Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, has announced that the government is seeking a closer and stronger relationship with the church and he has named a Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs.
Catherine Daniel will now lead that new ministry.
In an address to the nation on Tuesday evening, Skerrit said the move was in response to calls for an incorporation of Christian values in walks of life in Dominica.
“This is in direct response to the calls by many, for a much deeper incorporation of Christian values and principles into every walk of life, including, but not limited to the functioning of government and especially in the everyday management and operation of our schools,” he stated.
He outlined some of the responsibilities of the new Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs.
“There will be a Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs and that person’s remit shall involve the strengthening of relations with the Church as well as the incorporation of religious studies and programs into all facets of the society, not least of which will be schools,” Skerrit stated. “I strongly believe that much of today’s crime and other antisocial behavior stems from a real and perceived dumbing-down of the role and involvement of the Church and related institutions, in nurturing values and influencing lifestyles and attitudes.”
The Prime Minister said he looks forward to a closer relationship between the government and church.
“I am very excited about this new construct and I look forward to a much closer and stronger relationship between the Government and the Church, and for society as a whole to benefit from the expected transformation that will be derived, therefrom,” he stated.
Be careful, my comrade. I hope you do not have in mind to make one state Church. Remember the Chuch is called out a group of people. We have failed our responsibility and mission. But we have not lost our vision. King Nabuchadanozer tried the same and he crumbled and failed. I do not want you to crumble and fail.
I doubt the am could recite the act of contrition. Heart is not right and contrite.
It is still unclear what exactly this ministry is about or why it is established at this juncture of our development. We wait and see. However, from historical times dictators in one party states have been known to utilize the church and its influence as a unifying force to enhance their political power and to sustain their reign of power.
In recent times in the US, the Republican Party hypocritically hugs religion as a means of gaining votes, a strategy that the DLP has also employed. The fact, remains that religion, not the church as we are referring to a diverse group….is already an integral part of our society and there may be no need for this deeper integration of religion and state. We hope that this ministry will bring development to Dominica.
Skerrit hiding under the church’s skirt to fool laborites as usual
The State should not be promoting any particular religion. The Prime Minister speaks of the promotion of Christian values. What about other faiths? We have Dominicans in Dominica who are Muslims and Rastafarians and other belief systems. The Prime Minister is favouring Christianity when he, as head of government, should not be favouring one religion over the other. Not in his official capacity. I hope the adherents of the other faiths speak out against this State-sanctioned discrimination which will impact them.
The Bible Teaches ” Render unto Caesar, the things that are Caesars, and unto God the things that a God’s.” Roosevelt is playing politics with God, his acts are directed by Satan. Where else than in Dominica there is a minister of Religion?
When the government puts its imprimatur on religion that government conveys a strong message of exclusion to all add-hearing to the favored.
The separation of the Church and state in a democracy has always been a philosophic concept of defining political distance in any relationship between religion, and the state. In Church and State conflict concept, largely Christians that the religious and political power in society are clearly distinct, each claiming the people’s loyalty.
When that happens we derived at that level of conflict between Church and State!
An Ecclesiastical Minister minister should not be involve into politics, he should be preaching the word of God, and not Roosevelt corrupted political ideologies to poor people…
An Ecclesiastical Minister minister should not be involve into politics, he should be preaching the word of God, and not Roosevelt corrupted political ideologies to poor people. I think that man has crossed the boundaries between Church and state.
He has now declared himself as god!
Roosevelt has corrupted the nation, there are few honest people left! Isaac is his latest victim, he has bought every so called preacher in the country commencing……………with…Bishop of Roseau. But the Almighty God Jehovah is never asleep, the five hundred thousand dollars he took from Roosevelt calming to put a roof on the house of Rome, did not help.
The House of Rome in Roseau where the pope doctrines are preached is in worst shape than it was since Erika. It is never going to recover, because there is more politics preached there than God’s words. Roosevelt can buy every corrupted priest and so called Methodist parson, they will wake up and find they have to deal with…
What do you read in the Books of 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, and the book of Judges, if it is not politics?
Why did God say about the Nation of Israel, that since they do not want Him to be their King, He will give them a human king? Why did Jesus say to Pilate: “You say it right that I am King” What is the role of a King if that role does not belong in the principle of Politics?
“The “king” combines legislative, executive, and judicial functions and royal decrees form the basis of the country’s legislation.As an absolute monarchy, the personality and capabilities of the reigning monarch influence the politics and national “POLITICS” of the country.” Google search
Whether it be a King, a President, a Prime Minister. a Governor, etcetera, their role has to be based on the concepts of Politics–take it or leave it.
You keep making a fool of yourself, even quoting the Bible; but what you fail to understand is that you are quoting them out of context. As you use Mathew 22: 21 to base your theory, claiming the Bible says, here is what it says at Romans 13: 1
“Let every person be in subjection to the Governing Authorities. “For there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God.” In other words, Jesus was simply telling the people to obey the rules and principles of the Government, just as well as they should obey God’s Laws
If you are responding to me Elizabeth, you are talking to the wrong man!
