Christians In Cayman Islands Express Concern Over Bill of Rights Proposal

In the Cayman Islands, the Government has proposed a Bill of Rights for the country. Cayman Compass reported yesterday however that there is growing concern over the impact of the proposal on the country's traditional Christian heritage. Human Rights Committee deputy chair, Vaughan Carter, responding to those concerns, said last week that "Human rights principles and the inclusion of rights of religion for all people do not prohibit the recognition of Christmas, the [right for schools to hold] nativity plays or for aspects of Christianity to happen in schools." He said the government is not proposing U.S.-style separation of church and state. He also said that the definition of marriage should not be in the Constitution, but instead left to religious groups. The HRC is expected to release its position on the Government’s proposal later this week. Earlier this month, over a dozen Cayman clergy attended a meeting called by the United Democratic Party to express their concern over the Bill of Rights proposal. (Cayman Compass, March 11).