Last night, we told you how the National Evangelical Association of Belize closed ranks and declared its support for their Vice President, Pastor Scott Stirm. His comparison of the Garifuna's revered Dugu Ceremony to witchcraft continues to stir outrage in the Garifuna Community.
Well today, the NEAB took it a step further and called a press conference to say clearly that Stirm should be allowed to have his religious views. In his social media response to the critics, he made it clear that he has friends in the Garifuna community, and today, they joined Stirm and his Association's President at the head table.
First to speak was the leader of the fledgling organization who read a piece of scripture to drive Stirm's point home:
Pastor Lance Lewis, Pres., Nat'l Evangelical Assoc. of Belize
"In Deuteronomy 18, 10:12 says 'there shall not be found among you anyone who practices witchcraft or sayer, or who interprets omens or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells or a medium or a spirits, or one who calls upon the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the lord.' in the context of religious freedom, Garifuna, Maya, East Indian, Creole, Asian, Caucasian, African, Mestizo and within all cultural orientations in Belize, Evangelical Christians have the right to remain within the culture while simultaneously rejecting spiritual practices that contradict evangelical Christian foundations and convictions."
David Diego, Supports Pastor Scott Stirm
"I would like for you to know that I am Brother David Victor Diego Senior, one of your majesty Justice of the Peace, a preacher of the word of God and a warrior for his word and his kingdom. I am also the chairman for the Corozal Garifuna Committee Counsel, so I am glad to be here for this press conference. I thank all of you for this opportunity. For your record, I would like for you to know that I've known Pastor Scott Stirm for over 5 years now, and I have not known him to be someone who is a racist or someone who discriminates or anything of that sort."
Victor Enriquez, Garifuna Christian Pastor
"We are Christians, Garinagu. We embrace the ancestors and ancestry things, to the believers we put that aside, but to the non-believers they still believe in it and keeping it up. But you know something, it is time to break the barrier, it is time for each and every one of us Garinagu. because first of all, if you are going to tell me that after your father or your mother died, then they will come and inflict all kind of things on you, the things that they do to you while they were still alive you look at me and tell me 'that is my grandfather, that is grandmother' or 'that is my sister' or whoever? I don't think so, that's nothing but the devil."
Felipa Apolonio, Supports Pastor Scott Stirm
"My culture is the Garifuna culture, and I must say as a born again Christian, I do agree with everything pastor Scott said. The word of God will bring offence to people who don't know truth. as human beings we have choices, I chose to let go the Garifuna culture and everything else 
that is contrary to the word of God that I will live a life that will be pleasing to God and through the life I live, others will know the God that I serve."
Last to speak was Stirm himself, who read his response to the National Garifuna Council's demand that he must apologize for his comments. He did give an apology of sorts, but is he really sorry? That's what challenged him to, and here's how that went:
Pastor Scott Stirm, Apologizes To the Garifuna
"The strategic, manipulative editing of the video was clearly malicious. this is what I said, and I say it today to the National Garifuna Counsel, 'if I were to stand upon a platform of religious freedom, I would have every right to stand my ground concerning statements rooted in religious convictions as with all religious convictions in freedoms and in democracy. And I have been counseled to stand my ground. However, in my compassion and love for my dear Garifuna brothers and sisters, I willingly waive that right in order to humbly apologize for any offense that was caused by any of my words. My heart was not at all to offend and for that I sincerely apologize and I will not cease to pray for my dear Garifuna brothers and sisters'. we all offend with our mouths, not everybody will humble themselves and say 'I'm sorry if anything that I said was offensive' but I also want to say with all of my heart that I stand upon the eternal word of God and I will never ever back down from the eternal word of God. And I anybody has a problem with that, I would urge them to get on their knees and ask the one who wrote it."
Daniel Ortiz
"Do you concede that by taking this stance, you may still be stirring the issue again? Bringing more offence. Why not just leave sleeping dogs lie? The persons who will view this and say 'see he's not truly sorry about what he said'."
Pastor Scott Stirm, Apologizes To the Garifuna
"I think if we're going to talk about offence, did you just call the Garinfunas sleeping dogs? What I am saying is, I think we have all been in situations where we've said something sometimes it's the truth where we offend somebody and are we humble enough to apologize for the offense? I had no intention to offend in my heart, and if that offended somebody, I am sorry that I offended them. But the truth is still the truth."
Daniel Ortiz
"Do you accept that by trying to further your beliefs in this fashion, it would appear that there is some sort of religious supremacy?"
Pastor Scott Stirm, Apologizes To the Garifuna
"No I don't believe that. I am not, nor have I at all been bringing any kind of attack in any of this whole thing. And yet the offensive words that have been flung at me and I don't demand an apology. I think that if the heat gets too hot in the kitchen, people need to get out of the kitchen."
Stirm told the press that he suspects that the video which went viral on Facebook was publicized to discredit him. Uhm...duh.
Email
Print