Wilders controversy: Rethinking true religion

L Murbandono Hs ,  Hilversum, The Netherlands   |  Fri, 04/04/2008 1:18 AM  |  Opinion

To seek truth and goodness has been always crucial and tiring. One of the clearest example of it is a controversy in the Netherlands and many Islamic countries in the world these days following the long-awaited showing of right-wing politician Geert Wilders' anti-Islam film Fitna.

What we could see from the controversy is actually only a situation without something new in it which is not productive for our civilization. Pro versus con -- including protests, threats, condemnations and the like following the controversy -- is far from the basic search for truth and goodness.

It has only dealt with the clash of (earthly and political) powers, in their own expressions and ways, which finally goes to their basic causes: the extreme versus the extreme, hate versus hate, intolerance versus intolerance. The idea of true religion as a way of truth and goodness is going far away from our human conscience.

But what is true religion? Who can answer it? There are many religions in the world today with each claiming its own legitimacy. According to David B. Barrett (2001), there are 19 major world religious groupings in the world which are subdivided into a total of about 10,000 distinct religions. Among them are at least 270 religions and parareligions, and among the biggest mayor religious there are at least 34,000 separate denominations, sects, individual unaffiliated groups, etc.

Probably the one area where religions differ the most is over the nature of deity. Various groups teach -- here alphabetically listed -- agnosticism, animism, atheism, deism, duotheism, henotheism, monism, monotheism, panentheism, pantheism, polytheism, the trinity and probably some others we have missed.

In relation to the Wilders controversy, the answer is simple for honest and sincere seekers: True religion is not determined by popular opinions or measured by strong powers in which darkness, fear, ignorance and sorcery always go hand in hand. On the contrary, true religion is a light where the all-time exposer and revealer of truth and knowledge brings freedom and peace.

Therefore, in dealing with the controversy, it is a must to review and rethink true religion in its basic principles. Accordingly, based from wisdom from many wise men in the history of humanity, now we have, shortly and fundamentally, four indications of true religion.

First, true religion is reasonable. It can be argued and defended. It is absolute and unchanging. It exposes everything for what it is. It conquers by the power of truth and liberates the soul, never using swords, and not forcing its converts. It brings peace, happiness, love, hope and contentment.

Second, true religion is not fabricated. It uses no mask. Like gold, it can be judged, critiqued, examined, tested, proved, tried -- and found to be exactly what it claims to be, but it can calmly stand all interrogation and will remain. The very fact there are fabrications and false religions is all evidence that there is something so real and so valuable and so enduring that it is heavily counterfeited by frauds and by threats.

Third, true religion is not reserved for one day of the week, but it influences every aspect of life -- political, economical, social, intellectual, aesthetic, technological. False religions harm all these areas of life. When countries are governed by fabrications and false religions, they suffer in politics, economics, society, education, arts and technology.

Fourth, true religion is not about possessing the truth. No religion does that. It is rather an invitation into a journey that leads one toward the mystery of God. Idolatry is religion pretending it has all the answers.

With four basic principles such as these, we hope, we can "go home" peacefully.

The writer is a journalist. He can be reached at mung.murbandono@rnw.nl.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.