Arthur ... It (Church) is a constitutional necessity.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Charting a future path for Barbados along the moral high ground, Prime Minister Owen Arthur yesterday said the Church and religion would be central to decisions his administration makes, including on contentions issues such as same-sex relations and prostitution.

Arthur assured church leaders, social commentators and members of civil society gathered for a one-day national consultation of societal issues that Barbados will not be following the lead of some countries which have removed God and Christianity from a central place in the decision-making process of their democracies.

"Barbados is one of those countries in the world which is not ambiguous about the role that the Church and religion must play in our community. In some other countries, it is a great discussion, but for us it is a constitutional necessity.

Holding moral ground

"Our constitution speaks of a nation that recognises the supremacy of God, hence there is an important role for the Church to play in sustaining and supporting its constitutional role," Arthur said at the event which was organised as part of this week's observance of the country's 40th independence anniversary.

"The Church has a vital role to play. It is at the centre of life for most Barbadians, it has a vital role to play in bringing the spiritual, moral and practical role to play in issues that affect all of us," the Prime Minister added.

With some members of the medical community calling for the decriminalisation of homosexuality and prostitution as part of the strategy to fight the discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS, Arthur said the Church, government and civil society had to find a moral and ethical way to deal with these public health issues.

"A society that promotes that any number can play is a society that will disintegrate into chaos," Arthur said.

He acknowledged that the issues which simultaneously raise ethical and moral issues along with complex public health issues were likely to be among the most potentially divisive, but maintained that "the path of ignoble gain" should be avoided.