MONTEGO BAY, St James — EVEN as the country gets ready to celebrate Emancipation Day next Monday, some pastors in western Jamaica are concerned that the society is still shackled by a depraved mentality that has manifested itself in skin bleaching, widespread corruption in public life and other negative phenomena.

“A society is not truly emancipated if it has to resort to a State of Emergency, because with God as the Master there would be freedom from crime and violence because there would be enough fear in your heart for God,” said Abu Ibrahiim of the Montego Bay Masjiid.

“We are not emancipated. The only way we will be truly emancipated is when we turn back to our Creator, He is our only slave master and the only one who deserves to be given worship and to be respected. Once we turn to Him and do all of these things then therefore we will have freedom,” he added.

In a commentary expressing dissatisfaction with the country’s rate of progress, Dr Knollis King, who pastors the Rose Heights United Full Gospel Church of God, told the Observer West that a collaboration was needed between religious leaders, politicians and the private sector.

“The man who controls the money in Jamaica, controls the politicians. The politician has his own territory, the religious man has his own way, the businessman sets up boundaries also, everybody is territorial,” he said.

According to King, the society is in desperate need of re-education as the current state of ignorance, especially where identity is concerned is blocking progress.

“If we are not clear who we are, then we are going to call ourselves shottas , gunmen and so on. The Black Man doesn’t want to be himself. In a biblical sense the Black Man is the only one who fulfils the description of God in a physical sense in that he declares that He has hair like wool and skin like brass that has been burned in fire. Yet people would bleach to change the colour of their skin because of the negative things they are taught about themselves. Without identity there is no purpose, so we are going to have to find ourselves in the Almighty and know we are spiritual beings,” he said.

Charles Brevitt, pastor of West Jamaica Conference also expressed concern.

“I really don’t think we are truly emancipated I think that intellectually we are still enslaved. You are hard-pressed even among our learned people to find independent thinkers and consequently waggonists are a dime a dozen. People jump to support individuals who promise them betterment on a platter whether in the church, in community or in employing organisations. People are easily excited by promises of betterment on a platter and that is one of the reasons why con men and scam artistes succeed so readily. People don’t realise if it is too good to be true it maybe is not true. And so we have a long way to go. True emancipation can only come when each man sees his inherent worth; realises that indigenous is as good as imported; and that the nation’s destiny is but one block at a time with each citizen’s contribution. Then we wouldn’t need the politicians, the State of Emergency or foreign aid. All the raw materials we need are resident in our minds and in our energies in our creativity and in our coming together as one people,” he said.

Oniel Russell, the pastor of the Mount Sinani Church in Waterworks, Westmoreland also said the recently concluded State of Emergency was incompatible with the concept of Emancipation.

“While the State of Emergency was probably necessary to flush out gunmen, the police abused their power and trampled on the rights of the people,” he said. That is not freedom; it reminds me of the ‘Bucky Master’ (slavery) days,” he stressed.

Russell also condemned the skin-bleaching phenomena as well as the country’s dependence on foreign aid and failure to unite around a common goal.

Pastor of the Montego Bay — based Trumpet Call Ministries International Mary Wildish-Reece believes that the country has come a far way since slavery was abolished, but argues that more needs to be done.

“I think that we have come a long way from the time of slavery and I am grateful, but the greatest emancipation that we need as a country is the emancipation of our minds to change the way we think about ourselves and to bring back honour and dignity to ourselves as a people,” she argued.

But this Wildish-Reece said, can only be achieved “ by living God’s principles”.

“The only way that is can be achieved is by walking out the principles of God and I believe that the Church needs to have a greater voice in Jamaica,” she emphasised.

Dorrett Blake, the pastor of the Sold Out Ministries, also based in Montego Bay, believes that many in the society are enslaved mentally.

“We are enslaved to wrong desires, covetousness and greed. