For I am the LORD:
I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass;
it shall be no more prolonged:
for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word,
and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.
—
…kind of philanthropy most practice is little more than the sharing of leftovers…
“Durant pleaded with individuals to reach out to those in need, and to those who are vulnerable and/or elderly. He said that outreach is an act of mercy, compassion, love and care and that Barbadians need to return this nation to the village way.” “Give; be your brother’s keeper” Aug. 27 Advocate, page 9
For some time articles in both sections of the press have implored Barbadians to emulate the good Samaritan of Bible lore. I have always been struck by the selfish attitude of many in the middle and upper class, many of whom can trace their present condition to some extent to the largesse of government, their communities or their friends and neighbours. Alas, the concept of giving back seems as foreign as does the concept of proper attire and proper decorum during Crop Over.
Utilitarian philosophy demands that the better off give away almost all their wealth, since the loss of well-being for one person who gives up a high-earning lifestyle is far outweighed by the gains of those who could move from extreme poverty to minimal comfort. While I am sure such a philosophy strikes most of us as excessively severe, it is no more than is commanded by the founder of the religion that is the moral basis of western society, who told those with two cloaks to keep just one and give the other to those who have none.
Archbishop Tutu said today’s struggle for gay rights in Africa was on a par with the struggle to end apartheid – Read full article in the Mail Online
Peter Wickham at the ‘vanguard’ of the Gay lobby in Barbados
BU has written and posted extensively about the issue of homosexuality. BU’s position is well documented. We do not subscribe to the lifestyle but will defend the right of the homosexual to co-exist in our society as defined by our society. It has proved and will continue to prove not a simple matter to resolve.
In the case of Barbados the homosexual debate has become interesting on a number of fronts. It is an issue which Peter Wickham has taken to wearing on his sleeve. He uses his weekly newspaper column and the talk show on Voice of Barbados radio to bombard citizens with his view. But guess what, this is his prerogative to take. Perhaps his advocacy would take on credibility if he were to declare his hand.
It is interesting to note that leading up to the last general election Ministers Adriel Brathwaite (Attorney General) and Stephen Lashley (Family and Youth) reaffirmed government’s position to support what BU describes as the traditional lifestyle of man and woman, and marriage, man and woman. It is obvious the two ministers felt bold to make public their positions because they believe it resonates favourably with the majority of Barbadians poll or no poll. Where do we go from here if government is not inclined to endorse homosexuality as a normal way of life?
Photo credit: The Telegraph
Last week those who follow matters of the ecclesiastical variety would have been stunned to learn that the House of Laity – part of the General Synod of the Church of England – killed a twelve year effort to allow women to elevate to the position of bishop. There is the ridiculous situation developing where the David Cameron government is considering repealing equalitarian legislation to force the Church of England to accept women to perform in the role of bishop. The Church of England is answerable to the UK parliament which makes the decision to block women from attaining bishophood the more intriguing given its declared position on human rights.
Are we witnessing the result of a clash of civilizations? Credit: Opinion Maker
We would have preferred that our esteemed colleagues, who are experts in the rich and diverse Islamic traditions and its last Prophet (PBUH), be the ones most capable of defending a dynamic set of cultures as followed by two billion people throughout the world. The recent publication of a poorly produced promode of a non-existing ‘movie’ was constructed for the precise purpose of insulting the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and his followers and is properly located within a larger struggle which comes at a time when Western capitalist traditions have long passed their apogee. The artificial construction of the so-called clash of civilizations by some in the academic community was merely to serve Western domination of the Muslim world, more precisely – what they now call the Middle East and those Muslims living there. We will argue that since the collapse of the USSR, Western countries have sought to surreptitiously set up the world of Islam as the global boogeyman, a counterpoint – for capitalism can only exist when it has an enemy. This scenario was to provide a contrast, while at the same time demonize Islam and Muslims while presenting a dying Western liberal capitalism as the ONLY choice for the peoples of the world. The leaders in the West are well aware that Islam has the potential for presenting the nearest and possibly the most viable alternative, in all the cultural spheres, and this is unhelpful to them at a time when the fear of losing global hegemony constantly dominates their geo-political or geo-strategic calculations.
On the one hand, we have had Western military adventures into the Islamic Ummah for more than a century in the modern epoch. Of course, readers of this subject will readily recall the unholy Christian crusades of earlier centuries into the Islamic world. Western countries, especially the British, the French and the Americans had established compliant oil monarchies and the usurper regime in most of Palestine by 1948. The Zionists still occupied an island previously owned by the Saudis. How can the custodian of Islam’s most sacred places effectively defend Muslims when it has surrendered part of its territory to the ‘infidels’? How can Beitol-Moghaddas ever be recovered with traitors to the Prophet of Islam in power in Arabia? There has not been a word from one single Arab leader. That is way we, the non-believers, must defend the Prophet (PBUH). However, the nation of Islam is awaking and the world is unlikely to be the same. The enemies of the Prophet have done all this, in search of ‘profit’ while containing the universality of the teachings of the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH). These teachings are largely antithetical to capitalism. The peoples of Muslim majority countries yet hold onto their core beliefs. These beliefs are largely ‘unfamiliar’ to most in the West, especially those calling themselves Christians. This ignorance suborns the desired responses from too many of us. The ignorant hurl comments about ‘terrorism’ and ‘wife beatings’ when, in fact, the real moral corruption of the world comes from the Western countries. In the final analysis what we are witnessing are the limitations of military might and an inability of the custodians of Islam’s Holiest places to further deceive the masses of the people in their support for global hegemony as the price for maintaining their corrupt regimes at home.
