Influence of religion on politics

Abstract

The text 'Politicks and Religion' has the intention to point out that the influence of religion on politics on the areas of Yugoslavia has been constantly present since her creation. It is best seen through the statement of the great Serbian scientist Jovan Skerlić that Yugoslavia can exist solely under the condition that religions become indifferent towards social reality. Yugoslavia disintegrated just due to the growth of national intolerance which were to a great extent conditioned by religions intolerance. The effect of religion on political organizing therefore could not be absent even upon the formation of the new State. It turned out by formation of political parties which by their respective Statutes were defined as religious, or as organizations gathering the members of one religion. On the other hand, the influence of the religion was felt in the politics of those parties which could not by their Statutes be estimated as religious. That is why a serious task is set to the science to study this phenomenon. The task of this modest contribution is to be an attempt in that sense.

Religija je jedan od najvažnijih društvenih fenomena. Kao takva oduvek je uticala na profiliranje svih ostalih društvenih sfera, a posebno na politiku. Uticaj religije na političko organizovanje je posebno zanimljiv u uslovima sekularističkog uređenja društva; stoga je na svim fakultetima političkih nauka u svetu ovoj pojavi posvećena dužna pažnja. U Jugoslaviji međuodnos religije i politike se oseća dvojako: kroz formiranje političkih partija koje su programski definisane kao verske i preko otvorenog ili prikrivenog korišćenja vere i verskih osećanja u političkom organizovanju. Ovo poslednje je vidljivo kod svih sekularizovanih političkih organizacija u bivšoj Jugoslaviji, ali i kod političkih partija u SRJ. Zato se pomenutom fenomenu mora posvetiti značajna pažnja.