Page 32 - IB APR 2017

TradeReligion
Faith leaders told to address social, political ills

The rot

under

scrutiny

The faithful worship at St Mary’s Cathedral, Port Moresby, PNG. Photo: Invictus
“The National Repentance Day was When PNG gained independence in
by Netani Rika interpreted by many as a time to seek 1975, Urame said, people had high hopes
divine help and restoration for the nation for improved living standards, better in-
LEADERS of faith-based organisations in order to recover from the social crisis, frastructure, good health and education
must address corruption and the unequal political instability, economic imbalance systems and a united peaceful nation.
distribution of national wealth if social and religious discordance in the country. “Our reality today is different. We have
and political crises are to be averted in This is simply another version of the just celebrated 41 years of independence.
the Pacific. search for salvation, a search for the After 41 years of political autonomy we
Bishop Jack Urame of the Evangelical wholeness of life.” have seen positive developments as well
Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea Urame said the events were influenced as negative challenges,” Urame said.
has spoken out against division within the by Christian evangelical movements, po- “Social and economic issues have ac-
Christian faith which has led to stagnated litical leaders with a deep sense of renewal cumulated. The Government was not able
development. and restoration link politics with global to achieve the Millennium Development
And he has accused church leaders Messianic movements which claimed to Goals (MDG) by the year 2015 which was
of seeking short cuts using religion and embrace the God of Israel. aimed at reducing extreme poverty in a
religious values. He said this was a quest for religious number of key social aspects: on hunger,
“Instead of addressing corruption identity in an increasingly secular world disease, lack of adequate shelter, gender
and unequal distribution of the nation’s in which people believed their faith would equality, education, and environmental
wealth which lead to development stag- be rewarded by material gain. sustainability.”
nation and social crisis political leaders “Again this is another version of the Urame said living standards had not
attempted to create political holiness to prosperity Gospel,” Urame said. improved, many children were unable
solve social and development issues,” “PNG-Israel political bilateral relation- to complete basic primary education, the
Urame said. ship is also given religious significance. school system forced many young people
In a paper delivered to leaders of PNG’s Association with Israel is perceived as a back to villages or onto the streets.
main churches at the Melanesian Institute renewal with God’s chosen people there- Basic infrastructure had declined while
in Goroka, Urame pointed to a number of fore there will be blessings and prosperity the population steadily increased and put
local approaches including the destruction in PNG.’’ new pressure on the existing facilities like
of cultural symbols in the name of God But Urame pointed out that social, politi- health and education.
and for the sake of development. cal, religious, and economic inequality and “Our resources have been ripped off by
These included the importation of a man’s dissatisfaction of these imbalances huge global companies while the simple
400 year old Bible from United States, the created fertile ground for political-religious people continued to suffer from environ-
supposed dedication of PNG as a nation to movements to emerge and spread. mental destruction, social disorder and
God after a mass national repentance and Motivated by their religious beliefs economic inequality,” he said.
the removal of traditional carvings from people assumed that repentance and Urame said the challenges which faced
Parliament House. confession of sins led to political holiness society demanded a collective approach.
“(The) National Speaker, Theo Zuren- as an escape from poverty. For the churches this meant being a
uoc, claimed that Parliament House was “With these sociopolitical and socio- prophetic voice in society to speak against
decorated with motifs of bad spirits,” economic realities the key question is negative forces and to promoted peace,
Urame said. what can we do collectively as church in harmony and justice for the common good
“The carvings depicted traditional, society,” Urame said. of humanity.
cultural and ancestral spirits of PNG. He “Those realities call for our collective This would include the setting aside
wanted to change the poles with a new response because they challenge our mis- of doctrinal differences and creating a
symbol. He was in the opinion that the sion and theology.” common platform in which all people
House of Parliament is an important He pointed to social factors which de- – and their leaders – united to remove
political center where laws and decisions manded the collective response of faith- poverty and create more just distribution
are made and as a Christian nation bad based groups in the context of – but not of wealth.
spirits must be rejected. limited to - PNG. r netrika66@gmail.com

32 Islands Business, April 2017