The late Professor Oliver Headley, a pioneer in solar energy
Page four of the Sunday Sun featured a brief article in which former British gangster and cocaine addict Davey Falcus, now a religious minister, exhorted students gathered at the NCSA headquarters to “live a good life based on Christian values, morals and ethics” and to “maintain a personal relationship with God.” While strong moral and ethical values are indeed important, of equal importance though unmentioned, is the value of being able to change one’s life and perception of the world through learning.
Mr Falcus told students that “my background is that I organized crime. I grew up in a violent environment and I had a choice but I chose to go down this road. ” From gangster to minister: you are what you choose to learn. If all you know is how to be a gang member, that’s what you’ll be, at least until you learn something else. If you study law, you’ll see the world as a competition. If you study engineering, you’ll start to see the world as a complicated machine that needs tweaking.
Ancient copies of the Bible were carried during a procession to Westminster Abbey's altar
Today is the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. A special celebratory service was held at Westminster Abbey today. It was the Bible, commissioned by a King, that made the Word of God available to all English-speaking people so that they were no longer reliant on translations by those who could read Latin. It allowed the common man to drink, as it were, straight from the bottle.
Mr Justice McDuff
Today in the English High Court, Mr Justice McDuff handed down a landmark decision against the Roman Catholic Church involving sexual abuse. In what most Bajans will consider to be a bizarre and totally inappropriate defense, counsel Crispin Hollis, acting for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth, tried to invoke employment law, pleading that Fr Wilfred Baldwin, an ordained Roman Catholic priest, was self-employed that therefore no liability attached to the Church for the sexual abuse of a minor. The Daily Mail report above makes for sickening reading.
The judge, however, disagreed.
If this decision is upheld on appeal, it will open the flood gates to claims against Churches and is most likely to be upheld in all common law jurisdictions, including Barbados. This surely is one of those decisions where the courts and common sense are in accord and a triumph for common sense and under-aged victims of sexual abuse whose abusers seek to hide behind religion.
It Is best being clear at the outset, to prevent unnecessary distraction and diversion into non-productive debates leading into cul-de-sacs. There are people – of sober mind and disposition – who do not believe in the Bible and what it teaches. Some boldly say they are not Christian. Many others have no interest of any kind in Religion and even think it is not a force for good in the world.
This submission is not a vehicle to facilitate an argument to the above views, as I am aware logic “however” arrived at is limited in changing a belief system. However, it is a fact that a major section of Barbados society is Christian or go to church regularly and have religious beliefs, even if tenuous.
“Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%. other 11.3%) Romam Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6%”
You cannot change a society by “ignoring” the belief systems of a major section of that society, it is that which has led me to pose the question in this submission.
Some on BU will find this blog distasteful, you are cautioned that the video is not complimentary of the Bible and religion. In fact the author Timothy Aldred of the book BAMBOOZLED! refers to the Bible as rubbish which should be tossed into the garbage.
It is no secret BU has led discussion on religious subjects in the Barbados space sometimes with emotional effect. We have some individuals who have stopped posting on BU because of opinions and perspectives shared about religion. Those of us with commonsense know that believing in whoever God is a leap of faith and using logic to justify a position is illogical.
Believe in what Deity tickles your fancy and to hell with whoever thinks otherwise!
In circumstances where some have seen the limits to all civilizations on earth and are seeking other places to inhabit, it may be helpful to reflect on the fundamental contributing factors that have led us to this point and to make rough assessments about some of the possible causative reasons we could be at this point. In this process we must, for a brief moment at least, make broad judgments about what is true and what is false within the tapestry of lies in which we live.
How many truths are there and what ends do they serve? What are the general behaviors of truths? Of course, central to this discussion must be the proposition that there is some kind of creative master planner directing all things or whether a firm reliance of science provides a better range of truths. As we polarize these issues we will, of course, ignore the postulations that some type of middle ground exists?
The leading Republican contenders for its party’s nomination proffer a Christian-Zionist fundamentalism that is not dissimilar to that espoused by the Taliban or the other Salafist elements of Islam. And yet ultra-conservative Christian dispensationalists are given the ‘respectability’ of being on corporate media, the generalized pretence that what they are saying is rooted in fact and a presumption that they are directed by some supernatural being whose existence is at best dubious and is not appreciated by the majority of their audience. It goes further than that. Globally, about one billion people call themselves Christians. Another one and a half billion people call themselves Muslims and the list of ‘faiths’ goes on and on.
The Advocate’s editorial of July 30th “Extremism, not Religion” attempts to persuade readers that religious extremists “…always distort the truth to their own ends, seeing threats where there are none, and abusing the scriptures to justify their wrongdoing.” I ask:”Are religious extremists abusing scripture or adhering to scripture?
” All scripture is rife with paradoxical conundrums which allow those we label as “extremists” to see themselves as apostles, literally obeying God’s word. And isn’t that the problem when such mumbo jumbo is revered as truth by billions of people?
Muslims and Christians who both insist that theirs are religions of peace and coexistence find themselves attempting to leap very high semantic hurdles when we read “…wherever you encounter (non-believers), kill them, seize them, besiege them, wait for them at every lookout post…” ( Koran 9:5). Not to be outdone the Bible offers the following to foster peaceful coexistence: Deuteronomy 13:6-9 flatly states that if anyone —” your very own brother, or son or daughter, or the wife that you love”—introduces you to a false religion, ” you must certainly put him to death.” Numbers 31:17-18 finds Moses telling the Israelites to ” kill all the boys” of an enemy tribe, and “kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.” In Matthew 10:34 Jesus, the Prince of Peace, warns “do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
“The ‘STONE’ which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” – Psalms 118:22
For almost 2000 years, the Bible has remained the most controversial book in all of human history. While today, we take for granted the some 24,000 different translations of the Bible – there was a time when those who read the Book* did so in morbid fear for their lives. Yet we know that the Bible – is the “only” authoritatively-inspired Word of God to mankind and remains “the single, solitary light” through which mankind can past from the darkness of a sin-cursed world into the marvellous light of a world tomorrow ruled by Jesus Christ in utopia and eternal bliss.
