Religion is faith, politics is power
There is no convergence zone for the two in any way. There are no links or loops that intertwine the two as they are two separate and distinct affairs. Therefore, religion has got nothing in common with politics. Despite this distinction, there are still cases where some political parties or political contestants especially during the election, trying to mingle the two in order to enlarge their bank of votes. This leaves people wondering when will these politicians come to understand that this is an act of disrespect to religion and then stop it.
Religion as said earlier is faith; it has its unique values and ethics. It is about following the path that is perceived as right. This encompasses the inculcation of values that are as well perceived to be right. On the other hand, politics bases its foundation on a common opinion which aids it in decision making. The result is the mutual benefit of the people.
The two should not be mixed because in doing so, will result in people being biased towards their religion. People, who fear God, will tend to follow the trends of religion. But in case politics penetrate into religion, these people will deviate their focus onto the leaders forgetting about the religious trends. They will start obeying and respecting these leaders above the expectations of their religion.
Mixing religion and politics affect the voting decisions of citizens. God-fearing citizens will tend to vote for those politicians who pose themselves as religious. They will blindly follow them without putting consideration the wants of the people, the voids in the society that need to be filled. The notion of the politician being religious will affect the outcome of the votes. The result of this is under-development, and no progress in the society as these politicians use religion just to gain the votes’ bank. Most of them have no good intention to benefit the people. After they win the elections, they disappear from the people and only benefit the few around them. It is, therefore, crucial that politics and religion not to be mixed so that people elect their leaders based on their wants, the leaders’ qualities and capabilities rather than hiding in religion.
Religion should not be mixed with politics because it will deviate the responsibilities of religious leaders. Politicians in most cases, use religious leaders during their campaigns to corrupt the minds of believers. Politics is not the business of religious leaders. Religious leaders are supposed to perform religious activities and rituals as well as lead people in the right path other than losing them in the political regime. It is, therefore, important that the two are separated to let religious leaders perform their duties responsibly.
The basis of politics is power. The basis of religion is faith. Faith can have a positive influence on power because it normally leads to values and principles. If the vice versa, that is power influencing faith takes place, it can be disastrous. Politics is purely about the present that is, having a good time in the present. Faith is entirely based on the times in the future. It is having faith in the times in the future. The two can coexist in the same society but cannot be mixed whatsoever.
