How Do Religious Beliefs Affect Politics?

Religion and politics play an important role in our lives because both of them greatly influence how we think, behave and interact in the society. They somehow dictate how we should live in this world to be able to blend in with the norms. Since they are powerful influences, we tend to be close-minded on the different phenomenon, because we are too attached to what religion and politics inflict upon us.

When I was in highschool, I learned that religion and politics should be separated for they often clash with their principles and values. There is a separation between them because they have different world views, which are religious and secular respectively. Religion is more on the conservative side while politics is more liberal. Let me give the Reproductive Health Bill as an example. I have read in an article in Philippine Daily Inquirer that this bill is passed because it is believed that it has fundamental effects in the human development. It may also help reduce poverty in our country for the reason that population growth is considered as one of its major contributors. However, the church thinks otherwise.

In class, we discussed about religion (Christianity vs. Islam) and its relationship with politics. As we all know, Christianity is the exact opposite of Islam. For instance, when it comes to food, Christians can eat pork while Muslims never eat pork. Whenever there is a terrorism attack (like the 9/11 tragedy in New York), the Muslims are the ones to blame because they are perceived as violent, selfless, heartless or evil unlike the Christians who "can't do such a thing" as they want peace and order. There is always a discrimination and inequity between this two religions. And I just realized it when we did an activity related to this topic, when I found out none of us prefer to live in Iraq and Afghanistan or marry someone from these places.

After the class discussion, I realized that there is still a chance to improve the relationship between the Christians and the Muslims. Religion and politics cannot be separated from each other because they are a huge part of our culture. On the other hand, if both of them learn to accept and understand each others' differences, they would be able to bridge the gap between them. As the hand-out says, they would be able "to achieve similar goals even where the language they use may differ."

I think that if the Christians and the Muslims will be open-minded or flexible, the conflicts between them may be avoided. Conflicts exist because they cannot afford to acknowledge each others' philosophies because maybe, they think that what they believe in is much better than the other. They are fully dependent or too "locked in" in their ideals and standards. Sometimes, we really have to think beyond the box so we would be able to recognize and appreciate the uniqueness of both religions. In this way, peace and order will reign or rule in the world.

What Happens If We Don't Think in Human Terms?

I learned something new today about how we, the humans, play a huge part in terms of the natural happenings that occur in the society. In class, I found out that most of us think that a sustainable city should include roads, more residential lands, municipal offices, commercial establishments and the like in order to support or provide the needs of the people who live in that area. However, I was quite amazed when our professor mentioned that a city or a particular place can be considered sustainable even if there are only three houses located in a huge land and a 7-11 near them. And I never thought of it before.

Last year, we had experienced Mother Nature’s fury when Ondoy, Pepeng and other natural calamities visited our country. A lot of people, whether rich or poor alike, were greatly affected by them. They started to live anew after losing their most prized possessions. Even I, myself, was not exempted from them. I thought I would never experience such thing. For instance, when Ondoy came, my fellow early childhood majors and I were stranded on the road for more than five hours, after we had our community service. Fortunately, there were people who willingly helped us. They gave us food and let us stay in their home and restaurant while we waited for the water to subside. It was really an unforgettable event for me, and I hope it will never happen ever again.

Actually, it is not too late for us to do something to avoid or prevent disasters like this. Like what our professor said, we directly affect the environment because we are a part of it. We cannot be separated from it since we are interconnected with each other. We are responsible for the different changes that are happening in the world right now, like climate change. Now is the time for us to “shift from the traditional perspective” and become more open-minded so we can adapt or keep up with the changes in our society. By being open-minded, we will be able to understand how we contribute to these changes. Open-mindedness can help us think of ways on how we can improve and make our world a better place to live in.

I honestly think that we should not laugh at the people who are actively participating in different activities that are related to taking care of the environment. For me, they are doing the right thing because at this time, our environment is slowly “dying”. Maybe, we should start living a simple life and at least try to stay away from more worldly things. We need a global effort because we can’t save it on our own. We have to combine all our power in order to take good care of it. Time is precious. Let us not waste every second of it.

How Do We Begin to Think About the World?

I think that globalization is about the different progress or development which the world experiences over the years. Globalization has transformed our lives of in a lot of ways. For instance, there is modern technology that helps in making our work a lot easier to do and finish. The doctors and other medical professionals can easily find a cure to some diseases or sickness through the medicines which they make so we can feel better. Students like me can find the information that we are looking for by means of using the internet as a resource. Gone are the days when we use the encyclopedias and other thick books. Moreover, we become more aware of what is going on because of media, who give us full access to the different happenings around the world. Like the catchy phrase of Globe, globalization is “making great things possible”. On the other hand, the history of the world refers to how the people evolved, places discovered and the various events that enable us to learn more about our culture and identity. The history of globalization and the history of the world are inter-connected, hence they cannot be separated from each other.

Globalization influences us to look at the world in different ways. How we think about the world is shaped by the society where we live in. It may be a new word for imperialism, colonialism, modernism or capitalism as it is related to gaining power over a territory, perhaps imposing rules to develop it, making money and building it as a better and more comfortable place to live in for the people.

The Western colonizers were the ones who started globalization. They traveled around the world to spread the wonders of globalization. I think that this is an American phenomenon because it somehow dictates us to live and behave like them. They introduced us to their culture. And their culture lets us see that if we follow what they do, we will be great like them. No wonder why a lot of Filipinos patronize American products more than the local ones because they believe that they have a better quality and more appealing.

Globalization has made America and even China progressive countries. They are two of the most influential and powerful countries in the world. However, I think that it will reach a “tipping point” when the developing countries will no longer experience poverty, famine and the like. That’s why I’m hoping that Philippines will try to become more competitive in terms of producing and promoting our local products. I strongly believe that it’s not too late for us to show the whole world that the Filipinos can make quality products, like that of America and China.

It has its own advantage and disadvantages. It is beneficial because like I said, it transforms the lives of many people in remarkable ways. Without it, we will not be able to experience the good things in life. On the contrary, it is bad in a way because we, the Filipinos, tend to forget our own identity and culture, as we are easily influenced by the powerful countries. And in my honest opinion, colonial mentality makes us the losers and them, the winners. Philippines is a great country and in my honest opinion, we should also be proud of what we have or what we can offer to the international community. Let us learn to love our own.

Why Study Globalization and Development?

It is important to study globalization and development because it will help me to become more knowledgeable about the different phenomena that are happening around the world right now. I think that this subject will allow me to have a deeper understanding on the societal issues, so I can engage or participate actively in the development and improvement in the different fields such as politics, technology, science, culture, economy, education, and the like. By being actively involved, I would be able to work hand-in-hand and think of ways in making our world a better place to live in.

Globalization has affected my life in many ways. For instance, researching is much easier because there is the internet, where I can find the information that I need to satisfy my curiosity. Moreover, besides books, the internet provides me with necessary facts and trivias on different concerns and trends in the field of early childhood education, which serve as guides for me to become a better and competent early childhood educator in the near future. Furthermore, because of the modern technology, I get to experience a comfortable lifestyle. On the other hand, globalization has taught me how to save and budget my allowance because of the continuous price increase in basic needs such as food, clothing, and even transportation in our country.

I think that studying globalization and development should not be taken for granted because it will help me become connected with the whole world. By learning about the various discilpines and approaches related to it, a lot of opportunities will be open for me to contribute something to our society. Hence, it will serve as my passport to achieve my goals and dreams.

References:

Singh, K. (2004). Questioning globalization.

Manila: Ibon Books

Rodrik, D. (2007). One economics, many recipes: globalization, institutions, and economic growth.

New Jersey: Princeton University Press