GOATS UNDER SHEEP’S CLOTH

Lucas Kiap

By Lucas Kiap

People in this country too often become so focused with their Christian beliefs that they spare little time to attend to pressing issues affect their lives, contradicting what they believe or preach. Like for example, the Bible Proverbs says that when the wicked rules the people suffers but when the righteous rules, the people rejoice in happiness. 

If you take a ride to the parliament house, before the roundabout at Gordons, there is a big signboard printed with this bible verses – clearly telling us that the wicked are ruling the nation and we are suffering. Why should we continue to suffer in a country if our leaders are God fearing? Literally, our Christian faith is tested beyond doubt that we are hypocrites – not confessing the truth that the wicked are ruling this nation. 

The signs of a corrupt regime in a resource rich country are everywhere. Lack of basic government services, high unemployment, high cost of living, high infant and maternal mortality rates, increasing law and order problems, prostitution, poverty and AIDS epidemic are a clear indication of such a corrupt regime over the history of this great nation. 

In 21st August, 2008 the Post Courier run a story of a Senior Pastor urging the people of Papua New Guinea to give Sir Michael a break so that he could dedicate the country to the Lord. It was a continuity of an event Sir Michael created history as the first national leader of his caliber when he dedicated the country to God in 2007. I agree with the Pastor’s line of thinking as a servant of God at a time when we really need God’s answers to our ever-increasing problems. However, there is a contradiction – if you look at the Political Career of Sir Michael Somare, he spent more than frothy years in active politics. During those years, where was this Pastor or Sir Michael? May be the Pastor was still in Satan’s kingdom and Sir Michael was too busy with politics that he did not have the time to dedicate this country to God. 

The Pastor has been aware or not before making such comments is a matter of deep concern that needs fully examined. He made the comments at a time when Sir Michael has been implicated in many serious allegations of misconduct in office. The Pastor’s comments will portray Sir Michael as a God-fearing man, who does not make mistakes - making a way out for him to escape the serious allegations of misconduct in office. 

If you look at this situation, the Christian faith in this country has far too long been twisted to undermine the truth and as a result been an impediment for justice to take its natural course. People always commit serious crimes unnoticed and when exposed, they take cover under the Christian faith and its followers. Absolutely we are hypocrites who believe not in God but who use the Christian faith cover up our sins.