Divine intervention: a study on the role of Philippine churches on the mining issue

Abstract

The current Philippine mining situation is nothing short of alarming. Put on a well-lit pedestal, the business of mining is supposedly a stepping stone towards economic development but which immediately took a serious wrong turn. Today it is one of the most controversial trades in the country. It continues to face great and growing opposition due to its bad reputation and inability to perform as promised, more often creating more problems than providing any relief or development. To add insult to injury, some members of government, the so-called protectors of our national patrimony and citizens, join in cahoots with the profit-motivated institutions that only take advantage of our natural resources and disadvantaged ranks. As history suggests, in any disgruntled society that lost trust in its government, many people turn to church and religion for help and guidance. In this case, it is the situation itself that invites divine intervention. This study focuses on the church and state relations in the Philippine society as localized and contextualized in its mining industry. The separation of church and state is a vital point in determining this relationship. This is a study on what role Philippine churches play in the mining issue. It tackles the reasons of opposition against mining that call for church involvement in the issue. It describes this divine intervention through identifying their motives and reasons, and determining their means and extent of involvement. These gathered data were analyzed in order to conclude whether social change is a direct result of this intervention. The compliance or noncompliance of such intervention on the "separation" was also tested. This study is an effort to shed light on the long-standing debate on the separation of church and state.