One notable finding highlighted in the 57-page Pacific Attitudes Survey is the need for the Government to consult the Churches when making decisions that affect denominations.
The survey was developed in partnership with researchers from The Australian National University’s Department of Pacific Affairs and the Swinburne University of Technology and was piloted in Samoa from December 2020 to January 2021 with the assistance of the National University of Samoa.
“The view that the ‘the government should consult the Church when making laws’ was supported by nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents. This represents a fairly emphatic rejection of secularism. It is, however, unsurprising in the Pacific context, where several countries have placed specific religious references in their constitutions.
This is not to suggest that the relationship between Church and state in Samoa is a simple or unidirectional one. These relationships are often
uneasy and adversarial in Samoa and one has a relative impact on the other in the formation of public opinion, particularly in relation to whether issues are perceived as secular or religious, political or moral concerns.”
The recent imposition of taxes on the faifeau (clergy) and the head of state with the introduction of the Income Tax Amendment Bill in 2017 is a case in point.
The issue caused much public controversy and resulted in defiant pastors from the EFKS – CCCS (Ekalesia Faalapotopotoga Kerisiano I Samoa – Congregational Christian Church of Samoa) facing court action (2017, 2021). Such publicly displayed tensions between the Church and the state can influence participants’ responses.
