Churches hold march against immorality

Minister of National Reconciliation, Public Service, Information, Labour and Ecclesiastical affairs Maxwell Charles has called on churches to let their voices be heard on matters affecting society.{{more}}

Charles made the call on Sunday, April 10, at a march and rally called ‘Stomp’.

“Sometimes the Church is too silent. We have a mandate, but yet sometimes we are silent,” Charles said.

Put on by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Youth For Christ (YFC) and led by the Royal St.Vincent Police Force Band, persons from churches in and around the Campden Park community marched from the Questelles Police Station to the Campden Park Hardcourt, in an effort to stomp out crime and violence in the community.

The march was held under the theme: ‘Stomping immoralities in our community, proclaiming the name of Jesus’. However, the inclement weather forced the rally to the Wesleyan Holiness Church.

Charles told the congregation that the church needs to be more vocal on issues of pre-marital sex, abstinence, fornication, dishonesty and adultery.

Charles noted that the church has a mandate to fulfill and should be able to speak out on matters that affect the community, especially the young children. “When society is going in the wrong direction, we have to have a responsibility to show them the right way,” he stated.

He was also of the opinion that society has found other ways of calling sin by its name. “Today, the heinous sins of yesteryear are called by different names today, names that are more acceptable…names that would foster a a better relationship between deviant persons and the norms of society,” Charles stated.

“We no longer call homosexuals by that name; instead we say they are people of alternate lifestyles. We call a thief a kleptomaniac. Society is not calling sin by its right name. Sin is given different forms of the same sin continue to grow and expand in our community,” Charles added.

Co-ordinator of the march and rally Shawn Roberts said the march was held because of a recent incident, where a 10 year-old girl from the district was dragged from her house and raped. Roberts said he spoke to God during one of his devotions to give him directions on what he should do.

“I am really happy to see so many people turned out today and stand up for their communities as we fight the good fight,” Roberts said.

Chairman of the YFC Fidel Taylor told the gathering that such crimes should not go unpunished. He added that those who have been given the responsibility as parents must be clear that there is no law that permits them to abuse a child.

“Our children must be taught about love and how to care and these are things that are lacking in SVG,” Taylor stressed.

Taylor said when these acts of crimes are committed against children, they are not only being harmed, but teaching them to do likewise. “This is a cycle that needs to be broken. This is something that needs to be stopped,” Taylor emphasised.

He called on other organisations to stand up and stomp out crimes of immorality against children. Taylor also opined that the only way such crimes can be prevented is by educating children. “They need to be educated to break the cycle. If we only punish it and don’t educate people about it, it is only going to continue,” Taylor said.

Other brief remarks came from Police Officer ASP Joseph, while others led with songs. Pastor Edgar Toussaint delivered the sermon.