Did God make this and every tragedy happen?

Tue Feb 24, 2015

Editor: Permit me an observation, a view that will undoubtedly be challenged, but an informed opinion nonetheless.

It has been recorded that the bulk of the population of St Vincent chooses to categorize itself as Pentecostal, and a small fragment as Spiritual Baptist. There are of course, many other Christian denominations and others that fall into lesser pieces of the pie.{{more}}

“God’s will” is an expression used by many, if not most, of the parents and/or relatives of the lost and missing, and indeed of the survivors, of the tragedy at Rock Gutter; that is to say it was, by extension, absolving any human culpability of the Government responsibility for road maintenance, or a designated bus transport for locally attending school-children. Government’s belated action to remedy this notwithstanding, this absolution seems to me to extend politically.

The same people support PM Gonsalves, for the very reason (or lack of reason) that they ignore Government responsibility for all that has befallen our country in the last

15 years. It is all “God’s Will.”

Government duty, control, responsibility are all effaced when confronted with tragedy. Did God make this and every tragedy happen? Is Government automatically relieved of any guilt? If Government chooses not to fix a road or provide really necessary and appropriate transportation for schoolchildren in remote areas, choosing to use their assets elsewhere, does that relieve them of culpability? The answer of some seems to be “yes.” And a majority of certain aspects of the religious community seems to support that view.

Where does that put our country in terms of the up-coming election? To follow “God’s Elect,” God’s chosen — immune from human judgment or evaluation? No failure of Government action or policy can be held against the Chosen One; flooded rivers, washed away homes and attendant loss of life due to Government failure to institute needed and historically called-for preventive action, out of control domestic violence and child abuse, incompetent and/or corrupt public housing operations, political victimization — all are “God’s will”? Uh-huh, that’s right, and Hallelujah!

May their God help us all!

HJA