EDITORIAL - Time to get back to God

For some time now, there have been calls for God to be brought back into society, but more importantly, into the schools.

It was not that long ago that principals and teachers embraced Religious Knowledge as one of the core subjects to be taught to their classes. Older generations generally speak fondly of a time when schools answered to their respective churches and Religious Knowledge was mandatory. Nowadays, most welcome the fact that our country is progressing on par with other developed countries, however, they lament that many may be losing out on the values that go hand in hand with understanding God and His teachings as, not surprisingly, precedence is given to the glitz and glamour of significant advancements in science and technology.

Much of the time we hear the fault being placed on the home structures, with parents not having time to take their charges to church or even taking time to bring up their children in a Christian atmosphere. We also hear of the shortcomings of Government and their lack of encouragement with regard to spiritual guidance among our citizens. Indeed, the dissemination of knowledge pertaining to God requires a multi-pronged approach as it relates to our population. It requires that all people of all faiths commit to pulling this country back to its strong underpinnings of religion.

There are incidents which occur occasionally that remind us that while free education is still important to the development of Barbados, there is evidence that it is being ‘squandered’.

It is necessary that the Church be a part of the healing process and be the leaders in the teachings of Christ. This is where church leaders and their congregations must get involved. There are reports from the disenchanted who have stopped attending church that speak of church goers who are not receptive to some types of ‘outsiders’ nor do they welcome them without prejudice. If there is prejudice originating in that place which is meant to represent the House of God, how can we then promote in our society those values which are Godlike and right?

Many have blamed the rise in crime and the changes in the types of crime being committed on the glaring movement away from God, citing the fact that the persons engaged in such behaviour do not seem to recognise or believe in a ‘higher power’. They have therefore apparently become a power/law unto themselves. Perhaps it would be instructive for Barbados to study closely those countries which have ceased to have Religious Education as a part of their curriculum because of their political and social make-up. They have found it ‘advantageous’ and ‘necessary’ to the society to separate God and State. Is that realistic in a country the size of Barbados?

Every year we focus on the need to return to religion, especially through multi-faith services where leaders of every denomination stress the need to unite with God. However, will anything be done differently this year to really promote unity?

We are a largely Christian society, and while we should not infringe on the rights of other faiths to practise their religions in Barbados, the time has come for us to pay more attention to teaching values, especially in our schools. The precedent has already been set for others to be excused during assemblies and periods of religious instruction. Without the necessary values that this subject teaches, we run the risk of allowing our society to continue on a downhill moral slide.

Our father of Independence, the Rt. Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, asked us what mirror image we see of ourselves. We still do not seem to have come up with the answer.