The National Council of Churches has called for Christianity to be further entrenched in the constitution.

The Archbishop said his representative on the National Council of Churches did not ask him for his opinion on the question of constitutional change.

He says it's wrong to identify Islam and terrorism, and the best way forward for all religions is peaceful dialogue.

"The Catholic Church is at the forefront of dialogue especially with non-Christian religions and I take that view too."

"I think we should open our hearts and our minds to Islam and not really rush into condemning Islam just because of terrorists."

Source

radionz.co.nz

Image: d2m2lkhawsaq1u.cloudfront.net

He said this partnership had lasted but now there was little respect shown to the church by the national and provincial education authorities.

"They rarely consult their partners when setting new policies and making changes in the education system," Roche said.

A new organisation which has recently been set up in Fiji would see this as progress.

The Pacific Islands Secular Association (PISA) was established in Fiji earlier this year.

PISA's aim is to work with Pacific Island nations to try to persuade governments that secular republican government is more appropriate in the 21st century.

It specifically identifies the Churches' role in health and education in Papua New Guinea as a problem.

The blogs on the Association's website are posted under the pseudonym pisasecularists.

Details regarding the membership and structure of the organisation do not seem to be available.

PISA describes itself as is a non-party-political organisation aiming to attract members from all walks of life.

"PISA is a democratic and independent non-profit organisation which receives no funding from government or other public bodies."

"Its work will be wholly supported by its members and supporters, those who agree that religion and politics should be kept separate."

PISA says none of the Pacific Islands can be described as culturally secular.

It notes that Pacific Island nations have been deeply affected by missionaries from a wide range of Christian denominations, and other religions over two centuries.

"Of the Pacific Island nations only Fiji has a written constitutional separation of church and state."

PISA believes secular state is the most developed constitutional form of democracy.

It says a secular state is typified by:

• Constitutional separation of church and state
• Impartiality of the state between religions and other, alternative beliefs
• Recognition that what citizens believe is a private matter, not something that concerns government, so long as any belief does not break the law
• Non-participation by religious organisations in the making of parliamentary laws
• No government subsidy of religions, their schools, or alternative beliefs and their schools

Source

• pacificsecularists.wordpress.com
• secularism.org.uk
• thenational.com.pg
• Image: www.fijileaks.com

He made a distinction between the idea of a secular state and the idea that religion is private.
"We do not have a problem with Fiji being called a secular state," he said

"The biggest issue here is we look at it from a theological point of view while others look at it from a legalistic point of view."

Chong said he would encourage his flock to continue discussions on this provision in the Constitution and he hoped the government would hold more dialogue on the issue.

Reverend James Bhagwan, secretary for communication for the Methodist Church, said the issue lay in the definition of a secular state in the Constitution.

He said this meant the church must speak the truth, in love, and responding to the issues of injustice and poverty.

Both men were speaking on religion and secular state at the 15th Attorney-General's Conference in Natadola.

At the opening of the conference Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama repeated his belief that,"nowhere does the Constitution say religion cannot be practiced publicly, as has been suggested in some quarters."

Also speaking at the conference, Professor Vijay Naidu, from the University of the South Pacific explained some of the history behind the present debate.

He said that since Independence, Fiji's constitutions have maintained the separation of religion and the state but there has been a lack of clarity and, "In terms of the country's recent history, there was a strong campaign to make Christianity the state religion."

"This was especially so during the period immediately following the 1987 and 2000 coups," he said. "The Ghai draft constitution made explicit provisions on the separation of religion and the state, and these provisions have been "further clarified and detailed by the 2013 Constitution on the secular State."

Source

• The Fiji Times
• The Fiji Times
  
• The Fiji Time
• Image: Ronald Kumar/FijiSun

This reaffirmation of the separation of church and state was timely. It may annoy homosexuals and, indeed, some Anglicans that any candidate for priesthood not in a heterosexual marriage must be single and celibate. But any change must come from within the Church. It must be free to determine the doctrines governing its ministers and its teachings, as people are free to accept its strictures or go to a church that more accurately reflects their beliefs.

As much is recognised under an exemption for organised religions in the Human Rights Act.

This was restated in the same-sex marriage legislation, under which ministers are not obliged to solemnise a marriage if it would contravene their Church's religious beliefs.

Most churches recognise the need to adapt to changes in society if they are to remain relevant. Some are responding more slowly than many people would like. That, however, is no reason to circumscribe the freedom of religion in any way.

Sources

• The New Zealand Herald
• Image: New Zealand Christian Network