An interesting call was made by a church leader on Wednesday when he told the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) to offer the $1000 only to babies whose parents are married and not to those born out of wedlock.

Reverend Tusi Pou Tuigamala’s viewpoint is subject to interpretation. Was he trying to say that the church views babies born out of wedlock as sinful and therefore not recognised by the church? Or was he saying that there could be an abuse of the $1000 election promise? If he means the former, then he is already setting an example of why church and politics need to be separate. It would be rather dangerous and concerning if he pushes this belief in his church and does not allow those born out of wedlock to pray in his church. Unlike the reverend, everyone is equal before the government, so says our revered Constitution.

Even the holy book, the King James Version, in Psalms 127:3 states, “Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” The Bible does not condemn children born out of wedlock, but it does address the actions that lead to such births, namely, premarital sex, which is considered fornication. The Bible emphasises that every human being is created in God's image and has inherent worth, regardless of their circumstances of birth. Salvation is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ, repent of their sins, and follow Him. So, when the reverend from Savaii talks about viewing this through a spiritual lens and calls it a sacred matter, what exactly is he talking about? He is definitely not quoting the good book.

This is a perfect example of how the words of a church leader can be taken as the truth. Just because he leads a church, it does not mean that his words can go unchallenged. As a church leader, he hopes he realises the discriminatory nature of what he has said. We hope the church elders put a spiritual lens on the reverend. If he can publicly make such statements and discriminate against children, what else is he saying that does not go in line with the bible and Christian principles? It is worth a check.

The churches in Samoa have a deeply rooted responsibility in nation-building. They must foster Christian values in the communities they serve, but should ensure they do not get involved in politics. Churches can play an integral role in building a good society. They have the power to guide people, promote non-violence, deter people from crime and greed, and urge leaders to be transparent and accountable.

This nation faces an array of social problems which the churches can help eliminate. Most churches need to recognise the financial circumstances of families and the obligations that they have been required to meet. People should not be obligated to go beyond their means. As a result of the many obligations, we have seen it impact education, nutrition, and mental status and even give rise to violence within households.

The churches need to closely look at education and how they can ensure that every child in this country has access to quality and affordable education. They can very easily do this by exempting fees for children whose parents earn below a certain threshold. Education is the way forward.

Pope Benedict has said that the church has three basic jobs: to care for the poor, to evangelise, and to worship. That would mean in an ideal world that everyone not only reads the Bible but also walks the path of a good Christian. If that were to happen, there would be no need for a prison. There would be no Campus of Hope where abused women and children are taking shelter. We would need not worry about the escalating meth issue that is slowly eating away at our societal values. But that is not the case.

Churches have their work cut out for them. And it does not include discrimination against newborn babies.