The general nature of corruption : An attempt to analyze and evaluate corruption in Indonesia from the ethical point of view

Abstract

Corruption, being a phenomenon within the community, a negative phenomenon, requires ethical evaluation. In this thesis corruption and ethics are in an object-subject relationship to each other. Corruption is the object of evaluation by, in this case, Christian ethics. Christian ethics are ethics based on and deriving from God's revelation within the Bible. Thus the basis and criteria for evaluation within Christian ethics de rive from the will of God as revealed within the Bible. Thus the understanding of and practice of corruption are evaluated, not through a value system, but according to the will of God, specifically the will of God as revealed through Jesus Christ. The corruption referred to in this thesis is corruption in the widest sense of the word - corruption practiced by Government officials and civil servants and al so corrupt practices which are widespread throughout the community. Corruption does not only take the form of bribery and "upeti" (gifts to a superior aimed at ingratiating oneself) but involves a system of relation- ship within the community in which everything related to the work mechanism is always accompanied by a wide variety of gifts which serve as bribes. Corruption also involves an irresponsible attitude to work hours (time corruption) and the sacrificing of community rights in the interests of an individual or a group. Thus corruption refers in this thesis to all manipulation which constitutes a deviation from an honest and responsible way of life. It should be added that the amount of money being corrupted is increasing. Corruption in all its forms and manifestations arises and develops due to a variety of factors operating simultaneously. This means that there are a variety of mutually supportive factors, each of which contributes to corruption's flourishing and becoming an institution. Gene rally it is possible to distinguish two factors causing corruption to flourish. The first factor is the push effect, which covers the stimulus of economic need, political interests, cultural values and the like. The second factor is the pull effect which includes the opportunities opened due to inefficiency of administration, the weak- ness of the law, slackness in supervision and the like. These factors and other related and mutually supporting aspects make corruption a complicated topic, the origins of which are difficult to gauge. However, ultimately one can conclude that the above- mentioned factors are only secondary elements. The real roots are located within human nature itself. As the perpetrator of corruption is a human being, the main cause and source of corruption is human nature itself, as human beings are the perpetrators of corruption, corruption is an ethical problem. Corruption in Indonesia over approximately four centuries, namely from the VOC, era to the present time, has been increasing both quantitatively and qualitatively. In the VCC and the Dutch Colonial eras, corruption was limited to employees of VOC, employees of the Dutch East Indies government, businessmen and indigenous feudal powers. After the proclamation of Indonesia's independence in 1945 corrupt practices tended to spread into all aspects of community life, particularly in the era of the New Or der because modernization and increased economic development have not been balanced by community mental prepared ness, As a result the number of perpetrators of corruption has increased and the amount of money involved has al- so risen. The above developments can be classified as an increase in the amount of corruption. Also evident within the community is a "rise" in the quality of corruption, as is seen, for example in the changing, varied and ever new forms of corruption. The "rise" in the quality of corruption is also evidenced in the development of a cynical and pessimistic attitude within the community to- wards efforts to fight corruption. This attitude has given rise to a sort of belief that corruption has become part of the Indonesian culture. This belief is based on the fact that the greater the number of anti- corruption drives, whether in the form of the Anti-Corrupt ion laws, the Reform Operation, the Increased Control Programmed and the like, the more corruption flourishes and spreads. The writer of this thesis will strive to understand the situation described above from the point of view of Christian ethics as expressed in the Bible. The Bible bears witness to the fact that mankind was created in the image of God in the sense of having a high intellectual capacity and a good character deriving from a good relationship between mankind and God, his Creator. In this context mankind’s inclinations in the realms of both motivation and behaviour were good. Mankind’s actions were acceptable to God. Sin, taking the forms of pride, disobedience and rebellion against God caused man to fall into a state of corruption. This corruption was of such a nature as to cause total, radical and universal depravity. This corruption within human nature caused all man's motivations, inclinations, his conscience and his actions to become basic- ally corrupt and egotistical. In other words, mankind under the power of sin, is corrupt. The corruption of man's nature derives from the breaking of the relationship between God and man as a result of sin. Seen from this viewpoint all the corrupt acts described in this thesis can be seen as manifestations of the nature of man, which is corrupt. In this sense corruption is not just a part of one's culture, but an integral part of the nature of mankind as a sinful being. Thus it can be said that the root of corruption is found within man himself. Not within the structure, the weakness of the ad- ministration or other factors, but within man himself whose egotistical drives are manifested in the greed for material possessions, respect and power. So great is mankind’s depravity that he cannot improve his life himself. All attempts to improve his own life prove fruitless. The same is true of efforts to fight corrupt practices. All facilities and methods used are merely tools which do not reach down to the root of the problem. According to Christian ethics, the only solution to the problem of mankind’s depraved nature is the grace of God. God has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ. It is only through the Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice of Himself that our consciences can be purified from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14). The Lord Jesus Christ is the true image of God (Hebrew 1:3) that image which all mankind has lost. It is in the Lord Jesus Christ alone that sinful mankind can receive justification and redemption and the free restoration of his relationship with God (Romans 3:23 - 26). In the fight against corruption it is not adequate for the Church and individual Christians to merely teach Christian morality or even to teach the moral teaching of Jesus Christ. The restoration of mankind's relationship with God is effected not only through Jesus' moral teaching, but through all His life, including His teaching, His call to repentance, His suffering, death and resurrection. Sometimes, the Church and Individual Christians have made the mistake of basing Christian ethics only on Jesus' moral teaching and assuming that through this moral teaching, sinful mankind can be restored to a relationship with God. It is not sufficient for the Church and individual Christians to pass on moral concepts. Through their words and their lives (example) they must proclaim that the only way of salvation is through Christ's redemptive work. Christians' lives must bear the marks of those who have been renewed. Finally it should be emphasized that, within the Indonesian context, the church and individual Christians can contribute to the fight against ever-increasing corruption by their example of "clean" living and through activities aimed at educating people to develop responsible attitudes. Obviously these attempts will begin in Christian circles through the education of children within the home and at school. Attempts should also be made to influence other people within the work environment. The aim of these attempts should to arouse a consciousness of mankind's essential nature as a noble creature, made in the image of God. This consciousness should lead to actions motivated by love and truth and not by hatred, greed and egoism. From the point of view of Christian ethics all attempts to fight corruption through laws, more rigid super vision or the imposition of sanctions are good. However it is only through the building-up of good character on the basis of true values that we can hope for a reduction in corrupt practices and an effective fight against corruption. I have referred to this process as the "image of faith". Attempts to build up a good character must be based on faith in the will of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Through faith in renewal through the Lord Jesus Christ, individual Christians and the church can look forward to the victory of truth and virtue over the corruption of mankind.