By Balford Henry, Senior Staff Reporter
AS TECHNOLOGY rapidly advances into the 21st century, a growing number of concerns have gripped the global community.
Issues like abortion, homosexuality, racism and even the music we listen to, no longer respond to hard and fast rules guided by conservative moral principles, but are demanding that society take a second look into the relativity of the new era.
Terrence Griffith, a former Senator in the Grenadian Parliament and author of "The Church Under Seige"(1994) and "Grenada: The Jewel In a Communist Crown"(1996), supports the view that the Church has become much too static.
Inspired by a sermon preached by Dr. Richard Fredericks of the Damascus SDA Church some years ago on the theme, "When It Is Alright To Rock The Boat," he decided to pursue the issues in this book.
According to him, Fredericks put Christian life into perspective and showed, from the Bible, the reason why many are held captive by the law.
"Conservative Christians who do not see the Church as a unit that is still evolving will no doubt have serious problems with Dr. Frederick's sermon and this book," he says.
On an intellectual level, his negative responses to issues such as abortion, homosexuality and contemporary gospel music, are disappointing. But, one must admire his courage in seeking to face up to these issues and admit that he has done what bodies, like the Councils of Churches, have failed to do: That is to create a forum in which moral issues for the guidance of the Christian community can be pursued.
His book covers a number of vital issues affecting young Christians including music, food, abortion, remedies for broken families, homosexuality, discipline, revenge and the colour of God's skin.
Right now in Jamaica there is a great deal of concern over the direction gospel music has taken with the advent of former secular music stars, including Papa San, Lt. Stitchie, Chevelle Franklin and Danny Browne, as genuine gospel stars, taking their secular tactics into the ministry with them.
He contends that since music is "one of the most effective means of impressing the heart with spiritual truth," the Devil is not satisfied to corrupt the minds of Christians with worldly songs, "but is on the attack even in the Church, polluting the rhythm with a dance hall beat and corrupting the lyrics with unsound doctrine."
The reference to "polluting the rhythm with a dance hall beat" seems a direct criticism of the efforts of local gospel musicians, like Browne, to create gospel music with commercial beats. But, it is downright unfair to suggest that Browne and his colleagues, including America's Kirk Franklin, have failed to fulfil the requirement for clean, Christian lyrics, inspite of their commercial rhythms.
Griffith believes that homosexual practices should not be tolerated by the Church. He says it contravenes the mores of the Bible, "yielding ground to homosexuals within the community of believers would affect the work of the Church in many ways...."
On the question of the colour of God's skin, he accepts that Jesus could not have been white since his parents were able to assimilate themselves into Egyptian society and since Haile Selassie is descended from David via Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. However he concludes that God is a spirit and to give him a colour would be improper.
But, Griffith faces his most challenging task in dealing with abortion. Although he insists that God does not endow man with the authority to terminate life he admits that the big question is, where does life begin?
Abortion is not an answer to unwanted pregnancies, he concludes, and the answer is in the commandments because the reason for dysfunction in the family is failure to heed the commandments.
Is he using the commandments to support his arguments when it suits him and objecting to their profound influence on the Church when they do not? That is another question but, for the moment, we give him credit for starting the debates.