It cannot be denied that 2000 years ago, the life and death of this Jewish carpenter changed the world forever. He was murdered by His own people for laying claims to the prophetic “Promise” of the Old Testament that He was indeed Yeshua Hamashiach (‘Jesus The Messiah’).
Following the crucifixion of Jesus, it can be said that the Bible remains the most blood-soaked, blood-stained book since mankind sojourned upon the earth. The atrocities that have been committed in its name and against its true followers are nothing short of patently apocalyptic. Yet many of Christ’s servants have sought to share the Good News of the Gospel while others have sought their destruction and the “trampling underfoot” of their faith as a mean to silence the work of righteousness and the advancement of truth.
Eunice and Owen Johns .Photo: JANE MINGAY
We sit as secular judges serving a multicultural community of many faiths. We are sworn (we quote the judicial oath) to ‘do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm, without fear or favour, affection or ill will’. The judges acknowledged that there was a “tension” in the case of Mr and Mrs Johns between the rights of individuals to maintain their religious beliefs and the rights of homosexual people to live free from discrimination. – Telegraph
A court decision which has the potential to shake the pillars of Barbadian society was recently handed down in England, coincidentally a Commonwealth jurisdiction. Barbados similar to England is a country built on the back of the Christian faith. The decision by a British Court to deny a Christian couple the right be foster carers because of their view on homosexuality will no doubt have wide ranging implications for how countries like Barbados reorder their societies.
The learned judges based the decision on the right of homosexuals to equality which “should take precedence” over the right of Christians to manifest their beliefs and moral values. Contrary to a view held by many Barbadians that our laws are influenced by Christian beliefs the judges were of the mind that “Britain was a “largely secular”, multi-cultural country in which the laws of the realm “do not include Christianity”.
Submitted by Charles S. Cadogan
I have read about the conditions of one of, what I would think is a national treasure, St. Michaels Cathedral. I see the church that I attended as a young boy, knowing how it was very well kept, seeing it now truly make me sad. Many dignitaries have been in that church over the years. I would like someone to tell me who’s responsible for the maintenance of such churches in Barbados? In my humble opinion a national treasure like St. Michaels Cathedral should never have been allowed to reach such a dilapidated state. To add insult to injury the church is in the heart of the city. It is truly an eye sore seeing this church this way.
I saw a picture of Bethel Church and that was a very beautiful sight to see, so well preserved. Why did St.Michael Cathedral fall by the wayside? What went wrong? Who does the church belong to? I thought the government had something to do with it? Can any volunteer work be done to help restore this church to a much better condition? Come on Barbadians at home and abroad, can we try coming together to make something happen for what is a NATIONAL TREASURE? I am sure that just like me many of you were members, or at some point in time went to church there.
“And there appeared in Heaven a great wonder; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of [12] stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having [7] heads and [10] horns, and [7] crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days.” – (Revelation 12:1-6KJV)
No book ever written holds such beautiful allegorical and symbolic language, meaning and truth as does THE BIBLE! Type meets antitype; prophets validate Apostles; line is given over to precept; seals are followed by trumpets; vials portend approaching destruction and what was in the Beginning emerges in the End.
The sole purpose of The Bible is to reveal the person of Jesus The Christ. He was in the Beginning and He is definitely going to be there at the End. We can disagree over the how, why, when, where and all the other age-old questions – one thing is SURE*, Jesus is either who He is or we can disregard Him at our own peril.
It is accepted consensus that any discourse on the birth of Jesus can run folks into a meaningless argumentative quest which is often drenched in the dew of historical debate, conjecture and polarization. What has been established is that He was born, lived for [33] and a half years, died, rose again and is carrying on His priestly work in Heaven on behalf of mankind.
Emerging alignments as predicted by Huntington in 1996. Thicker lines represent more conflictual relationships - Wikipedia
During the middle ages, the Arabs alone were the standard-bearers of a civilisation
If history has taught us anything – is mankind cannot live together in any real harmonious union for any prolonged period of time. This was all too evident during the days of Muhammad after the revelations of the Qur’an came to him. He encountered bitter opposition and rejection from his kinsfolk and after the death of Prophet Muhammad in June 632AD, the emerging Rashidun Caliphs worked at the unification of the peoples of Arabia who in turn sparked insurgent military operations against the Byzantine Roman Empire and the Basined Persian Empire as these were crucial to Islamic conquest and further unification.
In the exodus, the Christian Abyssinian (Ethiopian) king called Aṣḥama ibn Abjar absorbed many refuge Muslims providing them protection during the persecution era where Mecca was a hotbed of murder and mayhem.
As the march of conquest continued – between 1095 and 1291, the Crusades and the Reconquesta was a period of centuries of capture, recapture, militarization and on-going war between two polarized civilizations.
In 1187, Saladin liberated Jerusalem with a classic historically epic battle – while fighting with Richard the Lionheart, the Saracens fought relentlessly as was proved by historical sources. What followed was the establishment of the Ottoman Caliphate; the “Conquest of Constantinople” by “Muhammad the Conqueror”.
The clash of civilizations continued apace with further conquest of Eastern Europe and the fall of Greece to the Ottomans. Vienna then fell to “Suleiman the Magnificent” or as for Muslims “Suleiman the Lawmaker”.
