Christian nation bill needs one more reading, says Pomat

THE bill to amend the Constitution to make Papua New Guinea a Christian country has one more reading before it becomes law, says Speaker Job Pomat.
“The bill has already gone through the first reading and would be read a second time before it becomes law,” he said.
It is expected to be done in next month’s sitting.
Pomat said while there was some opposition to the bill by citizens and groups for various reasons, it was the Government’s responsibility to make the change for the majority who believe that PNG should be a Christian country.
He acknowledged that there would be those who agreed with the bill and those who did not. But the Government as the legislator had the final say, he said.
Pomat said the bill was not intended to alienate believers of other religions or faiths.
“The majority of the people in this country are Christians,” he said.
“But that does not mean that the other religions and those who do not believe in Christ are not part of this country. They are part of this country.”
He said the country had come a long way because of the missionaries who brought Christianity many years ago.
“Our ancestors received Christ,” he said.
On the recent comments by United States President Joe Biden referring to Papua New Guineans during World War Two as “cannibals”, Pomat said “our forefathers were cannibals before they received Christ”.
“But that was then and this is now,” he said.
“People were not happy about that statement.”