FYI, -K-
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/28/%E2%80%98spiritual-laundering%E2%80%99-ungodly-phenomenon.html ‘Spiritual laundering’ an ungodly phenomenon *Irawaty Wardany* , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 12/28/2009 9:05 AM | National Religious figures in Indonesia have expressed regret about rampant corruption in the country and have warned corrupt religious donors to clean up their act. “People involved in corruption are also most likely to engage in spiritual laundering by being the biggest financial contributors to churches and mosques,” Rev. Albertus Patty from the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) told a discussion recently. He added that those involved in corruption were still committing sin if the money they donated to houses of worship was obtained dishonestly. Albertus said religious leaders failed to encourage their followers to see religion as a form of guidance in their life. “Most of the time religious groups become apathetic, which makes religion irrelevant in social life,” he said. “Religion and social life are supposed to work in harmony. “People need to consider religion as a mandate,” Albertus said. The chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Amidan, shared a similar view saying there was a gap between religious teachings and the way people behaved. “It is as if people only implement their religious beliefs in mosques or churches, while outside they become totally different people,” he said. He added that preaching and fostering were still needed and that corruption in Indonesia was still “deep-rooted and no longer considered a violation”. Commenting on spiritual laundering, Amidan said that religious leaders must be consistent. “If religious leaders do not know where donations come from they should refuse them,” he said. “They [corrupt people] consider themselves as Robin Hoods by stealing from the wealthy and distributing to the poor. But no matter how good their intentions are, if the money was gained from stealing it cannot be justified.” Unfortunately, many religious leaders just accept all money donated to their houses of worship without questioning its origins. Over the past few years, the NGO, Transparency International has ranked Indonesia one of the most corrupt countries in the world on its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) study.
