Published:
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Yvonne Baboolal
Attorney Randolph Hector talks on religious liberty at the Tacarigua SDA church last Saturday.
As the Government sets the stage for constitutional reform, the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) church is urging its membership to be mindful of any possible changes that may be made in the area of religious liberty. The reminder is coming from the church’s Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Association (PARL). The association sent out a media release earlier this week on the celebration of PARL Day last Saturday by SDA churches across T&T.
Oswald J Pierre, PARL leader of the Tacarigua church and Assistant Secretary General of the Caribbean Religious Liberty Association (CARLA) told the T&T Guardian religious liberty and the freedom to worship according to one’s faith is enshrined in T&T’s Constitution. Based on global trends, however, he is warning local members to be watchful of any coming changes.
Pierre recalled that in the 1800s there was an attempt in the US to establish a national Sunday law but it was defeated. He warned there is another attempt to institute the law which will affect SDA members whose Sabbath day is Saturday. “While there is no threat to religious liberty in T&T, in the US there is a push to change the constitution to allow churches and religious organisations more control,” he observed.
Pierre said there was a religious liberty threat in Barbados recently but it was resolved with the Shop Steward Act. He said even in T&T, SDA members have reported of instances where their constitutionally enshrined freedom to worship on Saturdays was under threat. Arouca/Maloney MP Alicia Charles, who attended the Tacarigua SDA church’s celebration of PARL Day last Saturday reminded the congregation of the tremendous blessings of religious liberty and the provisions in T&T’s Constitution that allow freedom of worship for all.
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