul! a!vance the interests of the marginaliDe! sectors. (he secon! tas& of the Churches is the tas& of eBercising vigilance against the blasphemous use of State po#er by those entruste! #ith it. Churches can provi!e the critical !imension #hich is necessary for the preservation of the State as $o!Gs instrument of earthly 0ustice in the Philippines. Since Christians have free consciences they coul! eBercise critical 0u!gment on government programs an! policies. (hey #oul! not rea!ily accept policies an! programs espouse by the government as bin!ing an! absolute. (he Church therefore has the man!ate to call into 1uestion the policies an! programs of the State #hen it !eviates from its !ivine or!inance. In the Reforme! tra!ition the Church can neither remain silent nor usurp the function of the State. (he Church can an! must remin! the State of its man!ates. >or it is the nature an! mission of the Church in human society to proclaim the +or! of $o! #hich saves an! 0u!ges human eBistence. (he Church must continually challenge the State to be faithful to very man!ates on #hich it is foun!e!. (his tas& has been practice! by the Unite! Church of Christ in the Philippines as reflecte! in many of the resolutions approve! by its $eneral Assembly through the years.35 >urthermore Protestant Churches are morally oblige! to support the formation of community an! sectoral organiDations in the pursuit of 0ustice an! political participation to maintain vigilance. Churches must #or& #ith movements an! groups involve! in genuine lan! reforme! peace an! human rights a!vocacy environmental protections community'base! health program an! 6asic Christian communities. (his implies their being aligne! #ith peasant%s movements labor unions urban poor organiDations an! other sectoral groups struggling for social 0ustice. In a!!ition Churches can encourage their members to 0oin these groups an! other civic groups sectoral groups an! cause'oriente! organiDations. It must be note! that the local churches are in a position to i!entify an! motivate those #ho are capable of ren!ering a #i!e range of public service. (here is a #ealth of talent much of it hi!!en an! unrecogniDe! in the congregations. 6y encouraging people to organiDe an! participate in !ecision'ma&ing in the government the Churches an! the people are eBercising a critical vigilance relative to the use of po#er by government officials. CONCLUSION (o sum up accor!ing to the Protestant t#o &ing!oms !octrine $o! has or!aine! the State to be an instrument of 0ustice. (he political or!er eBists for the goo! of Christians as for all #ho are sub0ect to its authority. (he state therefore has a positive role to play in the process of the re!emption of the common life. (he State ho#ever coul! be turne! from its !ivine'man!ates of 0ustice into an apparatus of oppression an! !eath. It is a challenge therefore to the Protestant Churches to safeguar! a goo! government. (he ChurchGs prophetic role in relation to the state also inclu!es the !uty to
.I

Ay!ia =igui!ula e!. UCCP Statement and Resolutions (1948-1990), )3!ucation an! =urture Des& JueDon City. ,775*

,5 recall the state to its commitment to !efen! an! promote the interests of the poor an! the #ea& against eBploitation by the rich an! po#erful.

,,

DIAGRAM 36

.?

3verett "en!oDa E(he Role of the State in $o!%s Political 3conomy E )n.!.*.- see also Hurgen "oltmann EAutherGs Doctrine of the (#o Fing!oms an! Its Use (o!ay E in /n Human 0ignity: olitical Theology and Ethics )>ortress Press ,7@.*.

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"I"LIOGRAPH

Dr. Victor R. Aguilan is a full'time faculty member of the Silliman University Divinity School since ,77. Victor Aguilan teaches courses in Christian 3thics Philippine Church 9istory an! Philosophy of Religion. 9e is also the Coor!inator of the $ra!uate Stu!ies Program of the Divinity School. 9e has a "aster of Divinity from the Silliman University a "aster of (heology in Church 9istory an! a !octor of theology in Social 3thics from the Southeast Asia $ra!uate School of (heology )S3A$S(* a consortium of Protestant Seminaries in Asia. 9e is active in 9uman Rights a!vocacy as a member of the Philippine Alliance of 9uman Rights A!vocates )PA9RA*. Dr. Aguilan has #ritten several articles e.g. >Religion and <iolence: Contem"orary Challenge to Theological Education in Asia 4 in C(C 6ulletin/ Christian Conference of Asia )255?*- a boo& article 2Peacema&ing an 3ssential 3lement of Church "ission4 publishe! in Mission Continues: +lo$al #m"ulses for the =6st Century Regnun 3!inburgh 25,5. Series- an! contribute! t#o entries ' 3vangelicalN3vangelicalism an! Church'State Relations in the Philippines ' for The Cam$ridge 0ictionary of Christianity% publishe! by Cambri!ge University Press 25,5. Dr. Aguilan an! his #ife 3vangeline have a son Ignatius Victor an! a !aughter 3liDabeth.