02/10/2026
“WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CHRISTIAN PRIME MINISTER STANDS BEFORE THE WORLD AND SAYS FAITH CANNOT BE FORCED?”
“Faith that is forced is no longer faith.”
Those words were delivered by Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 27, 2026, as he called on nations to defend freedom of conscience, thought, and religion.
Marape emphasized that the strength of a religious majority should never be used to suppress a minority. He pointed to Section 45 of Papua New Guinea’s Constitution, which protects freedom of conscience, thought, and religion, and argued that even in a predominantly Christian country, genuine belief cannot be produced through legislation, fear, or persecution.
What makes the moment especially notable for many Adventists is that Marape himself is a Seventh-day Adventist. When he became prime minister in 2019, Adventist News Network reported that he was an elder of the Korobosea Seventh-day Adventist Church and had attended an Adventist secondary school.
His message at the UN was not that everyone must share his faith. In fact, it was the opposite: people should be free to believe without being forced—and the rights of those who believe differently should also be protected.
In a world where religion can sometimes become a source of division, the statement carries a simple but challenging thought:
Faith may be shared.
Faith may be preached.
Faith may be lived.
But faith cannot truly be faith when it is forced.
Religious liberty is not only about protecting people who believe as we do. It also includes protecting the freedom of those who do not.
A powerful conversation about faith, conscience, and freedom—spoken before the nations of the world.
“FAITH THAT IS FORCED IS NO LONGER FAITH.”