From Tan Malaka to Frassati: Learning to Be Critical & Living in Faith

Yohanes Paulus II

Young Catholics live in a secular landscape: many good universal values (justice, solidarity), but also relativism that makes “right and wrong” feel fluid. The Church reminds us: freedom is not simply “being allowed to do anything,” but the ability to choose the right. Saint John Paul II asserted, “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” He made this statement in Baltimore (1995), emphasizing that truth is the foundation of freedom.

Tan Malaka

On the other hand, Indonesia's intellectual heritage invites us to think clearly . Tan Malaka (a philosopher, writer, and Indonesian national hero) through Madilog promoted the discipline of materialist-dialectical-logical thinking to free the nation from clouded thinking—in short, "yes is yes, no is no," and arguments must be supported by data and reason. This is not the language of faith, but a useful tool for us to critically weigh information before taking a stance. A brief explanation of materialist-dialectical-logical:

• materialism is a way of thinking that starts from real reality (facts, data, sensory experience),

• dialectical is a way of thinking that is aware that life is always moving and changing due to the clash of ideas,

• Logical is a way of thinking that is orderly, reasonable, and consistent .

Christian example complements this reasoning: Pier Giorgio Frassati showed how prayer, the Eucharist, and service to the poor are united with social courage. He was called the “Man of the Beatitudes”—a picture of a young Catholic who was both strong and compassionate. USCCB

When Indonesia is rocked by demonstrations, public demands, and corruption cases, young Catholics and their companions are called to be present, clear in logic, firm in morals, and warm in love : filter information, reject hoaxes, defend honesty, pray for the nation, and choose small, consistent actions—that is how to be effective salt and light.

For every young Catholic and companion, let's do this:

1. Check – Verify one viral claim this week (see primary source, data).

2. Prayer – Take time to pray the Rosary for the nation.

3. Action – Choose one honest & fair habit (e.g. not lying, not shifting responsibility to others) and do it for 7 days in a row.

4. Share – Short sharing with friends/community: what you learned and your concrete steps.

   
   

Faith kindles the heart; logic sharpens the mind.

Both make your contribution to Indonesia cleaner, more substantial, and more meaningful.