Coexistence with the Political
The United States versus the Amish Minority: The Protection of Minority Religious Rights in a "Secular" Land
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Frederique Green, Frederique Green
The Amish have largely resisted acculturation since their arrival in America in the eighteenth century. Given that over time the American authorities have increasingly developed laws, rules and regulations, the U.S legal system has come into regular conflict with Amish religious practices over matters such as education and conscription. Pioneers in Amish scholarship have mostly suggested that the Amish have been open to negotiation with the State, reflecting the peaceful way Amish people deal with life in general. Sociologist Donald Kraybill for example has discussed a "negotiation mode" in which the Amish have sometimes "compromised" their ideals. This paper presents an alternative legal view: based on interviews, legal documents and case studies, it argues that when challenged by the American authorities the Amish have not compromised but have used the legal tools provisioned by the American Founders to all citizens, i.e. the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the American Constitution. My theory is that the Amish have not always needed to ‘bargain’ with the American authorities or compromise but as American citizens have lawfully and successfully challenged rules that impinge on their religious practices. In this way, the paper shows that a secular constitution can still protect counter-cultural minority religious rights. This paper thus offers a contribution to the wider discussion of secularism, for example the work of Saba Mahmood, about how religious rights interact with the processes of liberal democracies.
Political Science of Religion: A Paradigm Shift in the Study of Political Roles of Religion
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maciej Potz
The paper proposes a new theoretical framework for the analysis of the relationship between religion and politics – “political science of religion.” It departs from the Church and State and Religion & Politics paradigms which are, respectively, too narrow, legalistic and normatively loaded and too methodologically eclectic to provide a thorough account of political significance of religion. Instead, it offers a coherent approach firmly embedded in political science and political theory, whereby religion is viewed analogously to other social phenomena impacting the sphere of politics. Political science of religion assumes that: Religion is a social phenomenon which motivates people to various types of social, including political behavior. Religious doctrines serve important political functions: they legitimate political power on structural/institutional, normative and personal levels; guide segments of the public in their political views and attitudes; are posited as source of public morality; and may drive political protest and dissent. Religious organizations are social entities which, insofar as they enter the political system to influence power relations, become political actors. These religious political actors should be analyzed in the same way as their secular counterparts (parties, social movements, interest groups) – in terms of their goals and strategies. It is not necessary to assess the truth status of religious beliefs; they are “real” as a subject of study insofar as they stimulate actors to adopt certain political views and express them in political behavior. Normatively evaluating religion-state relations is the job of political philosophers, not political scientists.
Envisioning the Khalsa State Modeled after the Vatican State: Seeking the Goodwill of the Indian Government
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Tennyson Samraj
The intent of this paper is to present a trifold solution to the tripartite desire of the Sikh community of believers. The Sikh’s aspiration for the Khalsa state where they can define and defend Sikhism as they see fit. The Sikhs yearning that the Harmandir Sahib (abode of God) or the Golden Temple at Amritsar be the supreme center of Sikhism, and be the sacred site and seat of authority of Sikhism--the reason for the Khalsa State where Sikhs can go to and understand the practice of their faith. The Sikhs vision to live with non-Sikh fellow Indians who live within the Punjab state and the rest of the country where they live, work and what they call as their country. Sikhs can achieve these aspirations by seeking the ‘goodwill’ of the Indian government. It is proposed: to create the Khalsa State modeled after the Vatican state, where the Chief Guru like the Pope, can be both the temporal head of the Khalsa state and the spiritual leader of the Sikhs in India and around the world. The Khalsa state is formed from the area around the Harmandir Sahib temple of Amritsar, like the Vatican state around St Peter’s Cathedral. The Punjab state continue and maintain the current relationship with the federal or central government of India. The Khalsa State accept India’s sovereignty and consign foreign policy to the Indian Government. This would create a religious concave for the Sikh people similar to the Vatican state
