Religious exclusion ‘ungodly’

Amid longstanding disagreement among Liberians against validating a proposal to legislate Liberia as a Christian State at a Constitutional review early this year, a Liberian Prelate Rev. Foday Karpeh says it is “unscriptural to exclude people” religiously, politically economically or socially.

“We must be true to our history and celebrate our history, but our country was never meant to exclude anybody … it is “unscriptural to exclude people,” he emphasized in a sermon delivered on July 26 in commemoration of Liberia’s 168th Independence Anniversary in Barclayville, Grand Kru County.

While emphasizing religious tolerance and inclusion in Liberia, Rev. Karpeh, however, admitted that in spite of which religion or tribe that was present here on the soil that later became known as Liberia, “our credit to our sovereignty as an official nation is solely and exclusively a Christian initiative in the context of our history.”

On this backdrop, he believes that Liberians must be true to their history to help guide different generations to come, without exclusion. “In Liberia’s case, we must be bold and honest – this country was not founded to exclude anyone – neither politically, socially or religiously or even if the opposite historically was true,” Rev. Karpeh warned.

He says further that if the church did not organized Liberia’s national structure and sign the country’s Declaration of Independence which became the foremost basis for international recognition of nation’s Sovereignty as an independent nation, what is now called Liberia would have been lost to Great Britain, France and neighboring Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.

But despite the historical details, the Clergy cautioned however that no country which excludes certain sect of its population – politically, economically, socially or religiously – develops and maintains stability. In the same vein, he told his audience including President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Legislators, diverse religious people and citizens that no country which is ambivalent about its history goes far, as he stressed that Liberia was founded to be a home for freed people “and for the civilization and Christianization of Africa.”

Having cited the historical background of Liberia’s founding, he said “it does not mean or should never be interpreted to mean that the superiority of Christianity over other religions.” He believes that legislation is not required, clarifying further that “not legislating it does not mean a denial either,” because laws are not needed to preach the gospel, get somebody saved, cast demons or raise the dead.

What he says is needed to do God’s work as Christians is the power of God because by his anointing, the yoke are broken.

Regarding same-sex marriage and practices, he reminded that when God created man, he made Adam and Eve, and not “Adam and Steve,” or “Eve and Evelyn.” He therefore concluded that “it is not in the question,” and it was not something to talk about because God didn’t make two men or two women to live as couples in the Garden of Eden, saying it is out of the question in the case of Liberia. By Winston W. Parley – Edited by Othello B. Garblah