(B) Separation of Church and State: New Methodism* and the Police Force

Nine weeks ago on February 20th I published a post commenting on Police Commissoner Esala Teleni's "Police Christian Crusade Against Crime." At that time allegations were made that non-Christian officers had been forced to attend Crusade parades, and that officers who converted to the New Methodist Church, run by Teleni's brother Atu Vulaono, were being promoted. It seemed, at that time, the reports were false or exaggerated. New allegations surfaced last week.

The question of the separation of church and state is a contentious issue in Fiji. Many ethnic Fijians perceive their identity as embedded in the traditionally inseparable union of vanua (land), lotu (church) and matanitu (state). This belief underpins their support for their chiefs and church, and on more than one occasion has resulted in calls, by Fijian nationalists, for Fiji to be delared a Christian state, the absolute sanctity of Sundays, Christian teaching to underpin government, the denial of permanent residence to non-Fijians, and legal provisions to safeguard all Fijian values. Were this ever to become the case, all Christians except Methodist and all non-Christians would in effect become second-class citizens, or not citizens at all. Many others, ethnic Fijians included, do not hold with this view and, while the 1997 Constitution contained a Christian prologue, other provisions guaranteed the equality of all religions and the separation of church and state. The draft People's Charter, recognizing how Fijian "traditional" beliefs were manipulated in the 1987 and 2000 coups, has similar provisions. The intrusion of "religion" in a vital state institution, the police force, should be seen against the backdrop of these two opposing viewpoints, Fijian "tradition" v. the modern Fiji state.

Last week the Coupfourpointfive blog reported a Wednesday "normal weekly parade" (attended by 300 police officers of diverse religious, cultural and social backgrounds) at which a New Methodist preacher delivered, in Fijian, a ten-minute sermon during which he said Christianity is the only true religion and all other religions are untrue. The blog, I think rightly, interpreted this as the "indoctrination of New Methodist Church’s version of Christianity on members of the Fiji Police Force."

But just as -- and possibly of more -- importance, at this particularly time in Fiji's history, is the question of Government credibility.The inclusion at a compulsory police parade of a Christian sermon that belittles the beliefs of others contradicts key clauses in the draft People’s Charter that call for multi-ethnic tolerance, the equality of all religions and the separation of church and state.

The different signals sent out by different members of the Government "team" sometimes leave one wondering whether they have different agendas, and, if this is the case, whether Government's central claims and stated intentions will prevail.


* The New Methodist church website states "The Church was a result of Spiritual revival within the Methodist Church .. a move of the Spirit ... whereby members were drawing and seeking God earnestly through prayers and fasting... com[ing] together and worship God like they had never done before; with music, lifting of hands, weeping and speaking in tongues." Registered in 2002, the church now has branches throughout Fiji.