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Pastor Louis Wade, I Want My Country Back Movement “It is very clear to us that there is a process for that; but he should do the honourable thing and resign. We cannot have a Senator who committed to other Senators, who claims to be committed to anti-corruption – we say ‘a bird in […]
Written on September 1, 2016 | Posted in
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Pastor Rocke heads the Lake Independence Baptist Church and is a member of the Belize Association of Evangelical Churches, which suffered a big split around the time of the November general election. Rocke had reached accommodation with the National Evangelical Association of Belize which saw its majority of pastors tossed out. But today, Wade says […]
With mounting pressure for his removal, Senator Rocke issued a statement this afternoon to say that his actions at Wednesday’s Senate sitting, though unpopular, are for the greater good of Belize and that he did not go against the Church, but that he sided with the country. Rocke says that he found more comfort in […]
Another round of protest has been scheduled for Friday in Belmopan where COLA and the Evangelical churches are set to demonstrate in front of the Assembly Building. Organizers have secured a permit to allow for a peaceful gathering of worshipers at Independence Plaza to voice their discontent with government’s position not to appeal the Section […]
Independence Hill on Belmopan felt the wrath and fury of the evangelical movement this morning. About a thousand strong, protesters from all over the country came out against the recent decision of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin on Section Fifty-three of the Criminal Code. Government has decided that it will not appeal the ruling which criminalized […]
Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action, COLA, shares the same position that the Church has taken where it concerns the preservation of Section Fifty-three of the Criminal Code. While the grassroots organization was never an interested party in the extended litigation, it has remained in the Church’s corner since it joined government in defending that […]
Interestingly, Brackett makes the comparison that government has moved with haste to state that it will not appeal the Section Fifty-three judgment, while it has gone to great pains in challenging the Maya people at every turn where it concerns communal land rights. Geovanni Brackett, President, COLA “The government is very unfair because they […]
There was no weekly Cabinet meeting today since Prime Minister Barrow is presently out of the country. In fact, all was quiet on Independence Hill this morning, save for a multitude of roughly one thousand churchgoers who converged on the plaza below to voice their discontent with government. The flood of worshipers came from various […]
A decision on the constitutional challenge brought before the Supreme Court by Belizean gay rights activist Caleb Orozco, on the legality of Section Fifty-three of the Criminal Code, was delivered by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin last Wednesday. The ruling in favor of Orozco serves to further polarize an already divided society on the controversial issue. […]
Written on August 15, 2016 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Will A Referendum Be Held on Supreme Court’s Section 53 Decision?
It’s been several months since a Senate Meeting has been held, despite several incidents of national importance; including, the B.T.L. Arbitration Award, the state of the economy, surging crime and the saga of William “Danny” Mason and his alleged connections with U.D.P. ministers. But at today’s senate meeting, Opposition Senator Valerie Woods recognized the ruling […]
But one social partner that does not support the ruling is the Council of Churches. Senator Ashley Rocke says that the concern is how the amendment to the law will affect children. Ashley Rocke, Senator for Churches “The concern is that now that the ruling has been made and it is the government […]
At the political level, there is tension between Belize and Guatemala as relations deteriorate over Guatemala’s assertion that it owns the Sarstoon. But over the weekend, you would not have known that. Evangelical pastors from Belize and Guatemala converged at the border to pray for peace; it all happened in front of the O.A.S. Office […]
Written on May 30, 2016 | Posted in
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The Belize Council of Churches is weighing in on the Belize/Guatemala differendum and has issued a statement in support of a peaceful solution to the enduring territorial dispute. The position taken by the church is a bit overdue since other social partners, including the unions and the business community, have contributed to the ongoing public […]
Last weekend, Guatemalan Archbishop Oscar Julio Vian openly spoke out against the government of President Jimmy Morales for seeking to use the territorial claim as a smokescreen to divert attention away from issues that are plaguing Guatemala. It is a sentiment that is shared by others in that country. Nonetheless, the membership of the Belize […]
