He said some other political parties are engaging preachers in campaigns and also electing them as proposed candidates but this will not happen in the FijiFirst party.

"To see a talatala (church minister) talking or backing a political party, I would not want any talatala to be involved with politics in my FijiFirst party, I want talatalas to be independent to do what they are supposed to do."

The president of the Methodist Church, Epineri Vakadewavosa, told FBC News that Fijians had the right to support a party of their choice but this should not be practised within church premises.

Methodist ministers could join a political party only if they first resigned from the church, Vakadewavosa said.

The PM says Fijians have every right to support any political party but it's inappropriate to mix religion with politics.

Speaking at a Devi Pooja (act of worship to the Goddess Devi) celebration at the Mahadevi Temple in Nausori last week, Bainimarama said that some parties and candidates encourage people to vote along religious or ethnic lines in the coming national elections.

The prime minister said this is wrong as it's a backward way of thinking and risks the unity that society has built.

"As I said in the Ba Provincial Council Meeting just last month, religion and ethnicity should never be exploited to sow division and hate.

"This is fundamentally against the very nature of not only any religion but of our very democracy."

Bainimarama said Fijians will benefit when values-based organisations work in conjunction with the government regardless of ethnicity, background or faith.

Source

• amp.rnz.co.nz
• fijisun.com.fj
• fbc.com.fj
• Image: youtube.com

The petition requests: "That the House of Representatives pass legislation to tax all religious institutions."

The reason for the petition is: "Destiny Church and similar evangelical institutions are having a direct and negative impact on the vulnerable population.

Many followers are pressured to send more money to the church instead of feeding their children or paying bills. Income is often seen being spent on extravagance."

The petition is in the name of Kieran McKewen. It closes on 30 June. So far about 600 people have signed the petition.

On March 7 Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Peeni Henare announced that a comprehensive . review of the Charities Act 2005 is underway.

Source

parliament.nz.

tvnz.co.nz

tvnz.co.nz

Image: altarandthrone.com

She said GOdsownnz did not source the graphics on their website from either of the Facebook pages mentioned in the news item.

"I purely copied the images from FaceBook posts that came across my FaceBook page - 'public' posts I believe," said Holley.

"They seemed appropriate to where we stand on freedom of speech, and left-wing judgmentalism and social engineering."

"We (GOdsownnz and myself and others managing the Party) do not align ourselves with 'Freedom of Speech USA' nor 'The Australian Freedom of Speech Productions'. she said.

"We have never been on their websites, FaceBook pages. We are not 'right-wing'. We are not "anti-refugee", however we do not agree with the Islam religion or it's extremists.

"I would really appreciate a correction in CathNews to amend your reporting on this issue."

"We do not want a false impression going out, of where we are coming from."

CathNews apologies for the mistake.

In their media release GOdsownNZ says it is is here "to stand for the New Zealand we once knew, want to retain, and continue to improve."

"We want to ensure that right is actually right, and wrong is understood as wrong. We hold to conservative Christian beliefs and practice - but there is nothing wrong with that! New Zealand's heritage is Christian, many New Zealanders identify as Christian, and we are proud of that!"

"Today, Christianity is made out to be a bad, wrong thing...what is actually a bad thing is all the PC, liberal, social engineering that ‘normalises' things that are actually wrong and makes out they are right, and judges those things that are right, to be wrong."

Source

• Supplied
• scoop.co.nz
• Image: FaceBook

Analysts believe the Islamists organised the protest at the behest of opposition parties hoping to derail Busaki's re-election in February.

There have been calls for Basuki to be imprisoned, or even executed for blasphemy and hate speech.

10,000 demonstrators took to Jakarta's streets last month and as many as 50,000 people on 4 November.

Better known by his Chinese nickname "Ahok", he became Jakarta's first non-Muslim governor for 50 years when he took over from Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in 2014.

He is the first ethnic Chinese Indonesian in the post.

A prominent Muslim scholar and former rector of the State Islamic University in Jakarta, says the protests are purely political.

"They are using the blasphemy issue as an entry point to challenge Jokowi and pressure him," said Mr Azyumardi Azra.

"If you look at their posters during the demonstration, there is no mention about banning alcohol, banning gay and lesbian groups, nothing like what they normally protest about,"

Analysts like Azra believe the Islamists organised the protest at the behest of opposition parties hoping to derail Busaki's re-election in February.

They see this as an opening salvo against his backer, Joko, aimed at settling scores and ultimately denying the president re-election in 2020.

Ahok is seeking a second term as Jakarta governor. He is a possible running mate for Widodo in the 2019 presidential elections.

He is popular with Jakarta's middle class. He is adored as a blunt speaker who doesn't tolerate corruption and articulates a vision to make the chaotic, dysfunctional city more like clean, orderly and efficient Singapore.

"It's a sad development in Indonesian politics when race and religion are being used by politicians," said Philips J. Vermonte, the head of the politics and international relations department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.

Source

• bbc.com
• nytimes.com
• bangkokpost
• Image: bangkokpost

Some commentators are saying this will be a litmus test for Labour support.

South Auckland electorates are traditionally Labour thanks in large part to church-going Pacific Islanders.

The meeting is a response to small group of influential Pacific Island clergy declaring, at the Manurewa flea market, last Sunday that they would switch their support from the Labour Party to the National Party.

The ministers involved have come under fire on Pacific Island social media. They have been criticised for not consulting their parishes.

A Seventh Day Adventist minister, Teleiai Edwin Puni, said he and five other Seventh Day Adventist ministers - all recognised in the Pacific community - met National MP Cam Calder on Sunday.

"If we are to defend our Christian values and build a brighter future for New Zealand families, we need to engage our Pacific people and vote National," Puni said.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• TV3 News
• Image: tavpacificauckland.weebly.com

Bhagwan said the church would stay neutral and it should not be seen to be favouring anyone.

"But at the same time we are pastorally speaking to our members, encouraging them to pray before each major decision and our prayer is that when election comes God will help us that the right leaders are chosen given the circumstances we have."

Mr Bhagwan said church halls around the country could be used by political parties depending on the agreement between the vanua and respective church leaders in the villages.

"The issue is that in some cases the only place that is available is the church hall and so we would have to look at it on a case-by-case basis. The local church area needs to make those decisions, the church would hope that people exercise good judgement in that area."

Source

• The Fiji Times
• Image: www.electionsfiji.gov.fiji