PLATO WEDS PETER: I OBJECT!!!

From time immemorial, man has often made the grievous mistake of intertwining or blending politics with religion. This myopic, and usually self-serving error has always led to uncomely, and at times disastrous consequences for these two aspects of human existence.

It is a long settled fact that man is a political animal, if we all subscribe to argumentum ad Aristotelium. It is also well established that man is a spiritual being...for the people who are dumb enough not to be as 'intellectually discerning' as atheists. Man's endeavours in both areas have always existed, and permit me to assume, will always exist for as long as we keep having sex; i.e. as long as we don't go extinct for failing to 'be fruitful, to multiply the earth, and to replenish it. Back to the music, man's perennial marriage of politics and religion has never really augured well for human communities, be they states, kingdoms empires or whatever else, and the effects are self evident, for those who have been conscious enough to know-tice.

Let's take a trip up memory lane, (yeah, we've been going down ever since) one that is bound to open blind - deliberately or otherwise - eyes to the truth of the dangers of making that ever so toxic potion of politics and spirituality.
In the medieval era, popes were de facto rulers...gods, in fact (maybe because "the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ"...whose representatives they were, dig?) and understandably so, since they practically controlled two principal fields of societal influence...the political and the religious. For instance, take the case of the Alexander VI (Borgia) papacy (which, by the way, was intended to be made into a dynasty) where political subterfuge, moral intrigue and self-aggrandizing authoritarianism were the order of the day.

Also, an examination of pre-colonial political systems in sub-Saharan Africa will show a prevalence of kings who doubled as spiritual fathers, and were practically unquestionable (forget that Alaafin-Oyomesi checks and balances thing; it applied to the Alafin, who wielded only political power, definitely not the Ooni, who had a blend of both, and was not responsible to any person or group). Multiple other instances abound of such situations of absolute power, which often resulted in monumental abuse of power..."absolute power corrupts", anyone?

What was, or are, the factors that made all those political cum religious leadership arrangements so faulty, and which makes such set-ups undesirable in modern politics? The answer is fundamental. Politics, by its very nature and considering its social role, should be handled in a highly rational manner, free from the clouds of sentiments as much as possible...for the greatest good of the community. The basis of religion, on the other hand is Faith. If I were to go by the biblical (Hebrews 11:1) definition of faith; then we're talking about a concept or area of human pursuit whose hallmark is Irrationality (sorry to have to put it in this so-blunt-it's-offensive way, but it's the plain truth). Politics has the good of man (through society...social contract theory, anyone?) at its centre, while religion places an all-knowing, all-seeing unseen deity who is absolutely beyond question or redress at its centre (or top, whichever)...little wonder it is then, that any marriage between the two always ends in disaster. It always affects both greatly; efficiency and sensibility in politics becomes grossly impaired, while the purity and truth of religion is almost irredeemably eroded (Roman Catholic again, locus classicus on the point). Why man finds it so difficult to divorce them is therefore so amazing, or is it just that 'opposites attract' thing?

Thank goodness (would have said 'God', but er...'m not supposed to mix religion with my politics) that most societies in the modern world have had the good sense to separate, officially at least, the 'Church' from the State. In some nations where this is yet to happen, we still see authoritarian rule and somewhat unfettered abuse of power.

Now let me bring this piece home, so you can better appreciate its practical import. In Nigeria, though both are formally separated, the role of religion in politics must not be underestimated. For example, what binds the whole of the northern region (which accounts for about half of Nigeria's land/population mass) together is mainly religion, forget ethnicity. The way it seems to work there generally (exceptions permitted, of course) is that the man whom the religious leaders endorse almost invariably gets the political office. It appears that what we've done is to disguise politics as religion and vice-versa depending on what the occasion demands...thus switching garbs without officially tying them together. In other words, politics is fucking with religion (pardon my French, fornicating with religion). This is a major reason for most of the 'religious' crises in the country such as in Kaduna, and more frequently, Jos. This is why, in the forthcoming general elections in 2011, many people will vote for a candidate of their religious persuasion, or one whom their spiritual leader has endorsed, expressly or impliedly. And even if Mr. Father-in-the-faith tells them to vote for a glaringly wrong candidate (like, say, IBB) they'll do just that, since it must be the will of God. For the life of me, I'm wondering; could it possibly be the will of God to elect a senator or representative who, since 2007 has not moved a single bill or offered a single original opinion on the floor of the House, either due to lack of ideas or for political self-preservation or both? Could it be the divine desire to re-elect a governor who is no better than the as-good-as-dead President, because he hasn't done anything appreciable enough to be called a "dividend of democracy" (that so-clichéd-it's-a-joke phrase, uh?) As if constructing a road or renovating classrooms or patching roads is equal to doing us a favour.

Before I digress too far, let me state my point as clearly as I possibly can (with my sore throat and all, haha). 2011 is almost here, PLEASE (raised to the power of 150million) do not let extraneous considerations such as a candidate's religious inclinations becloud your sense of judgement in deciding whether or not to vote for him/her. Also, let the person's track record and ideologies, as against your pastor or Imam's opinion, speak for him/her. Don't keep creating an enabling environment for the church/mosque/shrine to keep being fucked over by the politicians...because religion is a potent poison, a deadly serum, which, if applied on the tip of that arrow called politics...will take no prisoners.

"Abo oro la'an so fun omoluabi, to ba de inu re, aa di odindin"...Enough said!