Tyler Clementi
The topic of homosexuality continues to fascinate the BU household. It is a matter which Barbadians continue to skirt but one which we as a country will have to grapple with sooner than we think. Yesterday as we did our routine scanning of the news, three stories caught our attention.
A young man who served with distinction in the US military but did so under the hypocritical policy of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ finally succumbed to his conscience to go public about his sexual orientation and has paid the ultimate price. He had to leave the military service compromising his financial security in the process – Read NPR Report.
The second news report highlighted the action of an anti-gay Church which has gained nationwide attention for protesting loudly at funerals of U.S. service members, denouncing homosexuality. The matter has given cause for concern in Kansas because of the anxiety being caused to grieving families. A funeral was always thought to be a time and place to extend reverence – Read CNN Report.
The third and final report resonated the most. Last month Tyler Clementi, a 22 year old young man committed suicide because his roommates at Rutgers University, Dharun Ravi, and friend Molly Wei betrayed his privacy by live-streaming Clementi in a sexual encounter with another male student without his knowledge. Eyewitnesses narrate how Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey with upper Manhattan – Read CBS Report.
Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, or failures – Cabral
Sometime during the 16th century, the “darklords” of capitalism and science embarked on a sinister plan to create a seismic collision between two opposing forces of nature which would result in a stratified order of eugenic superiority for human beings. On the one hand, white privilege. On the other hand, according to Chung-Hao Ku – “the plague of the ostracized, cast into the ghetto of the pathologized, animalized, monstrous other.”
Though a tough analysis of the facts – the slow, spurious nature of scientific racism of the 16th century prepared the pathway for a new form of adaptogenesis to take place which would culminate in the hierarchical societal structures of the modern 21st century.
This anthropocentric hierarchy between the white race and Blacks has set the stage for a world dominated by white largesse, handouts (in the form of supposed “charity) and the control of the earth’s resources especially in Black nations where we were brainwashed into believing that we were not good enough to rule ourselves.
The planet earth is under siege. The ravages of war and conflict precipitate. The colossus of negative political and religious spin ferments as the hearts and minds of men suffers from information fallout fatigue. The time honoured traditions of decadent, myopic socio-religious politics continues to meander through a maze of fractiousness, intolerance, instability and controversy.
Today, Tony Blair’s autobiography hits the book shelves describing his justification for starting the modern-day “CRUSADE” between what he and George Bush* calls radical Islam and Zionist Christianity. Jewry, Islam and Christianity continue to merge and feud at historical crossroads in an apocalyptic battle for supremacy. The sinister forces which have brewed this religious and political alchemy seek to exacerbate a clash of civilizations which will result in a doomsday nuclear holocaust where the embers will burn across the Middle East consuming everything in its path.
But is this blind arrogance on man’s part – or the manipulation of invisible forces outside the reach of cognitive human understanding?
Whatever the reason, moves are afoot to add fuel to that emerging fire, where a few weeks ago, (in the form of a resolution by Republicans in the USA House of Representatives) resolution, H.Res.1553 was tabled which provides unequivocal support for a surgical military strike against Iran according to the Huffington Post.
The Pope
For the past [212] years, the deadly socio-political and religious wound inflicted on the Papacy by Napoleon Bonaparte’s General Jean Baptiste Berthier on the 20 February 1798 has now healed to the point where this institution will once again usurp her authority as she did during the 1260 years of the Dark Ages (538 AD -1798).
The entire world still pays obeisance to this earthly religious government. Its power is greater than that of kings. Its might has been wielded for over 3000 years, shape-shifting throughout past ages taking on diverse Satanic forms while masking and masquerading as a “godlike” entity. Time and again it has resurrected itself. In the past, (just like today), it is “the ‘Beast’ that sits on many waters” –
Aptly called “The Fourth Reich” it seeks to bring world powers under its allegiance – culminating in enforced religious “laws” where all the inhabitants of earth will be obliged to adhere to – regardless of geography, religion, ethnic group, class or creed.
Social historians and anthropologists agree that most definitional interpretations of “Reich” is “German State” – but the conceptual place from which this notion originates does not infer a relation to what is today the country of Germany, but rather an ancient allusion to the Germanic Lands occupied by the Goths, Ostrogoths, Franks, Heruli, Bavarians, Alamans, Saxons and other barbarian people. The “Reich” is then best described as a crossbreed between a State and a confederation based on religious grounds – except for the latter, (not being unlike the EU of today).
A house divided against cannot stand. These were the fateful words of Jesus. Christianity today is divided among fiercely divergent sects, groups, denominations and viewpoints, nearly all of which are narrow-minded at best and pleased to condemn each other at worst.
Christianity has become exclusive instead of inclusive – narrow, instead of visionary. It has made God out to be either a fiend or a power-deficient weakling who saves a select few, and condemns the rest of His creation to an eternity of Hell. How absurd! Is this “Someone” any of us would be inclined to worship and to serve?
Most postmodern religions (and over the many centuries) including the disciples of Jesus have fallen into the same demon-inspired lies as those held by the heathen man-made religions.
The Angel of Revelation 18:2-5 tells of the Fall of (spiritual) Babylon – that great city had become the hideout of demons and evil spirits, a nest for filthy buzzards and a den for dreadful beasts. For all the nations had drunk of the wine of passionate immorality. The rulers of the world have committed adultery with her and the merchants of the world have grown rich as a result of her luxurious living. Christ is asking His people to come out of her and to not partake of her sins lest they be punished with her for her sins are piled as high as Heaven and God is ready to judge her for her evil deeds.
