Christians, Muslims not fighting

-LCC

In the wake of growing mix-public reactions for or against a recent majority vote validating Liberia as a Christian State, a Vice President for the Liberia Council of Churches has cautioned citizens that “Christians and Muslims are not fighting,” saying, the idea of Christian State did not come from the LCC.

LCC First Vice President and General Overseer of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church, Rev. Dr. Kortu Brown, said on Friday, April 10, 2015 that the idea of seeking to legislate Liberia as a Christian State came from 73 districts of Liberia and the Constitutional Review Committee or CRC headed by Counselor Gloria Scott.

He made the remarks at a National Fast and Prayer Service graced by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, members of the cabinet, foreign diplomats and private citizens on Friday at the Providence Baptist Church on Ashmum Street, Monrovia.

After offering prayers and appreciations to God for redeeming Liberia against the Ebola virus, President Sirleaf thanked the church and all who had gathered, saying, they had gathered in the tradition of their forefathers, who set the day aside not only to fast and pray for the crisis with the Germans, but against exclusion and discrimination… that kept Liberia back at the time.

President Sirleaf urged Liberians of the need to remember as they fast and prayed, that the country needs the crown of peace, justice, mercy, reconciliation and unity for the progress of all.

She also said the country has a challenge to right the historical and generational wrongs and bring together the people and give thanks and praises to God not only for the fight against Ebola, but also for the twelve years of peace and security.

Meanwhile, Rev. Dr. Brown has announced here that the LCC has already set up a committee to [study the outcome of the CRC Gbarnga Conference], while dismissing claims by those he said are making things appear as if Christian State proposition came from the LCC.

In the course of a week-long National Constitutional Conference and Validation exercise held in Gbarnga City, Bong County, 416 delegates on April 2, 2015 voted in favor of a proposition seeking to declare Liberia a Christian State, against 18 votes that opposed the proposition.

The conference, which among others validated reduction of representative and presidential tenures from six to four years each, a single currency regime and fifty percent elected or appointed positions exclusively reserved for women, became very tense as religious sentiments erupted from the Muslim Community in total expression of unhappiness against a Christian State.

Pro and anti-Christian State debates appear to perpetually draw more attention in several quarters of Liberia since the Gbarnga 2015 Constitutional Conference ended early this month.

Though the Muslim Community here has announced a “Plan-B” to petition the Legislature against the legislation, decisions taken at the Gbarnga Conference may however go through national referendum if approved by the Legislature within a year.

By Winston W. Parley