Should religion influence laws? Most Pinoys think so – study
Credit to Author: Ghio Ong| Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — Even with the constitutional provision guaranteeing the separation of church and state, a recent study found that a majority of Filipinos believe that religion – specifically the Bible – should have a “great deal of influence” on national laws.
In a 2024 study released this week, US think tank Pew Research Center looked at how religion is viewed in relation to national identity and society in three dozen countries, including the Philippines.
Survey respondents were asked about the importance of belonging to the “historically predominant religion” in their country “to being truly part of your national identity,” the importance of having a leader who shared their religious beliefs and how much influence the “historically predominant religion’s sacred text” should have on the laws of the country.
Respondents from the Philippines, a predominantly Christian nation, were among those who recognized the significant impact of religion on their society.
For instance, when asked how much influence the Bible should have on national laws, 51 percent or a slim majority said a “great deal,” while another 30 percent said it should have a “fair amount of influence.”
Only 18 percent said the sacred text of the country’s historically predominant religion should have “not too much” or “no influence at all.”
“In general, those who say the Bible currently has great influence on the law (are) more likely to say it should have a great deal of influence,” Pew Research Center said.
In the Philippines, 74 percent of the respondents said the Bible either has a “great deal” or “fair amount” of influence on current laws, compared to 26 percent who said that it had “not too much” or “no influence at all.”
However, when asked which should have more influence on laws in case the sacred text is in conflict with the will of the people, only 37 percent of Filipino respondents chose the Bible, while 45 percent said it should be the will of the people.
The remaining 18 percent were those who initially responded that the Bible should have “not too much” or “no influence at all” on national laws.
The study was released as debates rage on regarding the proposed comprehensive sexuality education bill. Critics cite the bill’s supposed impact on the country’s “moral, societal and spiritual values,” with some specifically referring to Christian and Muslim doctrines.
Among Christian countries included in the survey, the Philippines had the highest number of respondents who believe in the importance of religion as a part of national identity.
Seventy-three percent said it was “very important,” while 16 percent said it was “somewhat important.” Only 10 percent said it was “not very” or not important at all.
According to the Pew study, most of the respondents across countries view religion as having a positive impact on their society. Among Filipinos, 85 percent said religion “helps,” while only 14 percent said it “hurts” society. Eighty-three percent of respondents from the Philippines said it encourages tolerance, while 16 percent said it does not.
However, Filipinos are divided on whether religion encourages superstitious thinking. Forty-nine percent said it does, while 50 percent said it does not.
Specific about national leaders, 88 percent of Filipino respondents said it is either “very important” or “somewhat important” to have a leader “who stands up for people with their religious belief.”
Another 86 percent of Filipinos said it is important to have a leader who shares their religious belief, composed of 59 percent who said it is “very important” and 27 percent who said it is “somewhat important.”
Asked about the importance of a leader who has strong religious beliefs, 85 percent of Filipino respondents said it was important (51 percent “very important” and 34 percent “somewhat important”).
The survey in the Philippines, conducted from Jan. 26 to March 4, 2024, had 1,011 respondents selected through multistage, area probability design. Interviews were conducted face-to-face using Bicolano, Cebuano, English, Ilocano, Ilonggo and Tagalog, and had a 4.5 percent margin of error.