Digital image by Judy Green
It seems the biggest irony that Pope Benedict XV a German should be under pressure at this time because of the role the Catholic has played in covering up sex offences through the years. Perhaps now more than at any time in recent history the moral authority of the Church is being challenged. Other denominations may want to believe that they are absolved from the growing public perception that problems in the Church is confined to one or the other. The reality of the situation is that the perception of the Church is probably seen by many as having a more amorphous meaning. The Church still represents to many the moral anchor, the possibility that it maybe losing its relevance at a time when cultural relativism is on the rise continues to be a big concern to many.
In 1989 the dismantling of the Berlin Wall signalled the end of the cold war period, Reagan the Capitalist had triumphed over Gorbachev the Communist, from their current locations they both might agree it was truly an epiphanous event. Some are wondering at this Eastertide if Pope Benedict XV will demonstrate the courage to use his position to signal to the world once and for all that the Catholic Church is ready to exorcise the sex demon which continues to besmirch the work of the Church. Twenty years after the felling of the Berlin Wall we live in a world which still wants to believe that there is someone greater, they maybe ready for yet another epiphanous event.
In any society there is always a place for the wise and intellectual among us. One thing we know is that to believe in God requires faith, no amount of debate whether in a docile or rancorous form can change this reality. While some may argue that religion has been used to brainwash the ignorant; there is the value position which some forget religion teaches of good and bad which has played its role in weaving modern day societies now under threat from moral degradation. If we are to believe that religion has no place in the emerging multicultural societies the question must be answered – What will replace it?
Today’s Nation newspaper in what history may record as a tipping point in the national conversation on race relations in Barbados published a story titled, Hindus want to spread the word. The opening paragraph of the article summarized the gist of the message; HINDUS IN BARBADOS want to spread their religion and customs throughout the country to the point of convincing Government to grant national holidays for the observance of Hindu festivals. BU would have warned Barbadians for the past three years that this day would come. To quote BU family member Jay, I want to say emphatically that this “Guyana society” must be absolutely nuts to try something like this.If you want your “observance” why not go where it is already recognized……in Guyana.It makes me wonder if this is being done on purpose to hurt the image of Barbados & to have a more conciliatory Government.Just like what has happen currently in Australia.They can already observe the day,why is a “national holiday required” ?
In recent days we have seen an escalation in the immigration rhetoric from David Commisiong and Norman Faria. Now we have this article published by the Nation which touches the prevailing sensitivity linked to the immigration Indo Guyanese issue. It is no secret that there is a group who has tag teamed to lobby the interest of others at the expense of what the majority of Barbadians want. Does it matter that Barbados has a Black host population of over 80% which has been exemplary in charting the course of this country in our post independence period? We survey other countries blessed with more resources than us but who continue to be mired in economic, political and religious strife.
It is eerie the path which Barbados is beginning to embark. It seems like only yesterday when a similar conversation started in Trinidad. If we were to scan Trinidad’s Public Holidays for 2010 we note there is a Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Indian Arrival Day, Corpus Christi, Id al Fitr (End of Ramadan), Divali (Hindu Festival of Light), Christmas Day and Christmas Day. The Trinidad and Tobago population mix is weighted more towards 50:50 Blacks and others. To this day T&T continues to be challenged by the multi-racial composition of its population. Barbados has the opportunity to define the type of society it wants based on the experience of others. Why should we rush knowingly into a situation when the evidence is available to provide a heads-up?
Any truly valid interpretation of Scripture must be based upon sound rules. These rules must then be applied consistently. The following are the most basic rules we attempt to always follow in our interpretation of Scripture. We do not feel at liberty to discard these rules when they lead us to a conclusion in contradiction to what ‘orthodoxy’ has taught us. We instead endeavour to allow the scriptures to speak for themselves and believe by faith whatever conclusions they may lead us to.
I It will be assumed that the 39 books of the Old Testament, and the 27 Books of the New Testament are the wholly inspired Word of God. “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Tim 3:17.
II The Bible itself will always be used to define its own terminology, symbols, etc. No appeal will be made to any man-made dogma, theory, or writing, such as the apocrypha or psudopygrypha, to explain Biblical terms which are already clearly defined within the Bible itself.
III The proper interpretation of any given passage will be determined, not only by that with which it stands immediately connected, but by considering all scriptures which have bearing upon the subject throughout the entire Bible . The truth of any given subject can only be determined by bringing together all scripture which sheds light on that subject.
IV Every passage will be given as literal an interpretation as possible, unless such a literal interpretation would render the meaning absurd, or bring it into disagreement with other passages which speak in positive language.
V No interpretation will be given to any scripture beyond what the fair meaning of the text itself allows. For Example: Carcass cannot in any case be interpreted to mean immortal soul burning in hell.
VI All passages belonging to any particular subject must contain one or more of the peculiar features of that subject, by which it may be identified as belonging to that subject.
VII The truth of any doctrine must be determined firstly by those passages which speak in clear and positive language, and not those which are symbolic or parabolic in nature. No inference should be drawn from any symbolic or parabolic passage which would bring the passage into contradiction with those which speak unequivocally on the same subject.
VIII No doctrine will be derived based on a single passage of scripture, a mere inference, or an argument from silence. Any true doctrine will found throughout the entire Bible.
Fundamental Rules for Interpreting Scripture
The Crucifix, a cross with the corpus (Body of Christ), is an ancient symbol used within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches, in contrast with some Protestant sects, which use only a simple cross-Wikipedia
World citizens, especially Christians following the case of a British Airways check-in assistant Nadia Eweida versus British Airways (BA) would have been extremely disappointed she lost her appeal.
In a nutshell the basis for the court case:
Eweida, a part-time check-in assistant since 1999, complained about anti-Christian bias after BA introduced a new uniform in 2004 and prohibited the wearing of any adornment around the neck. When she refused to cover up her crucifix, she was sent home and remained unpaid from September 2006 until February 2007.
