------------------------------------------------------- CONVENTION OF THE GOAN DIASPORA FROM GOA INTO THE WORLD Lisbon, Portugal June 15-17, 2007 Details at: http://www.goacom.org/casa-de-goa/noticias.html -------------------------------------------------------
It is not possible to clearly separate Church/temple/mosque and state. One cannot preach from a pulpit and ignore injustices/exploitation/discrimination outside the compound walls. The late Jerry Falwell (who I disagreed with on many issues) had this insight into his religious activism - "the devil wants to keep church and state separate". He did not want to stand by while social change was occuring all around him. The problem is that often the church/temple/mosque is on the wrong side of an issue. I doubt Fr. Conceceicao Silva's detractors would complain if he had chosen to support a non-corrupt & non-communal candidate. The problem is he has chosen to back the wrong horse, not that he backs a horse. I understand why priests (from liberation theology on) to some current Goan priests want to be politically active. If the house is on fire, no point in saying I am not a fireman and watch the house burn especially when we know the firemen are a worthless lot currently in Goan politics. The tough question is how much should religious people (priests, etc.) be involved in politics, not if they should be. Remember, many of them in Goa for the upliftment of the poor, universal education, access to health care, etc. - all good public policy, non-religious issues. One of the significant reasons we support secular democracies is because we do not trust religious groups to get public policy right and protect minority interests. But religious activism in public policy cannot be completely stopped. Wherever the line is drawn it is always going to be challenged. However, I feel religious groups who actively get involved in politics should give up their non-profit status (which is a taxpayer subsidy) and then be involved on an equal footing as anyone else. In those situations they are regular citizens and no one can begrudge them their civic duty, however wrong their views may be. Regards, George --- Vidyadhar Gadgil <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070013710 > > Question of faith hounds Goa church > > Sujay Gupta > > Tuesday, May 29, 2007 (Goa) > > At the Church in Mandur in Central Goa, the devout are high on faith. > But are they, as the Church has been in the past, high on the Congress? > > The Church may not directly declare support for one political party or > the other but it's well known that for long, in subtle but clear ways, > the Church has backed the Congress by exhorting Catholics to unite to > keep out communal forces or the BJP. > > But that secular and communal dogma was broken by Congress-led > government's Goa regional plan. > > The Church strongly backed the anti-regional plan protests, which some > in the clergy feared would benefit the BJP. Those divisions that > remained silent have now surfaced in election time. > > ''Some have strongly come out in the Congress's support, like Father > Conceceicao Silva, who has blessed the offices of a Congress > candidate,'' said Mario Cabral Esa, Author. ------------------------------------------------------- Goanet recommends, and is proud to be associated with, 'Domnic's Goa' - A nostalgic romp through a bygone era. This book is the perfect gift for any Goan, or anyone wanting to understand Goa. Distributed locally by Broadway, near Caculo Island, Panjim & internationally by OtherIndiaBookStore.Com. For trade enquiries contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------------------------------------
