The NEWS (Monrovia)
Sheriff Z. Adams
14 January 2002
Monrovia — In a rather cautious mood, President Charles Taylor has backed off from the theological debate over Jesus being God.
The President told a delegation of influential clerics at the Executive Mansion on Friday that he believes in the "holy trinity and that Jesus is Lord."
The delegation had gone to the Mansion to seek clarification from the President on his recent statement that he prays directly to God and that he does not compromise God even with Jesus Christ.
The president's statement last week appeared to have shocked the entire Christian community, prompting a theological debate as well as reaction from Christian prelates, including the outspoken Catholic Archbishop Michael Francis. During the week Archbishop Francis called on defenders of the Christian faith to excommunicate those who are denying the divinity of Jesus Christ as God.
He said it was not healthy for people who say they are Christians to argue against the "fact of Jesus being God."
A weekend release from the Executive Mansion quoted the President as saying that the meeting with members of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) was "frank and cordial." The release also noted that the prelates only wanted to seek clarification from him regarding the statements he made about Jesus not being God.
The release said the clarification was intended to put to an end the theological debate and the ongoing media propaganda war for which he (the President) "had been taken out of context."
According to the release, the clerics thanked the president for providing a clarification and urged him to remain steadfast to his faith as a Christian.
The spokesman for the clerics, LCC Secretary General Harris said the council would continue to encourage dialogue for the promotion of peace and reconciliation in the country.
In his statement on KISS Radio and TV a week ago, President Taylor said "I cannot compromise God even with Jesus Christ," emphasizing that "I put my trust in God. I am a very tough believer, I'm so tough about my beliefs about God that I don't compromise God even with Jesus Christ, I don't compromise that..."
Continuing, the President added "There are beliefs that there is one God; that Jesus is not God, he's God son . . . I don't equate God with anyone, nothing. He's Supreme, and I give my life and my all to him, so I don't worry . . . " the President said.
Clergymen have said that the question of Jesus Christ being God was undebatable in Christendom.
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