IT IS better that the constitution declare Fiji a Christian state rather than a secular state.
This was one of the submissions made to the Constitution Commission by former prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka at the parliamentary complex last Friday.
Mr Rabuka said Section 7 of the 1997 Constitution clearly stated religion and the state were separate and that the people of Fiji acknowledged that worship and reverence of God were the source of good governance and leadership.
"Sadly, both religion and the state have crossed the separation line, religion represented by some Christian denominations have tried to interfere in the functions of the State, and conversely the State has interfered in some functions of the Methodist Church," he said.
Mr Rabuka submitted to the commission that declaring Fiji a secular state would have its disadvantages also, similar to declaring it a Christian state.
He said that the Bose Levu Vakaturaga had been a part of the custom of the land and preceded any codified council or consultative assembly in Fiji.