Trinidad and Tobago is no longer a Christian State. This was the view of Roman Catholic priest Father Clyde Harvey who spoke at panel discussion hosted by the University of the Southern Caribbean on Religion, Politics and the Public Good. “We are no longer a Christian nation where church and state is what religion and politics mean. I am always a little bit uneasy when we Christians talk church and think that mosque and temple are understood but there are people who are in the mosque and Temple who deeply resent it,” Harvey said.
Historically, Harvey said, church—particularly the Roman Catholic church—and state were dependent on each other to either guide the leaders or to control the people, particularly enslaved Africans. However, as the nation grew to accept different religious beliefs, the notion of what informs the nation also changed.
“We have moved through history and when we began in 1956 with our own nationalist movement what we saw was a slow awakening of the multiplicity that we now experience of which one of the dangers of this conversation we are having now is that we may ignore that multiplicity completely,” he said. The separation of church and state has always been a point of conversation when the topic of religion’s involvement in politics.
“When we come to talk religion and politics we have come through the last 50 years as a journey that is absolutely marvelous for me although I am a committed and believing Christian because I think we are coming through truth in a way that we are not in that truth before,” he said. Harvey said the country must be a secular state to fairly represent the people.
“I believe that the Government of this country must be secular. They must inspire and represent those who believe in different beliefs, and those who choose not to believe,” he said. Harvey added that the Roman Catholic church takes the position that it should not be involved in partisan government. He restated his point that religious organisations should not accept money from the government for religious celebrations. “If you want to celebrate your festival then fund it yourself. I must celebrate Christmas my own way,” he said.
Along with Harvey, members of the discussion panel included Minister of National Diversity Rodger Samuel, who is an ordained Full Gospel minister, and People’s National Movement (PNM) PRO Faris Al-Rawi. Samuel did not agree with Harvey. He said there should not be a division between church and state as the politician must be guided by the morality religion provides.
Al-Rawi, who said his family represents the multi-religious demographic Harvey described, said religion must be more relevant in the society, and politics and religion must be an advocacy group for the society. He said politicians must have a moral and ethical manner to guide them, and the cliche idea that politics has a moral code of its own must be discarded.