Blaming sin for crime
published: Monday | February 6, 2006

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I HAVE always heard that sin is ugly (As in 'You are ugly like sin'), and that we all have sin and are therefore sinners. But are we all marauding thieves, murderers or otherwise involved in criminal activities? I don't think so.

SIN AND CRIME

Now sin is taking another bad rap for Jamaica's crime problem. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Derrick Shand, in speaking at a church service recently in St. Ann, laid the blame of our crime problem on 'sin'. This puts a monkey wrench in the argument that most people believe that "crime is caused through poverty, lack of education, unemployment and other socio-economic ills". Should we now view the police efforts to fight crime as futile, as 'sin' - like an incurable disease is in control?

I believe the majority in our country, including the Jamaica Constabulary force (JCF), does not share this 'SIN-plistic' view that ACP Shand put forth, as the cause of our serious crime problem. Then again, a lot of preachers will say our crime problem is punishment from God as people (of the Christian faith) will not pay one tenth of their earning to the church as God ordered in the Bible. This argument for the cause of crime is really Sin-lly (silly).

I am, etc.,

AUTHNEL REID

authnelreid@aol.com

Middlesex, New Jersey

Via Go-Jamaica