So, I have been following the Belize news, specifically regarding the push by the Church to force a referendum on the decision on whether to legalize marijuana or not, which is a done deal by the government. Apparently, the Church, led by Rev. Wade and Bishop Benguche (no relation to me, thankfully) is spearheading the illegitimate assault on the process of governing. First off, I want to inform these two men of the cloth that they are surpassing their duties by meddling in government business. In the vernacular of Belize Creole, I advise, “mind yo own business”. The Church has no business meddling in the process that determines the law of the land. That responsibility is the sole responsibility of the duly elected government of a democratic country.
The Church is not an arm of the government. The Church needs to stay in its own lane and stick to the edict that outlines their responsibility, which is baptizing those who so desire, ministering to the sick and poor, and preparing souls to enter the kingdom of Heaven. In most countries, the separation of church and state is explicit for obvious reasons; consider the governments of Iran and Israel. If it were left to the Church, burning at the stake of non-believers would probably still occur, Galileo may have never contributed to the discovery of the New World; movies would still be censored. In Belize, the government does not interfere in Church business, and reciprocally the Church should not interfere with government business.
The Bible provides a clear example of this when the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus into meddling in politics. Jesus told them, “render onto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and render onto God the things that are God’s”. The Church has no business immersing themselves in politics. The legislation of marijuana is complex; regardless of the pros and cons on this issue, it is not the Church’s business whether to legalize marijuana or not. My purpose in this essay is not to argue the pros and cons of marijuana. My issue is with the Church overstepping their edict. The Church should be concerned with policing themselves and getting rid of the pedophiles and sodomites in their midst. They should stick to their hustle of living large.
When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai, he recorded his experience in Exodus 20. There was smoke, fire, a burning bush, lightening and the blasts of trumpets. I wonder what Moses was smoking. I challenge the Church leaders in Belize and their opaque handlers to hold a joint session before they parade themselves as holier than thou. Perhaps too, like Moses, God will reveal a vision to them to include with their twenty-thousand signatures they have collected, ostensibly to influence a vote on the legalization of marijuana.
What would Jesus’ position be on marijuana? So, Jesus was partying with his disciples at a wedding in Cana. Everyone was having a good time, and they ran out of wine. Jesus, seeing the dilemma, refilled the jugs with vintage wine, and the party continued. Based on this story, it is my opinion that Jesus would have no problem when people nice-up themselves. Take heed, Rev. Wade and Bishop Benguche. Le lah Caesario, lah Caesario. Praise be to the Almighty for his gift of life and the holy sacrament of the Ganja.
Itarala,
Moses X [email protected]