PARLIAMENT has passed a motion to carry out a nationwide consultation on the question of religious freedom and whether to ban faiths that are non-Christian.
Hela Governor Anderson Agiru moved the motion during grievance debate last Friday that was unanimously supported by both sides of the house.
The motion which was carried on the floor of parliament now means that the Minister for Community Development and the Constitutional Review Commission set up a bi-partisan team, to consult the people of Papua New Guinea with a view to determine whether or not we have a freedom of religion in this country or we adopt and strengthen and reaffirm the spirit and intent of the constitution of Papua New Guinea which basically states in the preambles that we are a country or sovereign nation under God.
Mr Agiru, during a statement before moving the motion, said the national pledge in the constitution specifically and unequivocally states that Papua New Guinea shall be a Christian country.
He said the Constitutional Development Committee Report of 1974 chapter 2 articles 19 and 21talks about religion and in religion they referred to the beliefs or custom in our traditions of 850 nations that make up Papua New Guinea.
Mr Agiru said the committee traveled worldwide to Africa, Europe, Asia, America and they saw all kinds of faith and they realised intentionally at that time that the country shall be a Christian country and it shall be a country under God.
“The question of whether we allow other kinds of faiths to be introduced in Papua New Guinea is the question and that question now needs to be asked.
“For me when they say it’s a Christian country it says God Trinity. That is what I believe in and that is what the constitution is promoting so in the end I want to see if the people of PNG, the Churches and everyone agree that all forms of other religions which are not Christian must be banned from Papua New Guinea.” Governor Agiru said.
“That is the argument I am trying to propose. Because it will be bipartisan, I am proposing that the member for Kundiawa-Gembogl Tobias Kulang be part of the team that the Minister for Community Development, Constitutional Review Commission to carry out this important constitutional question before it is too late.”
“We are a very rich country and yet we still have beggars and hungry people on the street. People are dying every where. I think it is time we bring this country under God.”
“The time is right for us in this ninth Parliament o write a new chapter in the national book. We cannot be people who write footnotes and simple sentences. The constitution of the country has been delivered to us and we now have to take it to the next level.”