Na Sala Cava? #6. Church and State: Has the PM Gone Too Far?

 Speaking in Fijian in Ono-i-Lau this week, the PM told the islanders how chiefs and the Methodist Church had made the 2006coup  necessary. Radio Fiji reported him to have said: "The Methodist Church has been urged to stay out of politics and clamp political influence from their midst but warned that he would step in and make the changes to the church if it was God's will."

Was  the PM correctly reported? What exactly did he mean?  Did he say anything he has not said before?  Has he gone too far? Does any government, under any circumstances, have the moral right to  interfere in Church affairs?  Is this the "way forward?"

Comments 

Caesar's folly said...

I'm normally loathe to resort to biblical quotes to make any point but Jesus himself said: "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's". So if Frank is really keen to do God's will, he should leave the Methodists to sort out their own mess. The state should have no role in the church and the church should have no role in the state. Indeed, it's this separation of church and state that's at the heart of every successful country, and should be in a place like Fiji, with our so many disparate religions. Blind Freddy knows that the Methodists have been a poisonous influence on the body politic for the last quarter century. But that doesn't give Frank the right to send his troops in to clean out Epworth House. All this tough talk just gets peoples' backs up. The church is already on the nose and will keep losing influence if it doesn't clean up its act. Frank should concentrate on running the country and try to achieve change by persuasion, not force.

May 29, 2010 2:09:00 PM

sara'ssista said...

who the hell is this 'little sailor' to dictate terms to anyone about any issue. he can certainly play politics when he was jousting with the then civilian government when it suited him, but apparently no-one else is allowed to voice an opinion. Is he serious?? The church has been around and will be around long after he isn't. Every organisation is flawed...but apparently not the fijian military who claim that fijians are too stupid to vote their conscious as hey are so easily lead by church chefs etc... these would be the same stupid people he is attempting to hood wink now i suppose.

May 29, 2010 4:44:00 PM

Anonymous said...

I honestly believe that Frank is doing the right thing.The Methodist church has been involving itself to much and too long in politics, Political leaders have taken advantage of the methodist flock.Without the 2006 intervention, Fiji would have found itself in a destructive path that we would be seriously worse than the current situation.If one looks at the other religous denominations in Fiji, they do not involve themselves in politics and just concerntrate on the spiritual side od things, why couldn;t the methodist church do the same thing??they played with fire and someone needed to step in to staighten their path.Mark my word, years ahead we will all appreciate what Frank has done. Ranadi

May 29, 2010 11:56:00 PM