Carolyn Cooper | Culture clash inna di Seventh-Day Adventist Church

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

Nuff a di Seventh-Day Adventist dem inna Jamaica backward, backward, backward. Mi couldn’t believe it when mi hear seh di President a di North Jamaica Conference, Dr Karl Archer, interview Dr Burnett Robinson fi di talk show, “Journey of Faith”. Dr Robinson a di Jamaican parson weh did run one church in America. Im did preach seh, “And I would say to you, gentlemen, the best person to rape is your wife.” Im lose di work when di story buss. Same time!

Majority a di Adventist dem in America, man an woman, nah romp when it come on to rape. Some a di backward Adventist dem inna Jamaica no tink seh Dr Robinson do nutten wrong to dat. It look like seh im parson friend dem a defend im. All like Dr Archer. Hear weh im seh fi start off di interview, weh stream pon YouTube pon January 8: “You are going to be in for a very, very rich experience.” Wid di parson weh a tell man fi rape dem wife?

When Dr Archer introduce Dr Robinson, yu would a tink seh a Jesus come down off a di cross. Mi stop watch. Couple day after, mi go back fi watch di video so mi could a write bout it. Kaka! Mi couldn’t go pon di “Journey of Faith” wid di two parson dem. Di video tek down. Mi call di conference office pon Thursday an Friday fi find out wa mek. All now mi nuh get nuh answer.

SLACKNESS COME TO LIGHT

Lucky ting, mi sister, Donnette, did watch di whole a di video. An she so vex, she write down some a weh di parson dem seh. So a dat mi did plan fi depend pon. Lo an behold, Friday afternoon, she send mi a link to di video. Di North Jamaica Conference tink seh dem could a hide up dem slackness. It come to light. Dr Archer claims seh im never tink seh Dr Robinson would a defend rape. A it mek im gi im di chance fi explain imself.

Better im never bodder. All Dr Robinson do, a tie up imself. Im seh, “There is a group in the church that I call the gang of five. That, they are very malicious. They, they consider themselves to be a part of a modern movement. They align themselves with a group called ‘Adventists For Justice.’ And they align themselves with the ‘Me Too’ movement. So in my preaching that day, they took this one minute and 23-second clip. Five female members. And I learned something along my journey, pastor, that hurt people,” an Dr Archer im chime een, an di two a dem seh, “hurt other people.” Oonoo see how Dr Archer a defend im friend?

Dr Robinson seh dis bout di woman dem: “And they’re, they, they seem to not have been too fond of me. And they used this opportunity to seek to bring me to scrutiny.” Im call di woman dem “pawns in the hand of Satan.” An im seh di smaddy dem weh fire im, “panicked and pandered.” All now Dr Robinson no tink seh im do nutten wrong. Im claims seh im no defend rape. An im seh im ‘retire’ when im done know se im did a fi resign. Truth an lie a fight it out inna Dr Robinson head. An Adventism in America a clash wid di church ya so.

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

Nof a di Sevn-Die Adventis dem ina Jamieka bakwad, bakwad, bakwad. Mi kudn biliiv it wen mi ier se di Prezident a di Naat Jamieka Kanfrens, Dr Karl Archer, intavyuu Dr Burnett Robinson fi di taak shuo, “Journey of Faith.” Robinson a di Jamiekan paasn we did ron wan choch ina Merika. Im did priich se, “And I would say to you, gentlemen, the best person to rape is your wife.” Im luuz di wok wen di stuori bos. Siem taim!

Mijariti a di Adventis dem ina Merika, man an uman, naa ramp wen it kom aan tu riep. Som a di bakwad Adventis dem ina Jamieka no tink se Dr Robinson du notn rang tu dat. It luk laik se im paasn fren dem a defend im. Aal laik Dr Archer. Ier we im se fi staat aaf di intavyuu, we schriim pan YouTube pan Janieri 8: “You are going to be in for a very, very rich experience.” Wid di paasn we a tel man fi riep dem waif?

Wen Dr Archer inchrojuus Dr Robinson, yu wuda tingk se a Jesus kom dong aafa di kraas. Mi stap wach. Kopl die aafta, mi go bak fi wach di vidyo so mi kuda rait bout it. Kaka! Mi kudn go pan di “Journey of Faith” wid di tuu paasn dem. Di vidyo tek doun. Mi kaal di kranfrens afis pan Torsde an Fraide fi fain out wa mek. Aal nou mi no get no ansa.

SLAKNIS KOM TU LAIT

Loki ting, mi sista, Donnette, did wach di uol a di vidyo. An shi so veks, shi rait dong som a we di paasn dem se. So a dat mi did plan fi dipen pan. Luo an biyuol, Fraide aaftanuun, shi sen mi a link tu di vidyo. Di Naat Jamieka Kanfrens tink se dem kuda aid op dem slaknis. It kom tu lait. Dr Archer kliemz se im neva ting se Dr Robison wuda difen riep. A it mek im gi im di chaans fi eksplien imself.

Beta im neva bada. Aal Dr Robinson du, a tai op imself. Im se, “There is a group in the church that I call the gang of five. That, they are very malicious. They, they consider themselves to be a part of a modern movement. They align themselves with a group called ‘Adventists For Justice.’ And they align themselves with the ‘Me Too’ movement. So in my preaching that day, they took this one minute and 23-second clip. Five female members. And I learned something along my journey, pastor, that hurt people,” an Dr Archer im chaim iin, an di tuu a dem se, “hurt other people.” Unu si ou Dr Archer a difen im fren?

Dr Robinson se dis bout di uman dem: “And they’re, they, they seem to not have been too fond of me. And they used this opportunity to seek to bring me to scrutiny.” Im kaal di uman dem “pawns in the hand of Satan.” An im se di smadi dem we faiya im, “panicked and pandered.” Aal nou Dr Robinson no tink se im du notn rang. Im kliemz se im no difen riep. An im se im ‘ritaiya’ wen im don nuo se im did a fi rizain. Chruut an lai a fait it out ina Dr Robinson ed. An Adventizm ina Merika a klash wid di choch ya so.

For an English translation, visit carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com

- Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a teacher of English language and literature and a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com.