The positive coming out of the affair is that BA was forced to change its uniform policy and to allow staff to display a faith or charity symbol with the uniform. Unfortunately for Eweida the lost of her appeal on Friday means her claim for lost of earnings of £120,000 has become a pipe dream. The challenge in law affecting this matter as reported is problems which can arise when an individual asserts that a…practice adopted by an employer conflicts with beliefs which they hold, but which may not only not be shared but may be opposed by others in the workforce.
We, my wife and myself, recently attended a funeral in Barbados. We have attended many, and understand how important a funeral is to many Barbadians. The deceased person was the brother of a good friend of ours, and we were attending to give our friend some support, and, as we so often say, to renew our contact with him even though the circumstances were very sad.
The service proceeded according to the order of service given to us, and the eulogy was delivered. The next item, according to the order of service, was to be a tribute from his brother, our friend. However, whoever was on the public address system said that the next item would be a solo singing rendition, from someone else. By this time, our friend had arrived at the rostrum, and he turned to the announcer and said, with the microphone in his hand, that the announcement was a mistake, and that according to the order of service, which we all held in our hands (I estimate a four to five hundred attendance in the church), he was now to give a tribute to his dead brother.
We have never ever witnessed at a funeral what happened next! As our friend asserted his right to give a tribute, the minister of the church, robes flowing, nearly physically assaulted our friend, and stopped his presentation. The minister forcibly took the microphone out of our friend’s hands.
One of the greatest historical deceptions of all times is the refusal of mainstream Christianity as well as secular society to accept and advocate the original Black pre-eminence and presence in the Bible. This historical seismic rift created a fabrication of diabolical proportions which has ebbed and flowed for the last 4000 years right up to our present time.
Jesus’ First Advent came at a critical time when the final 2000 year epoch of human history was to begin the process of bringing home the lost sons and daughters of Israel back into a harmonious relationship with their God (Yah) – that they had long forgotten and had rebelled against for centuries. This process would eventually culminate with the sealing of 144,000 – 12,000 from each of the 12 Tribes who will not see death, but will be translated at the end of human history – when Jesus will appear the second time in the eastern sky with over a trillion angels enshrouded with majesty that no eye has ever beheld.
Meantime, the house of God remains in a pile of rubble. The walls broken down. No agreement to be found. The sanctuary defiled. The priests and prophets lie – preaching and teaching to their own means and the followers seem to like it so. While the vast throng of God’s people are living in deception, apathy and disbelief because godliness and righteousness is enshrouded (wrapped up) in fickle, baseless religiosity with no real knowledge of God in the land.
BU for sometime has featured many blogs on the obvious tension which continues to grip the world caused perhaps by the clash of the two dominant religions – Islam and Christianity. Our concern as a small island which is significantly dependant on tourism is the looming impact current tensions may have on our tourist industry.
On Christmas day we had the attempt by a Nigerian who attempted to explode a North Western flight as it was about to land in Detroit, USA. Today (27 December 2009) the world again tensed-up when a North Western flight from Amsterdam to Detroit alerted the authorities of a possible danger and emergency action was triggered as a result.
Our regional leaders need to anticipate that in a post-911 era the world will have to live in Code Orange mode edging to Red and global travel will become increasingly challenging. How will the security weary tourist react to security measures which are becoming more and more cumbersome? The video above exposes the challenge Western governments now face in battling a growing threat by people who are sympathetic to the Islamic view. While the focus of past terrorists incidents have been located in the USA and parts of Europe, the footprint of the threat is expanding. It is not BU’s intention to stereotype one group of people but the obvious reality cannot be ignored in the aftermath of recent events.
Unfortunately this part of the world our media is reluctant to tackle issues which touches race and religion because of the sensitive nature of it all. At some point our leaders in this region, media et al will have to assess the impact of the unravelling issue of growing tensions between Islam and the rest of the world.
Of interest to the BU family is the following comment posted to an earlier blog which was posted to represent the Islam religion in a non-stereotypical view.
Today’s headline in the Nation newspaper features the sudden closure of the Drakes Christian School formerly the Elijah At Shiloh Christian School Inc. We must confess that we received the email quoted below from the owners of the school earlier in the week and decided to spend sometime doing some background investigative work. Given our limited resources it has taken more time than we would have preferred but given the release of the story by the Nation newspaper we have decided to counter the sensationalism which Melissa Rock and her counterparts have brought to this story.
In the very long letter which the Drakes submitted to BU they have clearly articulated the issues as they see them. But is there more to this story? Did the Nation reporter Milissa Rock apply the five W’s? Based on our limited investigation we challenge the Nation newspaper that they even applied 3 W’s.
We are concerned that the Nation headline story paints a picture given by a few parents, who are rightly outraged, that their children of special needs will be displaced given the sudden decision to close the school. BU questions the decision by the Drakes to close the school with such a short notice period. We further question the high staff turnover rate which the school has experienced in recent years. Maybe the Nation reporter should have done an interview with some of the teachers who have departed to get a more balanced view. We question why the Nation would break this story and no mention of the letter quoted below is made. We question why several parents have removed their children from the Drakes Christian school after questioning the learning environment which exist at the School. Finally we question why the school would have been closed so soon after sending correspondence to the Prime Ministers Office dated 20 March 2008.
Given the length of the letter we will not add to it but we have a difficulty reconciling many of the issues cited by Drakes in the letter and what is reported in the Nation article. Hopefully the Drakes can come to BU and clarify these issues.
Here is the preamble to the letter received from the principals of Elijah-at-Shiloh Christian School Inc formerly Drake’s Christian School.
