Fiji should be a sovereign democratic state-SDA

The Seventh Day Adventist Church has proposed for Fiji to be described as a sovereign democratic state instead of secular state.

This was part of the submission made by the church General secretary Wame Sausau who said Fiji should be called a “sovereign democratic state” as in the 1997 constitution or civil democratic state or Christian state as these terms better describe or are more reflective of Fiji's history and society over the past century and the kind of society we live in or aspire towards.

Sausau said the Church strongly agrees though with the important points under the secular state where there will be no official religion and no religion will be given preference by the state but would strongly caution that the special role of Christianity and God in Fiji's history ought to be acknowledged in some way in the new constitution.

He said these acknowledgments may include simple things like prayer at the beginning of parliament session, having a Christian chaplain for parliament or the senate similar to the US senate and taking oaths on the bible.

Sausau also submitted that the church fully supports that members of all religion to have equal rights to practice their belief and faith individually or in association with fellow members and that the freedom of religion will be guaranteed in the bill of rights.
 
He added that the definition of marriage should always be between a male and female and never between two person of the same gender and any change to this should be decided by a referendum and never by legislation by parliament or the courts.

He also said the marriage age should be no younger than 21 years.

He said the church does not support the recognition, legislation or main streaming of homosexuality or any other aberration to the traditional definition of sexual relations as heterosexuality.

He added that the church supports the military as an institution and should continue but its role should be reviewed and reformed including decreasing its numbers.


Story by: Sofaia Koroitanoa