Men of the cloth discuss moral,
social issues with government
PHILIPSBURG--Representatives of Saint Martin United Ministerial Foundation, the St. Maarten/Saint Martin Christian Council and the Seventh Day Adventist churches met with Island Council members of Democratic Party on Tuesday and discussed religious, moral and social issues related to the community of St. Maarten.
The groups expressed concern over brothels, saying they were against prostitution and believed there were too many brothels on the island. They also said these “houses of ill repute on St. Maarten,” in their opinion, brought with them female exploitation and human trafficking.
The ministers expressed a general concern about adult entertainment, exploitation of women, noise pollution from the proliferation of bars, public nudity, gambling, same-sex marriage, the colonial and anti-Caribbean nature of the Franco-Dutch Treaty, updating and revision of some of the outdated ordinances that regulate morality in the community such as the police ordinance and the movie ordinance, prayer before Island Council meetings, and religious education in schools.
The Christian Council also expressed its concern over many laws it thought needed to be revised to adapt to the 21st century. It also sees the need for a dress code in public and need to address in this ordinance the use of obscene language in public.
According to a release, “Tourists walk our streets and enter public places as if they were on the beach. Moreover, our beaches are becoming nude beaches. Parents can’t even take their children to the beach without their children being exposed to all types of nudity. Tourists have even taken nudity to our public streets and other public places in skimpy outfits.” According to the clergy, other islands advise tourists how to dress and St. Maarten should do the same.
They also requested that representatives of the Christian community be part of a committee to deal with the revision process.
The release stated, “The Executive Council agreed with the claims concerning the outdated ordinances and promised to include the clergy in the revision of these ordinances.”
The release also stated that the clergy had expressed great concern about the proliferation of bars, especially on A.Th. Illidge Road and in residential areas, and the noise pollution caused by these bars.
In reaction to this, the Executive Council reportedly agreed with the ministers, but said its hands were tied due to the shortage of police manpower to carry out adequate control in the prostitution houses and bars.
Attending the meeting on behalf of the governing faction were Leader of Government Commissioner Sarah Wescot-Williams, Commissioner Maria Buncamper-Molanus, Commissioner Roy Marlin and Domestic Committee Chairman Leroy de Weever.