You are out of context. If God wanted to have anything to do with politics, he would not have said the things he said using Caesar as reference.
So, he give Israel a King, because they told him other nations have kings; hence they too wanted a king: what followed: Talk abut the misery some of the kings brought on the people! God gave everybody a free will, and if you want Skerrit to be your king, accept him as such.
But do come here talking nonsense, and quoting scriptures to justify Roosevelt demonic ploy which has nothing to do with the will of God!
If you want king Skerrit, when he orders you to jump over a cliff, do so if you wish, God will allow you to do so if you are more obedient to Skerrit than him!
Every scripture you quote about kings, and God, I can also quote a scripture refute you!
Papamet!!! Minister of what??? Wait a while you people in Dominica not open all you eyes??? That man called skerite now wants to control the church?? What!!! No no no that is becoming ridiculous now.. is this a dictatorship? ???
Govt. seeks closer ties with the church. Which church?
Maybe WHITCHURCH
Skerrit wants to silent the churches (or those that talk against him). This is a start of dictatorship> Dominicans wait and see soon you all will be told where and when to worship or not worship.
I think it is more that he wants to play one against the other, divide and rule because that is his style, so they all have to come running to him for favours.
Misery likes company. Everybody knows she is a Godly woman with moral and high ethical character. Judging by your standard of criticism, the company you looking for for your horrible character wont be found in Catherine. Try again. I hope she prays for you and your present state.
To shut up the priests and pastors
So instead of t-shirts reading “Thank God for Skerritt” will the next lot read “Thank Skerritt for God”?
Or ” I am God”!!
Hopefully Catherine Daniel, Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs will exhibit moral character, sound judgement and ethics in her ministry and I hope her past behaviors that demonstrated gross unchristian-like practices will not be repeated. How ironic
Jesus on DNO now commenting. Past Behaviour ????
but that sounds like a serious hater ‘gross unchristian-Like practices” you say -but where I be there ???? We Dominicans know that that Lady is one of the best people in politics and personally. With a good character …..GET BEHIND THEE SATAN … you sound like a stalker trying to ruin her good name. STOP THE HATE AND JEALOUSY
Dominica and Dominicans have always had a relationship with God. And that’s whats important. So this desperate move by this lame DLP and Skerritt is unwarranted and not called for.
Skerrit must go!
Closer ties with the church still? Well I guess now he wants their worship and devotion so that their songs of worship will be about How great Skerrit and how all the money upon a thousand hills in Dominica belongs to him and their Sermons be about how Skerrit promotion truly comes from Skerrit.. He has told them that instead of praying to Jesus they should just come to him so now he wants total devotion.
If the government is immoral then the country becomes immoral. A government is only as good as the people it is made up of. Ministers of government, more specifically the leader, must set the tone and tenor of the country. Only in Dominica a government would call a public agency Red Clinic knowing fully well what that connotes. Preposterous! The home and not the church which is the most important institution in a community. If the home is dysfunctional then the society becomes dysfunctional. We must focus more on the homes and put more emphasis on proper parenting. The church obviously is an important institution also. They can introduce parenting classes in the communities they serve. In fact, the home, church and school should closely work together in an effort to effect positive change in the community. In Dominica, politics is such a corrosive agent, that it has corrupted everything, even some churches have fallen victim.
Minister of ”Kisar” again . ?
Ok OK, and i really thought they were going to have a Minister for ”LOOTING AFFAIRS” too wee ,considering de hurricane season around the corner .
What? Cleville Mills , just have to wait still ?
and Clarance must wait when dem parrot come back , to be named ”Parrot Minister” too?
so when i come back what Ministry i going to get then ”River and Sea” because is dere i like to be ?
Did they say one of Dem 2018 Hurricane is named ”Issac” ?
Is that why everything being done in such haste .
SOMETHING SINISTER HERE .
LOOK OUT PEOPLE, LOOK OUT.
I LOOKING IN.
is for 50 days of Holiness after Easter i was told i have to behave myself .
Now allu know all my business .
This is a move straight outa hell…….real trouble ahead… The wise will understand……….
If skerrit was reading his bible he would have seen countless examples where God punished an entire nation with plagues, diseases, war, famine or some would say he allowed it to happen, because the leaders went the evil way enriched themselves, deceived the people and disobey him. Maybe maria and Erika and the rest to come is our plague and famine. We will suffer more until the laziness the deception, the lies, the false pretense with church to gain votes and influence, the back door dealings the abuse of young women for a pie in state funds to go school and the countless other devious deeds by States men who sell our sovereignty. Unless this goverment lead by the tools of the devil himself( lieas and deception) is removed Dominica will continue to suffer. Tbe reason why because we the people placed and kept them in there so we pay the price.
@Shaka Zulu April 11, 2018
Also, Erika and Maria, could the weapons by which God plans to glorify His Love in Dominica, it could be that He is prompting the Government to be in a tighter hold with Him, so that at His time of glory they will understand it, and to bestow to Him what is His. And all He wants, is the honor, the praise, and adoration, for His goodness and faithfulness to us, who are His people
There are people who think that they are sitting on a high pedestal where they are untouchable, that is the time they are taught how to humble themselves. You people need to stop ill-speaking every move of the Prime Minister, even when he speaks about God–He is watching every one of you.
