of God

Editorial

In the name of God

At best, it is naive to argue a country will become a better place simply by virtue of it being declared a Christian state. At worst, it is reli

gious bullying.

The past month saw the passage

through parliament of Fiji’s

Constitution Amendment Bill. But, con troversially, it stopped short of declaring Fiji a Christian state - and rightly so. To reason that Christianity - in name - will improve the state of a nation lacks any

foresight, vision or logic.

Religion is too personal to legislate because it is based on interpretation rather than fact, faith rather than logic.

Just what exactly becoming a Christian state would entail is impossible to estab lish and one even its proponents seem unable to explain without contradiction.

The Methodist Reverend Tomasi Kanailagi, a strong advocate of bringing religion into politics, says a Christian state would run along general Christian principles and not those of any one denomination. And, he is quick to assure non-Christians, his is a religion of toler ance and acceptance with no threat to reli

gious freedom.

“We, as Christians,” he says, “have to give people the freedom to worship as

they want and whenever they want.”

But it is on justification of religion that a Mormon was nearly burnt at the stake in Western Samoa; that members of the Every Home sect have been discriminat ed against in several Fijian villages; and that places of worship are so frequently desecrated in Fiji.

Whether, as the Rev Kanailagi claims, Christianity does indeed value tolerance over conversion is arguable, but the rev erend is entitled to his interpretation of his religion. What is questionable and does little to credit the man or his convic tions is his self-contradiction.

The reverend describes as a problem the number of religious sects entering the Pacific. The reverend who - in the same interview - appears to be championing freedom of religion, it seems, has given new meaning to the miracle of speaking in tongues.

A similar view is shared by the presi dent of the Methodist Church in Fiji, the

Rev Dr Ilaitia Tuwere, who, ironical ly, has been an advocate of keeping state and religion separate.

From such parochial thinking comes intolerance, and from intoler

ance persecution.

While criticising acts of temple desecration, the Rev Kanailagi also attempts to explain them away as the venting of frustration. To even imply that declaring Fiji a Christian state would be the cure for such acts of religious terror ism could be construed as nothing less than blackmail.

If history has one lesson to teach about religion it is this: that, contrary to what the Rev Kanailagi says, Christianity - or any other religion for that matter - does not necessarily provide the “humanitarian grounds which can bring people togeth er”. The Middle East, Northern Ireland and India are proof of this.

Religion cannot even provide consen sus between observers of the sabbath on whether it should be a Saturday or a Sunday.

No one religion can be imposed as the absolute truth and be made to represent societies as a whole. Religion is not infal lible; it is too personal, too full of inter pretation and too contradictory. ■

• Cover Stories on page 18