Garth Rattray
I CRINGED when I heard the news of the recent abduction, battering, rape and murder of the two little girls from Town Head. I agree wholeheartedly with the Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, when he said, "There is a terrible and vicious spirit that has taken hold of our people." But, evil spirits cannot manifest in an atmosphere of godliness, so perhaps we Jamaicans are not as godly as we would like to believe.
Many people claim that Jamaica has more churches per square mile than anywhere else in the world. This belief has led many to ponder our high crime and murder rates because in spite of our apparent preoccupation with religion, our aggressive tendencies and crime statistics suggest that we are a godless society. We have a multiplicity of Christian denominations and other religions (Church of God, Baptists, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostals, Methodists, United Church, Brethren, Jehovah's Witnesses, Moravians, Roman Catholics, Ethiopian Orthodox and Mormons). We also have Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Rastafarians.
RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES
I believe it was my father who coined the word 'Churchian' to describe persons who remain devoid of spirituality although they involve themselves deeply in church life. These are people whose everyday thoughts and actions do not reflect religious principles. These people go through the motions necessary to fool themselves and others (but not God) into believing that they are sanctified. They go to church in a calculated (but futile) effort to worm their way into Heaven. One of the greatest 'Christians' that I ever knew was a Hindu surgeon specialist at the University Hospital of the West Indies. His mannerisms, honesty, integrity, genuine commitment to patients, humility and good-heartedness epitomised the teachings of Jesus the Christ. Yet, many would banish his soul to hell or purgatory at best simply because he is a Hindu - such is the arrogance, ignorance and hypocrisy of many so-called Christians.
NON-BELIEVER
It is impossible to convince a non-believer that God exists, but then, although we believe in tomorrow, it is likewise impossible to prove that it exists. We save and scheme and plan for our tomorrows although we can never prove that they will come. And, when you think of it, you will realise that when we shall arrive at 'tomorrow' it will be 'today' and once again we'll be unable to prove that it ever came because we cannot go back into the past and tell people that we are in 'tomorrow'. It's all just a matter of time and this is also true of God. He exists outside our time and space and that makes Him impossible to fully understand. But on the other hand, our mere existence is proof that God exists. The very fact that we can initiate independent thought is astounding. Our ethereal thoughts can cause our limbs to move and our mouths to speak. The cohesion of the atom, the formation of molecules and complex compounds are wondrous. I see the proof of God all around me, yet many people do not believe in Him.
MEANINGLESS FASTING AND EMPTY PRAYERS
People who truly believe in God cannot commit or be associated with cruel or murderous acts. Perfunctory church attendance, meaningless fasting and empty prayers make no difference. One's true religion is evident in one's everyday thoughts and deeds. What is obvious is that any sane human being who shoots, stabs, chops, strangles or beats another to death in cold blood cannot truly believe that God exists. However, what is not so obvious is the fact that many supposedly upstanding, church-going, influential and respected Jamaicans associate with, support and hide the killers among us although they profess to be God-fearing.
If our nation were as steeped in religion as it would seem to be then criminals and killers would find no refuge among us. But, family members, friends, spouses and some leaders within society condone, conspire with, or at the very least feign ignorance about maleficent characters. The over 850 murders this year alone go to prove that, as a nation, we are very far from God. The journey back to Him will be a long and arduous one, necessitating confession and contrition.
Dr Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
