Dear Editor,
Using select horror stories related to religious experiences as a basis of assessing the church's efficacy and purpose within society has become the norm among those who advocate the separation of Church and State.
That approach is as limited as the one taken by many Jamaicans who categorically demonise homosexuals in view of the distasteful and many times violent displays of the homosexuals who live in New Kingston.
I feel it necessary, in defence of the Church's move two Sundays ago, to invite a broader and more contextual approach to one form of criticism I've seen being levied against the Church; that is, that there is a heavy and misplaced bias persisting within the Church towards matters of sexuality in view of other degenerating social issues (increasingly high rates of murder, sexual abuse, homelessness, unemployment, poverty, etc).
It is most commonly said that the Church has attempted to maintain a guardianship of society's bedrooms rather than spending time advocating what seemed to be at the heart of Jesus' ministry — caring for the indigent, the fatherless, the poor, and the widows — and attacking the broader issues of social justice that obtain in society.
But it is important to realise that we're made aware of our nation's affairs, both good and bad, through our media, and media houses are inherently concerned with controversy. It irks me to hear Jamaican residents and members of the diaspora criticising the Church for its perceived short-sightedness, using as their sole basis of assessment, radio programmes, newspapers and talk shows.
Media houses reflect the small controversial subset of our social occurrences, which they perceive as having the potential to stir enough interest to allow them to pay their employees and maintain supernormal profits garnered from selling advertisements.
As things are in Jamaica, and I suppose across the globe, righteous voices are given ear when they allow media houses the publicity they need to keep themselves afloat. Apart from that, the prophetic voice of the church, declaring righteousness and justice, is ignored. With that, I say it may be best to blame media houses for being selective rather than blaming the Church for being dormant.
Having been exposed to countless numbers of churches across the island, I know that there are many churches in the Corporate Area [alone] that have feeding programmes for the homeless and indigent, skills training programmes for the unemployed and unskilled, and community transformation and upliftment programmes.
I therefore believe it is unfounded and fallacious to claim that the church has remained silent/inactive, save on matters of homosexuality.
If your complaints and criticisms really mean something to you, if you want to see an end to homelessness, poverty, economic hardship and other chronic ills persisting today, get up and do something. Don't sit and criticise the ones who've had the
pluck to make their voices heard in relation to matters they deem to be of urgent importance.
The Church will continue to cry out for righteousness and justice in our land; even if its voice is ignored.
Abasiama Olunike
abasiamaobunike@gmail.com
Blame the media, not the Church
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Using select horror stories related to religious experiences as a basis of assessing the church's efficacy and purpose within society has become the norm among those who advocate the separation of Church and State.
That approach is as limited as the one taken by many Jamaicans who categorically demonise homosexuals in view of the distasteful and many times violent displays of the homosexuals who live in New Kingston.
I feel it necessary, in defence of the Church's move two Sundays ago, to invite a broader and more contextual approach to one form of criticism I've seen being levied against the Church; that is, that there is a heavy and misplaced bias persisting within the Church towards matters of sexuality in view of other degenerating social issues (increasingly high rates of murder, sexual abuse, homelessness, unemployment, poverty, etc).
It is most commonly said that the Church has attempted to maintain a guardianship of society's bedrooms rather than spending time advocating what seemed to be at the heart of Jesus' ministry — caring for the indigent, the fatherless, the poor, and the widows — and attacking the broader issues of social justice that obtain in society.
But it is important to realise that we're made aware of our nation's affairs, both good and bad, through our media, and media houses are inherently concerned with controversy. It irks me to hear Jamaican residents and members of the diaspora criticising the Church for its perceived short-sightedness, using as their sole basis of assessment, radio programmes, newspapers and talk shows.
Media houses reflect the small controversial subset of our social occurrences, which they perceive as having the potential to stir enough interest to allow them to pay their employees and maintain supernormal profits garnered from selling advertisements.
As things are in Jamaica, and I suppose across the globe, righteous voices are given ear when they allow media houses the publicity they need to keep themselves afloat. Apart from that, the prophetic voice of the church, declaring righteousness and justice, is ignored. With that, I say it may be best to blame media houses for being selective rather than blaming the Church for being dormant.
Having been exposed to countless numbers of churches across the island, I know that there are many churches in the Corporate Area [alone] that have feeding programmes for the homeless and indigent, skills training programmes for the unemployed and unskilled, and community transformation and upliftment programmes.
I therefore believe it is unfounded and fallacious to claim that the church has remained silent/inactive, save on matters of homosexuality.
If your complaints and criticisms really mean something to you, if you want to see an end to homelessness, poverty, economic hardship and other chronic ills persisting today, get up and do something. Don't sit and criticise the ones who've had the
pluck to make their voices heard in relation to matters they deem to be of urgent importance.
The Church will continue to cry out for righteousness and justice in our land; even if its voice is ignored.
Abasiama Olunike
abasiamaobunike@gmail.com
Blame the media, not the Church
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