God never punishes people they bring the whip upon themselves, beginning at the Garden of Eden. Adam was a perfect man before he sinned against God by the influence of Lucifer and his wife Eve. Today we are the descendants with a sinful nature
So we need a wholeeeee ministry to build ties with the church. So are there going to be people in that ministry? Like what are the positions under the minister for church affairs? of is it just a one man show.
Secondly, there are many churches, not just the catholic church, when can we get a minister for Jehovah witness affairs, because correct me if im wrong the lady is a catholic so all churches are not represented.
Maybe that’s their plan to get rid of all other churches and the Catholic Church stand alone. They need to stop mocking God!!
Really? Let’s just create ministry for all parliamentarians. What’s really going on in Dominica? You’ll couldn’t afford to discuss salary with port with workers a few weeks ago, but now can create all sorts of new ministries? Where’s the money coming from? Where’s the accountability of how tax payers money is spent? It’s time for change in Dominica. Let us give change a try.
God bless Dominica.
This is dangerous.Already the church is not doing the right things by the people to call out wrongs of this government and holding them to account, so with closer ties this means that the church will have surrendered it’s independence.The same things have happened with church and state relations during the formative years of the church and we see it happening with Trump and evangelicals, where they won’t sanction Trump despite the craziness we see since he became president.I urge the church not to go to bed with any political party but to maintain it’s independence and serve the one and only God who is not dressed in red or blue.Church be warned and don’t encourage the fallacies of the past to be visited on this blessed country of ours.
”I strongly believe that much of today’s crime and other anti social behavior stems from a real and perceived dumbing-down of the role and involvement of the Church and related institutions” said the Prime Minister ,
while he whispered on the side ”no Law , no Constitution nor Blackmoor can stop my examples .
I am astonished, especially as making less intellectually demanding and sophisticated individuals follow the instructions to call people names where ever they meet them , it can be in funerals etc. etc. as they sucking their salt not being able to question ”where de money come from”.
Baffling I say .
it gets more bizarre by the minute. Has Skerrit gone bonkers?
No, not bonkers. Just given too much power and adulation. It has gone straight to his head.
State and church should be separate. Now you have a ministry for churches. will churches and church goers be expected to owe their allegiance to the government? What are the repercussions? Government should have no say in church affairs. Which church/religion will get priority? If the minister is a catholic will catholics get more support than Methodist or 7th Day or Islam? What the hell is going on in that country? Your concern about crime etc has nothing to do with the church.
I agree. State should be separated from church. Ou constitution makes this very clear in that a Minister of the church can not also occupy a seat in parliament. If we do not uphold this we may end up with shariah type government. Not only that but which religion will be dominant in government affairs. Will the Muslim faith have parity with the Christian faith and woul the Catholic Church hold sway over other, competing religions? Many of ou new citizens are of the Muslim faith. They too may demand equal representation in parliament on religious grounds, not to mention ou rastafarians or non-believers. Would they forfeit religious representation of this kind and treated as inferior citizens? Our society is already un-united and does not need more division.
What are you talking about my friend? Hon Peter St. Jean was a pastor when he ran for office and sat as a minister. Labor changed all that boy
Food 4 thought. IT IS WRITTEN!!!
JN. 6:70-71 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71(He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
John 13:27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”
Matthew 27:3-5 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4″I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” 5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Acts 1:17-18 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his…
Has this guy lost his marbles? I guess everything is going so well that we have time to assign a minister to matters relating to the church. Is there an election on the horizon?
First this MP from Roseau South crosses the floor, now we have a minister of church.
Un-freaking-believable!!
Roseau Central Sir not Roseau South we not in Skerrit Margee
So Skerrit is not satisfied with the sale of the church so he wants to completely own the church of God? Because of his hypocrisy and the hypocrisy of the church, he created a minister of ECCLESIASTES? This newly formed ministry is no doubt Skerrit’s way of mocking the church because he knows to well what the church went through when JUDAS ISCARIOT betrayed Jesus Christ, during Easter. So in essence, Skerrit formed the Ministry of Ecclesiastical in memory of, and to accommodate Judas Iscarriot. But Skerrit, the author of the great book of Ecclesiastes is “The Preacher” whom voice you have silenced in Dominica and, the key word in the great book of Ecclesiastes is “VAIN”, which means futility and the key message of Ecclesiastes is, “REMEMBER God, because nothing lasts forever. So enjoy your mischief and deception while you have breath Mr. Skerrit
Isn’t church and state supposed to be separate????
But I will be honest Skerrit is one smart mofo…. has there been such a Ministry ever in history?
When a survey is done and your popularity is at an all time low, plead your cause to the dumb, deaf and mute churches who leaders are at awaiting their turn to be served a slight of the pie.
Skerrit forgot to name minister for judicial interference. After all he already decides what goes in the court why not make it official. As for the ecclesiastic affairs Minister he already all up in there; Bishop, Pastors yo tout dayjar payyeh pour. (Excuse the spelling.)