Anglican cleric Reverend Charles Morris has blasted the church for sitting idly by as the social and economic decay of Barbados continued.
Speaking at the Barbados Labour Party’s latest People’s Assembly at Springer Memorial School, Morris, who said he had come to speak his mind, pointed fingers at his own Anglican Church as well as the evangelists.
“The church has to shoulder the blame for what is happening in this country, for while the warning signs were on the horizon, the church sat by and said nothing. The church has representatives in the Senate but not a word of condemnation – where is the voice of God?
“Many of our church leaders are more concerned with titles than being involved in serious theological discussion and reflection. They are more concerned with being referred to as reverend doctor than making church reverent . . . but the more doctors we have in the church, the sicker the church and society is becoming,” he said.
Morris said the Anglican Church had once been the mouthpiece of the masses but was now silent, adding the Anglican leadership was now afraid to speak on controversial issues while the evangelists were in bed with Government and had gone to sleep.
“Barbadians are becoming barbarians . . . and it seems the church is just about siphoning off people’s money. The church is now holding days of prayer for this country but the people of this country need something more tangible than prayer – God does not work for people, He works with people,” he said.
But Morris saved most of his vehemence for the Democratic Labour Party Government. To loud cheers from the audience, he said the current Government represented the worst Barbados had ever had and should be removed from power.
Calling Government a “disaster”, an “environmental hazard”, a “catastrophe”, a “cancer”, a “threat” and worse than the recent natural disasters in the Caribbean, Morris called on everyone in Barbados to take to the streets and take part in non-violent protest.
As for the BLP, he advised Opposition Leader Mia Mottley not to disregard the contributions former leader and former Prime Minister Owen Arthur could still make, urging the two to mend any rifts between them. (CA)
