Last week we broke the news about the divisions within the Churches that make up the Church-State Commission on morality. The Bishops of the Anglican and Methodist Churches withdrew from the commission because they felt that their views were not being represented in the final position paper which would be presented to government.
So, now, the question is, will the government accept a position paper from a Church representation that is splintered?
Today the Deputy Prime Minster - who chairs the commission - told the media that it is a matter of concern because they wanted a unified position:..
Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"Well we are concern because when the Prime Minister engaged and tasked me with chairing the church state commission, we anticipated a unified position coming from the church and with the withdrawal of the Methodist which is really, actually I should say the council of churches, because the council of churches had the membership on the commission there. But also the Anglican Church which had membership in its own right being an original part of the case section 53. It has now caused us to be very concern about what position could come out of the commission and in fact our position now stands as those who remain and want to continue the work that was started - we don't have a problem with accepting a report from them."
"I think though that if when the government plan to engage, it was with the entire body and so now it would not make sense to us very much to continue that engagement. But I do want to stress that the government is still very much interested in learning from these entities however divided they are now, what are their views on the issues that have come out of section 53."
The National Evangelical association of Belize has issued a statement calling back the churches to the table.
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