I

f we are going to be sensible about religion, a state of mind that hardly ever comes to surface, we need to look at the subject with open eyes.

Indonesia'€™s state ideology (Pancasila), says all of its citizens must believe in one God (Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa), and yet it accepts religions that have many gods, and beliefs that are really more a way of life rather than religious practices.

Pancasila also guarantees religious freedom plus just and civilized humanity, two things that in reality appear to be well abused. The six religions or beliefs are Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism, and one can assume that all the others are taboo. So what does freedom of worship actually mean?

It is like saying you are free to pick what color you like but you cannot have blue and green.

To deny anyone the right of choice in regards to belief is like skating on thin ice as no one can defend that situation without the use of force. History clearly demonstrates that force has been a profile of all religions, which is why it should become a private matter.

Indonesia trades with countries that are atheist in nature although it draws the line with Israel, shunning the Jews as undesirables.

How much trade does Indonesia do with Iran and would they deal with Afghanistan?

Where does it stand with Syria and Pakistan, and who does it support in Egypt? Of course it is difficult to generalize, as no one truly represents the people.

The Democratic Party only secured 21 percent of the national vote in 2009, which means four out of every five Indonesians did not want SBY to win.

Most world leaders, apart from dictators, will be lucky to represent 30 percent of their nation, and here in Indonesia the '€œno vote'€ is likely to win the poll.

But back to religion, and surely the answer is for every person to treat their beliefs as a personal issue and thus do away with all these organizations that all believe they are right in their way of thinking.

David Wallis
Medan