‘Changing Our Minds and Attitudes’ as Christians, Not Legislation

April 2015 National Constitution Review Conference held in the Central Liberian town of Gbarnga in Bong County may have produced 25 propositions – one of which continues to be a controversy.

Proposition 25, which focuses on ‘Christianizing Liberia’ through Legislation is currently the main debate in the Liberian society. Though crucial, very little is heard of other prepositions such as the reduction of tenure of the President from six to four years, Senators from nine to six years, members of the House of Representatives from six to four years, as well as women empowerment, among others.

Perhaps, the sensitive (and security) nature of this matter, especially the manner and form being adopted by some members of the Muslim Community in agitation, may have caused some ordinary Liberians, civil society and some Christians to join the debate on whether or not to legislate Christianity as a state religion in Liberia.

In all earnests, Liberians, mainly Christians, do not really need any form of legislation to overcome what they think has been and continue to undermine the country’s growth and development at all levels. Transforming the country into a ‘Christian state or nation’ through legislation would not easily ‘change our minds and attitudes’ toward each other and country.

What matters right now is ensuring expanded evangelism, tolerance, sincerity, and love for each other and our country as Christians, if and only if something is really wrong with our country’s progress, despite the presence of the vast resources; and unless we – Christians, exhibit the aforementioned attributes, we would continue to find it difficult.

We must not be carried away by the fact that because, Liberia is not a ‘Christian state or nation’, that’s why situations have been and continue to be unfavorable – it’s actually our ‘minds and attitudes’ that have got our country the way it is, and until we ‘change our minds and attitudes’, no matter how many laws are legislated in favor of Christianity, the country’s problems will still exist.

Let it be made emphatically clear that the foregoing does not, in no way, side with the ongoing threatening public agitations against the proposition to legislate Christianity as a state religion in Liberia under the auspices of the Imam Council and a few other Islamic groups.

The current approach being pursued by some of our Islamic brothers as a way of resisting the proposition may just be too far from the essence of the issue being raised. We are only emphasizing that transforming Liberia into a ‘Christian state or nation’ without changing our minds and attitudes toward each other and our country as Christians cannot and will not change for us what we think is wrong with our country development and progress.

It’s only change of minds and attitudes, with expanded evangelism, tolerance love and sincerity can do such ‘trick’. Let’s, therefore, abandon such quest to legislate Christianity as a state religion in Liberia, and do those things as mentioned, to help us through to progress.