Political use of religion as a weapon against liberal ideology in Poland
by Kacper Jarco
Religion is a great thing. It brings people joy and a sense of community, as well as allows them to feel more comfortable in relation to the unknown and unanticipated aspects of life. Most of us have at some time in our lives practiced, or are still practising, religious activities. One of many great benefits of religion is that it gives us a default set of moral rules which we ought to follow, instead of the need of defining them by ourselves.
However, religion can also be hugely destructive towards the society in which we live. These days, most of our nations and communities and not homogenous; we look different, we act differently, and we have different values and worldviews — all these things are amazing. Though recognising and acknowledging differences, we become more tolerant and open to change. Unfortunately, not everyone wishes for that to be the case. There seems to be a noticeable rise, especially in Europe, of nationalist tendencies. In countries like Italy, Germany, France, Hungary, or in my homeland, Poland, there is a noticeable rise of nationalist and populist parties. Regrettably, Poland and Hungary have already succumbed to their political rule. This article explores the way in which political leaders in Poland weaponize religion against multiculturalism and ideological opposition.
In my previous paper called “Poland — Religion, Government, and the Society,” I discussed how the conservative ruling party — Law and Justice — uses traditional religious values in the secular society to secure the majority of seats in the Polish Parliament. Interestingly, they manage to do that in spite of society being more or less secularised both collectively (as people) and systemically (through legal norms), meaning that they recognise a “wall of separation” between religion and state. The Law and Justice uses religion as a tool to enhance their views. Here, I present these in a more easily digestible form to highlight how religion is used to achieve their political goals. I analyse these behaviours through two pertinent issues in contemporary Poland — right to abortion and recognition of LGBTQ+ individuals.
Before getting into the actual matter, it is extremely important to highlight a significant assertion. It helps to understand the actual processes happening in Poland. Mainly, the relationship between the Church and the ruling party must be analysed. Interestingly, Law and Justice does not advance their goals by acting independently. They usually motivate their reforms by referencing Christian values taught by the Church in Poland. Therefore, one might argue that it is the Church that attempt to advance their ideology. Nevertheless, the church is empowered to present these views though permission given by Law and Justice. Through increased state funding of Catholic media and implementation of religious content in the public television, Law and Justice allows the Church to preach similar ideological views. Moreover, religious leaders in Poland oftentimes openly engage in political discourse, even from the altar — they praise the reforms and encourage further, more radicalised ones. It is therefore not a one-sided relationship, but rather a feedback loop; one side empowers the other and vice versa.
To contextualise the issue of LGBTQ+ rights in Poland, we must know that several parades and marches, where people manifest their beliefs, are organised annually. Most notably, bigger cities in Poland hold annual equality parades in support of LGBTQ+ people. Furthermore, these events are often countered or opposed by individuals, usually with an affiliation towards far-right groups, such as National-Radical Camp, as has been the case in the city of Bialystok in 2019, where about 30 counter-events were organised. These counter-protests were held in “defence of Christian values,” to put it in the words of the local archbishop of Bialystok. These are oftentimes praised by the Polish government and encouraged though talks of reforming laws. In addition to events held by the progressive side of the society, more conservative groups, such as the ONR, organise their official marches as well, with the most notable one being the Independence March held annually as the official event during the Independence Day, often attended by the country’s leaders. These events are frequently where, aside from people celebrating Poland’s independence, far-right activists try to spread their agenda, where nationalists carry white supremacist banners, sometimes even propagating fascism, such as “Pure Poland, White Poland,” and justifying them through religious values. Furthermore, this year’s entire program was advertised with the use of the poster titled “Our Civilisation, Our Rules.” Participation of politicians in such events indicates their passive support of such actions.
The issue of abortion rights is another that signifies the utilisation of religious values in de-liberalising the society. In October 2020, there has been a pivotal shift in the abortion debate; the Constitutional Tribunal, the highest authoritative body for the interpretation of the Polish Constitution, has ruled unconstitutional the condition of severe and irreversible embryo damage clause, effectively banning more than 90% of abortions in the country. In the judgment, justices, most of whom were appointed by Law and Justice, referred to the principles of natural justice motivated by Christian values. The link is undisputable; religious ideals and values have been utilised to promote the anti-liberal ideology of the ruling party. What is more, today there are talks and parliamentary projects aiming to restrict abortion rights even further — to prohibit it completely, leaving no exceptions.
In each of the cases, Polish people tend to disagree with the reforms, as can be seen from the drop of support for the governing party. For example, once the October 2020 abortion controversy has commenced, Law and Justice lost approximately 20% of their societal support. It only highlights the reactive nature of Poles towards approaches that the government is taking, and people’s unwillingness to these changes in the system.
Concluding, from these two cases we can clearly see religious values being used to enforce and create a ‘new’ Poland, a version of which is catholic and radically conservative. The actions of politicians and church officials signify a worrying trend happening in Poland as you read this article. What shall happen in the future — only time will tell. Nevertheless, it is concerning to see religion — a method of uniting people across the globe — being used to divide them and create one’s own versions of reality, despite the lack of mandate from the Polish people. We have to be mindful of religiously influenced ideas, which oftentimes are interpreted to stand against the principles of liberal democracies.
