Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt hath lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. – Matthew 5:13.
Research has shown, Reverend Neilson Waithe told fellow leaders at a religious summit organized last Friday by the Ministry of Family, that in marriages where both spouses attend church, divorce is much less likely.
And, in families where mothers consider religion to be important in their lives, there are better quality relationships with their children – the said, according to the goodly reverend, holding true for fathers. For Rev. Waithe, a child having a “good background” in faith is crucial to success in life.
Most Barbadians will acquiesce to the minister’s word – if only with the hope he is right. Those with little faith will dismiss Rev. Waithe’s revelations as nothing more than poppycock, given their own experiences or observations of break-ups suffered by the faithful wedded and failure by children for whom religion played a great part.
The truth is life is not that simple; and things are not always what they seem.
At the said religious summit at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Muslim leader Suleiman Bulbulia alluded to the view of some that religion was outdated, “its concepts . . . not relevant to today’s modern and advanced society”, but suggested that “faith-based solutions” were what were needed.
In a way, last Friday’s gathering of religious minds was a precursor to our NATION?Talkback discussion this Wednesday at 7 p.m. when we put to the panellists and the public at large the question: Is The Church Losing Society, Or Is Society Losing The Church?
At our NATION Talkback town hall meeting at the Anne Johnson Auditorium of St Gabriel’s School in Collymore Rock, St Michael, members of the clergy will represent various denominations.
Clearly, the church has not been without its faults. History has shown that it has at times used its traditional role of guiding society to further its own ends. Had that not been the case, there may not have been the Protestant Reformation. But sometime later the newer church would come to be accused of the same.
The reaction of some people – particularly those considering themselves to be modern thinkers – would be to reject the assumed role of the church to guide society, or to take its pronouncements with a pinch of salt.
Churches today have been accused of turning away from providing spiritual food to offering material prosperity. Some have become huge – in scope and arrogance. Religion, many believe, should be about strengthening their link with the Divine – not a charismatic leader!
All this we hope to examine on Wednesday night.
