~ Brissett claims vilification of church ~
PHILIPSBURG--There will be no separation of church and state in St. Maarten, said Commissioners Frans Richardson and Hyacinth Richardson, both of the National Alliance, on Saturday.
Their remarks, which are considered controversial, were made during the ground-breaking ceremony Saturday for the construction of a Methodist chapel in Belvedere – a project the National Alliance/Heyliger Island Government plans to fund to the tune of some NAf. 500,000 that is already attracting much controversy in the community.
"There shall be no separation of church and state in St. Maarten, as there will be no separation of God from man," Commissioner of Health, Labour and Youth Hyacinth Richardson told the gathering.
His colleague Commissioner of Tourism, Economic Development and Sports Frans Richardson argued that St. Maarten should not be "influenced by the outside world" that practises separation of church and state.
He said if persons understood and remembered what it was like to grow up in St. Maarten and realise what the people held dear, there would be no talk of church and state separation.
"If government officials can ask the clergy to come and pray for them, why not build the temple?" Frans Richardson asked.
He said the people of St. Maarten were a people of devotion who were accustomed to having their places of worship in close proximity to their homes. "An additional place of worship is never too much with all that's going on in society," he said, adding that he had shed tears when he read what he said were the negative reports surrounding the plans for building the church.
The commissioner explained that a sports field would be built on the property originally identified for building the church and said he looked forward to seeing the church and the managers of the field develop programmes to benefit the youth in the area.
The concept of separation of church and state is a political and legal doctrine that ensures government and religious institutions are to be kept separate and independent from each other. The term most often refers to the combination of two principles: secularity of government and freedom of religious exercise or, in other words, to keep government of church business and the church out of government business.
Reverend Lloyd Brissett of the Methodist Church lamented that plans for the construction of the church were, in his opinion, being castigated, persecuted and vilified in the media. He said the project was being treated like "political football." Contending that brothels and casinos were being built "daily," he said that if the project had been for a brothel or a casino, the reports would not have been negative.
He said it was a shame that a house of God was receiving negative press responses. He said the "poor, struggling Methodist congregation of Belvedere has been struggling for 10 years" to have the project realised. Even if government does not provide the financing, he said, the Methodist church will construct the chapel anyway, because the land has been secured in long lease.
Leader of Government Commissioner William Marlin shed some light on the project by stating that funding would be derived from the budget of the Tourism Department, confirming The Daily Herald's report in Saturday's edition.
Marlin also expressed dismay about the publicity surrounding the project, describing it as "unwarranted." He said there were persons in the community who would "stop at nothing to attack the realisation of the project."
"As the government, we have given this project our full support. We have to support the church as they continue their good work in the community," Marlin said.
The issue came under public scrutiny when it was disclosed that government would spend 500,000 guilders to construct the church.
Church leaders had begun construction and renovation of a structure at a location designated for a new sports field in the district. The group had never secured a permit for that construction or renovation and had not received permission from the Executive Council.
The group responsible for the new church had committed funds to the project by the time a building stop and demolition order were issued by the Island Government. Reportedly, the group had committed about US $50,000, much less than the 500,000 guilders Commissioner Frans Richardson said would be made available as compensation for a government "oversight."
Former commissioner Democratic Party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams had assisted the church by securing the current property to be used for the chapel. The controversy arose when the current Executive Council decided to add to that assistance by contributing funds to construct the chapel.
The financing for the church has yet to be approved by the Finance Department of the Island Government and, although the ground was broken on Saturday to commence building, construction will not start immediately, as no permit has been approved or granted by the Executive Council.
