By ELSIE EYAKUZE

More by this Author

Uh oh. You see, I totally believe in the separation of Church and State. As a lapsed Catholic, I especially believe in the separation of church and state, except when I don’t because all humans are a little bit contradictory.

Let me tell you the story of the Holy Roman Catholic Church and its influence on politics. See, once upon a time...Just kidding!

Context: so basically Tanzanians are saying they don’t really feel like voting in the local government elections because their teams are not playing, and where is the fun in that?

The coalition of major opposition parties has taken its ball and huffed off the field because the referee and the linesmen are all bought out so what is the point. Some people approve of this, some do not.

A Bishop of our Catholic Church has decided to tell people not to avoid voting. No problem: They are entitled to an opinion just like any other organisation except you know that bit where I was going to tell you about the history of the Holy Roman Catholic Church? Yeah. They’re not just any organisation. Two thousand years of history there. Two thousand years.

Just a few years back, major faith organisations came together to write open letters to the government to be more...humane, peace-loving and kind. All the good spiritual kind of advocacy. That is why I am only against the separation of Church and State when it suits me.

But here we are now, a lot has changed. In the time the Church has existed, it has done everything imaginable under the sun. It has been on both sides of history, has supported the meek and the mild and also supported the oppressors of the poor and downtrodden—sometimes all at once.

But we have the benefit of hindsight. And like any learning institution, even the Church has had to give in to the idea of progress.

Funnily enough, as it progresses, the Church is moving ever so slightly closer back to the teachings of a somewhat rebellious Jewish prophet—with what looks suspiciously like socialist ideals.

The current Pope is really trying to work for a more inviting and accepting Church, which is not easy at all. I think the underlying problem is and always has been diversity.

Across the millions and millions of believers around the world, how can we really make one size fit all? Faith is important to us as Africans and I always fear when it is used directly to endorse any regime. Bad things can ensue.

It seems strange to protest a Bishop’s directive on whether or not the faithful should vote while simultaneously making the case that they should always advocate on behalf of the people for restraint and peacefulness from their governments.

But can you call yourself a properly lapsed Catholic if you don’t embrace contradiction? That would be odd.

If folks need to go to the polls, let them do so in good faith and not as blind followers of an institution that should always beware of its immense power and how it uses it.

Elsie Eyakuze is a consultant and blogger for The Mikocheni Report. E-mail: [email protected]