Mixed reactions on the role of the church in VI politics
It also became a topic for discussion on the Virgin Islands Party radio programme “VIP Let’s Talk” on January 7, 2015 on ZBVI 780 AM. The discourse on this topic was raised by a question texted in by a resident.
“One of the texts that came in talks about if there is a greater role that the church can play as it relates to political involvement for the church to ensure good governance, integrity, security, sustainability, these are areas people are concerned about,” President of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP)and host of the show Mr Carvin Malone related.
Prompted to respond, Leader of the Opposition Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE said, “I can’t see how the church can do it.”
One of the religious leaders that have been very forward in calling on the church to play its role has been Bishop John I. Cline. He also holds a government-appointed position as the Chairman of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA).
In a recent interview with this news site, Bishop Cline stated that it is his firm belief that the church has a role to play but when asked if he would take on a position in government as a Minister or a District Representative he stated emphatically “No I wouldn’t”.
He told this news site that historically the church has always had an influence on the political fabric of the Virgin Islands and pointed out that the late Chief Minister Hamilton Lavity Stoutt was a local preacher in the Methodist church and so was Mr Ivan Dawson.
“And I don’t think now is the time to silence the voice of the church that has aided the BVI in making such progress. We didn’t get here because we were so smart, that we were the best Caribbean country,” said Bishop Cline.
The church leader said he believes prayers have a lot to do with it and that the church is the conscience of the VI nation. “…and the church builds upon the principles of God to prosper and it is in that way I believe that the church should remain involved and have a say in terms of who we put in the leadership role of our country.”
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12 Responses to “Mixed reactions on the role of the church in VI politics”
We have two Baptist Ministers in key positions in the service and what useful purpose are they serving. It won't be long before a second "Detroit investigation" gets on the way.
Human rights have come along way over the last few hundred years where behaviours such as slavery, stoning people to death, persecution of non-believers etc. were all condoned by the church. But there are still many more human rights that are to be changed and with the church being vocal progress will not be made.
Why are we teaching our children that the earth was made in 7 days? Why are we teaching that a great flood took the whole earth for a year? Why are we teaching our children about a virgin birth? Why are we teaching our children that there is a magical man in the sky? These are not facts but myths, modern science 9and even not so modern science) has proved otherwise. We need our children to be educated, allowed to think, and open to a changing world if they are to have any success in the future - not hold them back with irrelevant and quite frankly "stupid" ideas of the reality of the world we really live.
Religion should be taught purely on a basis of understanding how stupid human beings have been to hang on to such antiquated thought processes. Yes the bible should be taught also for it's poetry and its story telling but not as a book of facts because it is not.