We also took the opportunity to ask the Attorney General about the harsh criticism from the National Evangelical Association of Belize. These pastors believed that GOB completely ignored their objections, and the opposition of others who think that decriminalization is a mistake.
Peyrefitte pulled no punches when he responded saying that this was not a unilateral decision, as NEAB is suggesting it to be:
Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General
"Let me be very calm. I'll try to be very calm about the church the way I try very hard to be calm about the CCJ. Given what the church has been found guilty of in recent years - I think priests and pastors have no moral authority to try and judge anybody out here who wants to smoke marijuana. They just object for object sake."
Daniel Ortiz, reporter
"They suggest in their press conference a few days ago that the government ignored their packet in where 200 plus pastors voiced their discontent. Is that true?"
Hon. Michael Peyrefitte
"Daniel, let me stop you. They are pastors in their churches. They need to go preach in their churches. If you want to make legislation pastors, you put your name on a ballot, you run for office. If your party wins and you get into cabinet or you're the prime minister or a majority in the house, then you can pass whatever law you want to pass."
"You are a pastor, be a pastor. You want to be a law maker, then you come and you be a law maker. You offer yourself to the people. Of course we listen to what they said. We listen to what everybody had to say, but at the end of the day, as the law makers, the members of the house, the members of the senate had to then come up with what was best for everybody and for those who want to yelled and talk from the cheap seats, come down, put your name on a ballot, run for office and then you can pass the laws you want or repeal the law that we just passed. Until then just shut up."
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