Pastor against death penalty

 By ELIAS LARI

A PASTOR in Western Highlands is against Parliament’s approval of the death penalty.

Pastor Elijah Samson Ati said PNG was a Christian country and the death penalty was against the Bible.

He said Justice Minister and Attorney-General Kerenge Kua should first look into what religion PNG citizens follow. 

He said the death penalty was not the answer to reducing the law and order problems in the country.

Ati said it could cause a lot of problems beyond the control of the people and Government.

“I’m blaming the Government for allowing many religions to come into the country and the death penalty might be from their advice.

“If the country is based on the Christian faith, then the Government should have made some of its decisions based on the Bible,” Ati said.

He said the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt Sinai by God “commanded us not to kill”.

“God wrote the commandment with his hand at Mt Sinai and gave it to Moses. And I’m asking the NEC why it is imposing the death penalty when PNG is called a Christian country?” he said.

“If PNG is a Christian nation, then why are leaders not following the commandment in which God said we should not kill?”

He said they had written to provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari about a planned protest against the death penalty.