Speaker’s response shows lack of understanding

 THE Speaker’s response to the criticisms against  him  shows  that  he lacks  substance  in his argument when  providing  reasons  to  justify  his action.

His  explanation  is  flawed in that he did not understand the metaphysical reasoning behind the Melanesian world of spirit. 

Our  ancestors  were Christians since time immemorial.  

It is widely held that when the missionaries came to Melanesia, they brought good news to our people and began the process of Christianising our ancestors.  

This is not true, the missionaries did  not  introduce the concept of  god. 

They came to enlighten the concept of Christian god which already existed in our society. 

Our ancestors are spiritual people in that they acknowledged and believed in the concept of innate being or the superior force.

The God  of   Israel  or the Christian’s god is the same god that our ancestors referred to as supreme being or the infinite figure.  

Cultural carvings depicting certain figures like the god of thunder or the god of mountains are attempts to provide explanation to forces that are incomprehensible to their mind. 

However, their interpretation falls short in pursuit of higher authority because of the limited knowledge they have in discussing ontological discourse. 

Cultural carvings and images are the expression of cultural beliefs and lives of the people.  

To condemn our ancestral beliefs as pagan is rationally flawed. 

Unlike Greeks, our ancestors tried to explain divine force at work but were limited in metaphysical and rational knowledge. 

A spiritual change is not to do with institutional or physical changes. 

Destroying of cultural artefacts in the name of spiritual change will not even change a person. It is the person that changes and the transformation comes from our inner being. 

Please reform the mind and hearts of  all  political  leaders  and it will trickle  down to small people like us.

When the just rules, the people rejoice.

James Pepi

Port Moresby