Dear friends:
I am going to be sending you by separate cover a letter to the Prime Minister regarding the closure of My School. I built this school from an enrollment of 5 to 72. It is a devastating loss to us and also to the parents of this School. The Powers that be DO NOT WANT effective Special Education for children in Barbados. Those of us in the industry are well aware of that.
The letter to the PM documents the sad story. I am hopeful that you will share it with the Barbadian Public. At this point I have no need to be anonymous. You have full permission to use our names.
Yours truly,
Read full text of the letter purported to have been submitted by the principals of the Drakes Christian School to the Prime Minister of Barbados
Was at the world-famous Kensington Oval cricket ground today, along with thousands of Barbadians to witness the public ’swearing-in’ of the new Democratic Labour Party Cabinet before the Governor General.
It was obviously a celebratory occasion for most but remarkably in today’s world it was an essentially ‘Christian ceremony’ with much prayer, singing and dance, with church leaders giving keynote exhortations and which seems to mark a strong change from the former Government’s stance of embracing religious pluralism. Cynically the danger of this is an outward show of religion for political purposes but one sensed here more genuine motives than that and certainly the opportunity given to the heart-felt prayers of the good cross section of church leaders was more than could be expected in most countries of the world. All in all, a remarkable occasion
with much potential for good, although we are in a nation which still retains much outward religious activity which can inoculate people against catching the real thing! Let us pray that the vows publicly made today in God’s presence will be honoured and this Government really will seek the guidance of God in these globally troubled times.
Source: Rowland Whitehead’s Webblog
It has been some years since the disestablishment of the Anglican Church in Barbados. They are some who will say that the slide in the morals of the Barbados society maybe traced to that period. Whether this is true or not is left to others decidedly more learned than the batty folks in the BU household to ponder. Maybe our friend Bush Tea will be able to delve into his repertoire of many theories to offer up a basis for a meaty discussion point on the subject. At the ‘swearing-in’ ceremony yesterday, Barbadians who witnessed it were able to make a ‘connection’, call it spiritual, call it connecting to something familiar; call it what you want but something ‘greater’ emerged last evening at the controversial Kensington Oval in our opinion.
Did you feel it too?
Young church goers between the ages of 10 and 25 in Barbados are having sexual intercourse. And some church leaders are uncomfortable talking about the subject. According to Chief Executive Officer and General Secretary of the Evangelical Association of the Caribbean Dr. Gerald Seale, it’s no secret that youth within churches are having sex. Dr. Seale says church leaders must not fear talking to the young people and by extension their congregation about sex and the dangers of HIV/AIDS. He says over 400 letters were sent to churches across the island inviting them to participate in a study on sex in the Church but only 50 sent representatives. Evidence that sex is still taboo within the church.
Source: CBC
Last month we posted the very popular article, The Church’s Big Secret which in a nutshell questioned the fading role of the Church in our society and in our opinion the consequential issues which we believe are linked to it. The pluralistic nature of our modern society obviously made this issue a controversial and contentious one, but the thrust of our point remains valid. The willingness of our society to push the church in the background, we are seeing the full effect of it. The ‘cover-up’ of the failure of our leaders to influence the behaviour and lifestyles of our people, especially the young is now being exposed. The data which is now overwhelming us from many sources clearly indicate that HIV/AIDS is growing at a frenetic pace. In other words, it is an epidemic and although infected people are living longer because of the advances in modern medicine, the rate of infection continues unabated.
Why have we restated a known position?
For the simple reason that the General Secretary of the Evangelical Association of the Caribbean has come out of the closet to confirm what we have been saying all along. The Church which historically has been the entity that has held its hand up as the caretaker of the spiritual well being of our society appears to be badly under-performing. In fact we have to deliver a Grade F. It is not a discussion friends, it is an admission by the Church. We have known for sometime that the inclination of our young Christian flock to readily integrate with the prevailing secular lifestyle is now enshrined behaviour. Some of you will no doubt say that fornication and adultery has been happening in the Church since Adam was the proverbial lad, and you would be right! The difference here is that it is an uncivilized idiot and a fool who would engage in a behaviour which is self-destructive and continue with it, UNCHANGED! No we are not talking about the primal behaviour of uncivilized animals. We are talking about HUMANS that most civilized of the Animal Kingdom.
They cite verses from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible to support their position, including Genesis 9 vs 3-4: “Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. As in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to you. Only flesh with its soul—its blood—you must not eat.”
Acts 15:28-29 says: “For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favoured adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things, to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosper. Good health to you!”
Source: Times Online
One reason why many people have become disillusioned with religion might be traced to the actions of some “religious groups” which often defy logic and common sense. The explanation or excuse usually offered is that the religious group followed the tenets of their faith. One such example is a story which appeared in the Times Online last week which highlighted the story of a 22 year old mother who died because her family (husband) refused to allow the hospital to perform a blood transfusion after a difficult delivery of twins. We should mention that the mother had signed a form prior to delivery refusing a blood transfusion in the event the doctors felt it was needed.
We know that we are stepping on the ‘corns’ of individuals who will be quick to say that all people should have the right to practice the doctrines of the religion of their choice. Isn’t it decreed in the constitutions of any self respecting democratic country? We respect all religions, but the ‘feeling’ we have always gotten when exposed to many of them is their healthy respect for human life, in fact human life is always attributed to the preserve of God or some higher being. It begs the question, why is it that the decision of a young husband and other family members can in such a whimsical fashion be responsible for the death of the mother of new born children? Ok, we will strike the word whimsical! Why is it, as in this case, a Jehovah Witness family could decree that a young member and mother of their flock should die, and as a consequence two children are ‘robbed’ of the presence of a maternal presence for the rest of their lives? We are sorry if we cannot compute what was allowed to happen in this case.