Written on May 20, 2016 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Belize/Guatemala Clergy Seeks to Broker the Peace
The church is somewhat late in joining this national conversation, but what is the impetus behind a need for it to weigh in on Belize and Guatemala? According to Bishop Phillip Wright, recent events within the Chiquibul Forest and along the Sarstoon River have prompted the council to formulate a position. That opinion also includes […]
The Asian community being an integral part of Belize’s social fabric, along with its involvement in the private sector, we asked a representative of the Belize Chinese Christian Mission to share the concerns of the community on the territorial dispute. Fred Hsu, Belize Chinese Christian Mission “The Asian community, we need more education on […]
Written on May 20, 2016 | Posted in
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The firestorm that erupted in the wake of inflammatory comments made by Pastor Scott Stirm about Garifuna spirituality has since died down. However, the issue is very much alive within the wider Belizean community. This morning, at a press conference held to commemorate the anniversary of the two hundred and nineteenth arrival of the Garinagu […]
Written on April 12, 2016 | Posted in
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Comments Off on NGC Responds to Comments on Garifuna Spirituality
Father Matthew Ruhl, a Jesuit priest at Saint Martin’s Parish in Belize City, has been quite vocal in his support of Garifuna spirituality. He draws a parallel between Catholicism and its belief in the Resurrection to that of the Garinagu and the communion with the spirits of their ancestors. The comparison comes in the wake […]
Written on April 5, 2016 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Catholic Priest Speaks on Garifuna Spirituality
Over the weekend, Father Matt delivered a rousing homily during the Sunday Mass. The religious lecture touched on everything, including recent statements made against the Dugu ceremony. Isani Cayetano “Now you delivered a rather powerful homily on Sunday discussing this very same issue. In terms of the reception from your congregation, I’m almost certain […]
Written on April 5, 2016 | Posted in
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The Dugu ceremony is performed in Garifuna culture as a form of spiritual healing. It is very rare that the ceremony can be captured by cameras but back in 1989, Great Belize Productions was allowed to video the ceremony. We went back to our archives and tonight we look at a Mali, which is part […]
Written on April 5, 2016 | Posted in
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Comments Off on A Look Back at a Traditional Garifuna Ceremony
Debate continues to rage over remarks made by Evangelist Pastor Scott Stirm eight months ago comparing the Garifuna dugu ceremony to witchcraft. Scott has issued a light-hearted apology which has been flatly rejected by the National Garifuna Council. But last week, the National Evangelical Association of Belize came out in full support of Stirm at […]
Written on April 4, 2016 | Posted in
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Appalling remarks made by Pastor Scott Stirm during his testimonial abroad continue to reverberate across the Garifuna community, in Belize and in the Diaspora. While he has been candid in his convictions, as well as his perspective on the Dugu ceremony, Stirm’s description of the sacred ritual as witchcraft has raised the ire of many, […]
Written on April 4, 2016 | Posted in
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Tonight, Pastor Scott Stirm remains in the eye of a storm for disparaging comments he made that have enraged the Garifuna community and other sectors. Stirm is well-known as a vocal and passionate advocate on a number of issues, including his stance against same sex relationships. This time, however, he’s seemingly taken aim at Garifuna […]
Written on April 1, 2016 | Posted in
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Today, the association held a press conference to clarify those statements, saying that it is not against the Garifuna culture or its people, but against the spiritual practices and beliefs of the Garinagu. Now the dugu, a world renowned spiritual practice of the Garifuna people, to honor the spirit of their loved ones who have […]
Written on April 1, 2016 | Posted in
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On March thirtieth, Stirm issued a release as a reaction to a letter from the National Garifuna Council. In his response, Stirm says that the video was manipulatively edited and posted on social media to discredit his character due to his strong stance that he and other church leaders have taken against moral and social […]
Written on April 1, 2016 | Posted in
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