WE have again returned to one of those seasons when it is time for the bashing of the Church. It may not have come to the attention of some persons that this is a cyclical process. In-between these cyclical moments, the Church and her message are of little interest and receive little or no media attention, and those who are responsible for the periodic highlight of the Church pay no attention to its documented teaching or to the message which is proclaimed on myriad pulpits weekly.

Indeed, those who become the chief spokespersons for the Church-bashing exercise have consistently and deliberately created confusion in the minds of people as to whether they are talking about the "churches" or the "Church" in their escapades.

We live in an age in which much of the information coming to us through the various channels of mass media, come to us as "sound bytes". We are presented with a news item concerning a significant development in the world in just a few sentences; or the speech given by someone on an important issue is surgically carved so that one sentence is lifted from the original context and is presented as the essence of what the speaker said.

In a similar manner, it is clear that much of what is quoted as the Church's position on certain issues is based on some form of "sound byte" coming from some pastoral figure within the Christian community, however obscure. Likewise the label "Church" is used in criticising what the speaker understands by Christian teaching, when in fact, what one is speaking about is the "church or churches".

It may be helpful to point out here that "Church", written with a capital "C", refers to a universal reality which encompasses all the people of God and is not limited to any single denomination, while church, written with a common "c", refers to the various expressions of the "Church" in their denominational or national expressions.

The cyclical focus and bashing of the Church usually takes place when the nation is facing a particularly challenging moment, such as we are now with the difficulties confronting our economy, and there is need for determining how we shall address this concern. There is no question that the situation before us does not only require tremendous creativity and decisive action on the part of Government as it seeks to address the economic problems, but the whole nation is faced with the challenge as to how we will grow the economy.

The productive and entrepreneurial sectors seem to be deficient when it comes to creative ideas that can mobilise the resourcefulness of this country, and so many of the leading business houses are primarily sourcing cheap goods produced in other parts of the world and becoming mere traders, rather than producers who generate jobs within the nation.

In that context, there is always plenty of blame to go round. In the absence of creative thinking, there are always advocates for a platform who see Government-sponsored gambling as the solution to our problem. The casino lobby has been very active each time there is a discussion of how we shall grow our tourism product. It has still not come to fruition, and yet the product continues to grow, demonstrating that this is not the key to developing the competitive edge which this country holds.

When a week ago I passed by the port in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, and again saw some six cruise ships present on the island in one day, and I reflected on the limited product and possibilities which that island has to offer in comparison to my own country, I can only cringe at the thought of the untapped potential that this country continues to lay dormant, in the misguided notion that casinos hold the key to the solution. Nevertheless, I believe that we will see casinos in short order in this country, as the advocates have the power and influence, even if lacking in creative foresight.

Now that the country is grappling with what at times seems like the darkness, the big debate has centred on horse racing on Sundays and the city of Kingston developing its own brand of lottery. These are the strategies which are supposed to generate the economic activity as part of the way forward for the development of the city and the nation.

On the matter of whether Sunday is an appropriate day for conducting horse racing, I would simply say that we live in a pluralistic society in which the churches cannot seek to legislate what all citizens do, and people will go to church on a Sunday if they want to, regardless of what diversions exist. Therefore, the churches' strategy must be based on persuasion rather than legislation.

The broader question which I believe is of concern to the churches is the morality and credibility of these forms of gambling as the way to grow our economy. There are various statements and studies which have been issued by churches and other religious bodies and which have never been read or just ignored by those who find the positions articulated by the churches repugnant. How will a city lottery help to grow the Gross Domestic Product of this country? A city lottery simply takes the money already in circulation among the poor people — who in their desperation, hope to win big and to relieve the plight of their poverty — and then circulate it within the economy.

It may allow the city authorities to raise some additional funds from the same people who have already been overtaxed, in order to be able to carry out some projects, but how does that take the country forward at this point? The nation is already becoming a people of vendors, all peddling things bought from cheap sources abroad, circulating the wealth that already exists, but generating no new injection of wealth into the society.

Likewise, when one walks along the street one hears poor people talking about their experience of playing the various forms of lottery which exist at the moment and declaring that "chiney man play yesterday so it nah play today, probably parson a go play today". People are duped into thinking that there is a science to these activities, and if they apply their creative abilities to it they will be winners, without realising that they have been handed an opiate.

Additionally, it is a good learning experience to pass the outlets and to see who are forming those long lines to purchase tickets. The people who have money, or who will earn from their investment in the ownership and management of these schemes are not joining those lines. The fact of the matter is that this country needs all hands aboard for a creative effort to increase production, create new wealth, and help to pull this country out of the debt-ridden crisis in which it finds itself. The country will not advance without growing the economy and not tinkering with schemes that dupe people into thinking that something is happening and their situation is getting better.

This society is facing a moral crisis, even as many of us believe that it is a crisis to be defined in terms of crime and violence and to be solved by the Government and the police. When human beings can be so depraved that they can behead each other; trap men, women and children in their home while they set the place on fire; and when men can conceive of descending on a grieving household the day after a member has been murdered in order to rob them, then it must be clear that we are showing signs of moral depravity.

Additionally, as a chairman of several school boards which requires of me the supervision of disciplinary action against offending students, and when I see the way in which the administration of schools come under attack from parents who dismiss the violent or criminal behaviour of their children as of little significance, I cannot but wonder what values we want our children and grandchildren to learn. Are those pushing the mushrooming of lottery promoting this within their family networks, or do they want something better for their offspring?

Yes, we may argue, as is usually the case, that these schemes will be used to fund social projects, but in the long run, does the end justify the means, and is that the message we have for this and the next generation, because there are already some dangerous schemes out there for them which is undergirded by this principle? So let us dismiss the hypocrites who make up the Church and let us lay on the table the credible moral agents and social engineering forces which will guide our society with infallibility.

The Church, in all its manifestations, is made up of human beings and has never claimed for itself perfection. It is made up of hypocrites, sinners, and people who are inconsistent in the way in which proclamation is backed up by behaviour. In this regard, it is no different from other institutions which are committed to values and standards which transcend the human beings who make them up. Therefore, the system of justice in this and all lands is driven by the ideals of justice and the preservation of truth, law and order. Yet, all of these systems are found wanting, but does that therefore point to its invalidity and raison d'etre for existence?

Likewise, there is no parent who is consistent in all their proclamation and practice, and does that, therefore, invalidate the message and role of such a parent? Likewise, the Church, which proclaims a gospel which speaks of sin, an idea repugnant to those who have an objection to the faith, knows itself to be made up of sinners who are therefore not perfect, but it holds to the fact that it is of God, it proclaims a word from God, and will itself be judged by that very word.

So for those who would remind us of this fact, we can only be grateful and take stock of ourselves, while reaffirming the fact that that which is of God is not invalidated by the failures of the messenger, neither will it disintegrate because of its critics.

— Howard Gregory is the Suffragan Bishop of Montego Bay

  0 comments

  0 comments

  2 comments

  2 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  1 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  0 comments

  1 comments

  15 comments

  4 comments

  22 comments

  0 comments

  12 comments

  10 comments

  0 comments