To provide balance to our opinion this is what the JW’s had to say at the funeral of the deceased 22 year old mother:
The discussion coming out of our article on HIV/AIDS last Wednesday has yet again caused us to place the Church under the microscope, and to question the fading role which it is playing in our society. There was a time when the majority of young people could be found at Sunday school involved in one or several activities within the church; youth groups, singing in the choir, Church Lads Brigade, etc. We feel that we can say that the Church was an extension of the family and it was not uncommon for the parish priest or pastor to be intimately involved in the decision making of many households within the parish.
It is not our intention to use the argument that one has to be religious to have wholesome values. However, we all accepted that by attending Church there was a discipline acquired which was an inevitable influence on our young, impressionable minds and bodies back then. We anticipate the arguments which will come back to us and we agree that moralizing will not stave-off the morass which the HIV/AIDS problem has deposited our society. The problem is complex and must be attacked on many fronts. We know that factors such as parental delinquency, vacillating policymakers, schools which teach children how to pass examinations and not how to be rounded citizens, and many others factors all combine create some of the societal ills which we are currently battling. In the BU household we subscribe to the view that our political directorate and the church are failing modern societies.
In Barbados, how often have we heard of the Church covering wrong doings from the public? They engage in adultery, fornication and other practices which are suppose to be frowned on by Christian minded people. Recently, we heard about an elder at one of the Seventh Day Adventist Church who paid to send a woman who was impregnated by his son to the USA. This was done to remove the embarrassment which the unwed girl who was known to be the girl friend of the elder’s son. One year later, the two returned to the flock after getting married in the USA. They all lived happily ever after.
We don’t intend to judge people on how they choose to live their lives, whether Christians or Heathens. However, we think it is the duty of all right thinking citizens to demand that the Church in our societies practice transparency. If it becomes known that ANY Church is engaged in activities which counter the teaching of the Church, or conflict with the expectations of the wider society, we believe that it should be questioned and exposed to the public. For example, over the years the Catholic Church has been exposed as a denomination which has perpetrated sexual abuse on its congregation by priests who had sworn to be celibate. It is only in recent years that the public has muster up the courage to speak-out on the issue of homosexuality and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Many men walking around today have had to live with the scares caused by the sexual abuse of Catholic priest!
If we appear to be scathing in our criticism of the Church be assured that it is deliberate. The Church in the history of mankind has always played a pivotal role in developing our societies. In ancient societies, the First Estate of the Realm was the clergy! Image our horror when we read of yet another sordid episode; this time perpetrated by the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Here is a snippet of the story:
Senator Hillary Clinton’s Conclusion About Gays
Reading Jake Tapper’s Political Punch on ABC News – we find that Senator Hillary Clinton has no “verbal” commitment about gays. This morning on Good Morning, America, Senator Clinton was asked about the comments by General Peter Pace that homosexuality is “immoral.” Clinton has opposed the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, so I asked her if that law — signed by her husband in 1993 — was a mistake, and if homosexuality is “immoral.”
Senator Clinton said:
“General Pace has clarified his remarks, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is not working,” she said. “We are being deprived of thousands of patriotic men and women who want to serve their country who are bringing skills into the armed services that we disparately need, like translation skills. And one can argue whether it was a good idea when it was first implemented, but we know have evidence as to the fact that we are in a time of war — when we really need as many people as we can to recruit and retain in an all-volunteer army — we are turning people away or discharging them not because of what they’ve done but because of who they are.”Then she was asked, “But is it immoral?”
Senator Clinton replied:
“Well I’m going to leave that to others to conclude,” she said. “I’m very proud of the gays and lesbians I know who perform work that is essential to our country, who want to serve their country and I want make sure they can.”Now there’s a woman who has no balls…oh, no I mean no tits! Hmmm, well you get the picture. I know our X isn’t going next to her name!
If we wanted to examine a glaring example of what is wrong with the world we live in today, it can be seen by examining the statement by USA Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. This public display of vacillating on an issue which has the potential to destroy the world is endemic of the modern day politician. The discussions will continue on how homosexuality will be integrated into our societies. One thing is certain, when we fuse the modern day lifestyle which is devoid of the traditional value systems previously shaped by religion and traditions, the prognosis appears to be that the tensions will continue.
Does Your Mama Know?: 4 in 10 Americans Have Gay Family/Friend
The Pew Research Center just released a new study showing 4 in 10 people in America has a gay or lesbian family member or close friend. So you’re asking “so what?”
Look children. This blog can’t be all shits and giggles. Sometimes I gotta give you the news.
From Pew: In the past four decades, growing numbers of gays have come out of the closet and into the mainstream of American life. As a consequence, 4-in-10 Americans now report that some of their close friends or family members are gays or lesbians, according to a recent national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
About half of all women, young people, college graduates, political liberals and mainline Protestants say that someone close to them is gay, the survey found. But significantly fewer men, conservative Republicans and older Americans report that a good friend or family member is homosexual.
An analysis of survey results suggests that familiarity is closely linked to tolerance. People who have a close gay friend or family member are more likely to support gay marriage and they are also significantly less likely to favor allowing schools to fire gay teachers than are those with little or no personal contact with gays, the poll found.
What was interesting to me also was that the numbers seemed to be about the same across race, geographic region, and religion. The biggest disparities were across age, and religious affiliation–younger heteros knew more queers (excuse me. GAYS and LESBIANS), and Conservatives knew fewer.
The second quote provides an insight into what our “liberal” societies will evolve to. The US society is renown as one of the most liberal in the world, with laws that support the rights of individuals to do all manner of things. The big question is if a Barbadian society would want to mirror what we are witnessing in the USA?
