Bribing and Corruption at The Church in Indonesia

[caption id="attachment_236594" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="christchurchstellarton.ca"][/caption] JR Saragih, one of the candidates for this coming election on August 28 in Simalungun Regency North Sumatera, in a sly-way bribed the congregation members to vote for him by donating money to the church. I was in one GKPS church yesterday. GKPS is Gereja Kristen Protestan Simalungun or Simalungun Protestant Christian Church. There was an announcement to inform that the church where I attended received 100.000, Rp ($ US 11) from JR Saragih with a special request for the congregation to pray for his success on the election day. It means to bribe the congregation members. What can be the other purpose? I also heard from the villagers that on the 100th celebration of the church in a Simalungun village where they gathered quite a lot of people, JR Saragih also gave 10.000.000 (around $ US 1,100). What could be the purpose of such that action closed to the election day in Simalungun where the owner of the money is one of the candidates? I was on the way from Pematang Siantar to my home village yesterday. I passed through the village of JR Saragih, Pematang Raya. The road in Pematang Raya is the worst part of all from Pematang Siantar to my village in Urung Panei. People are wondering what has been the work of the current regent, Zulkarnaen Damanik? How has been he travelling to Pematang Raya from Pematang Siantar in every work-day if he does so? His house is still in Pematang Siantar. It supposes to be in Pematang Raya, the new capital city for Simalungun Regency. JR Saragih, What a Shameful Bribery! My goodness! What a shameful way to bribe people including at the church. Those who still have their own mind do know that the function of 100.000 Rp that JR Saragih gave yesterday to that church is to attract those church members to vote for him. I think, JR Saragih gave money to all the church in Simalungun Regency yesterday for the same purpose. No wonder it has to be at the small amount since there are many churches here. What can be the meaning of 100.000, Rp today? It is just about nothing! It is just quite disgusting to see such a way of deceiving people in the villages. JR Saragih for the last few months has been in a borjouis way flying in Simalungun's sky using his ugly helicopter. The villagers "admire" him since he has that ugly helicopter. He is so slily manipulate the lack of education and analytical mind of the villagers, his own Simalungun people in most. JR Saragih has some hospitals, some say he has 3 hospitals so far. Hospitals in Indonesia? In general, I can say, the function of hospital in Indonesia is not to really help people but to squeeze them. The owner get a lot of advantages out of people including those poor people expenses. There is nothing really to admire on those who own hospital in this country in nowadays. As for JR Saragih, the money he gets from his hospitals including from those of the poors who come there to get this and that medication and consultation then given back to the people including those in the church closed to this election day. Corruption has been rampant in Indonesia. No wonder that people in general have lost their analytical-mind to speak up. They know that 100.000 Rp given by JR Saragih is a bribery but since all of the people, including the pastors in GKPS say nothing, then, all of the member of GKPS say nothing as well. Religious Institution is not Clean Corruption is an iceberg phenomenon including at the religious organizations and institutions such as the church. At the church as in many other religious organization, corruption can be worst than there at the goverment-offices. What a shame if they have to let the public get to know that there has been corruption at the churches. One of the reasons, they say: don't let them get to know our bad-habit since it can be quite shameful for this is a church organization. Where are we going to put our faces? For corruptors, you know, there can be no different between faces and feces. They have no capability to make the different since they are blinded by money. To corrupt is to turn their faces to become feces but they don't just care to have their faces to become feces. Pastors at the church are not of any different, indeed, they can be even worst in corruption since they think they can hide behind their status as pastor or religious leader. The trap is there precisely. Religious institution such as the church seems to enjoy the freedom of not being investigated by KPK (Corruption Eradication Commission). KPK can investigate religious institution including the church to do with corruption; there have been many information to do with it. The member of the church here is also the member of the nation. Therefore, they deserve justice.These members have been supporting the church institutionally through their Sunday-offerings and many kind of offerings. They deserve that their money is not being corrupted.***