- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 20/Aug 06:46

Keep God out of government

THE EDITOR: In recent years, TT has seen a worrying trend: political leaders invoking religion to justify governance. Phrases like “the voice of the people is the voice of God” or national “days of prayer” may sound harmless, but they send a dangerous message – that public authority can be cloaked in religious legitimacy. We are a diverse nation of Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Spiritual Baptists, Orisha devotees, agnostics, and atheists. No single creed should guide the state. The Constitution recognises the dignity and rights of all citizens. That dignity is undermined the moment politicians use faith as a substitute for evidence-based policy. Around the world we have seen the cost of such entanglement: Uganda and Nigeria use religious justification to criminalise and persecute LGBTQ+ people; Poland, under clerical influence, stripped away abortion rights; Russia silences entire communities in the name of “traditional values;” Afghanistan and Iran enforce oppressive laws on women through religious rule. Saudi Arabia uses imprisonment and torture to persecute those of different orientations. The result is always the same – dignity lost, rights trampled, lives diminished. Secular governance is not anti-religion. It is pro-fairness. It ensures that citizens are judged by their humanity, not by their creed. Faith belongs in churches, mosques, temples, and homes – but laws must serve everyone equally. As Karl Marx warned, religion can be an “opium of the people,” numbing them to injustice. Our leaders must not exploit that. If TT is to move forward, we must leave the pulpits to the priests and keep Parliament accountable to reason, justice, and the needs of the people. Only then can we truly call ourselves a democracy that protects every citizen, regardless of belief. RAVI C RAMKISSOON Tunapuna The post Keep God out of government appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.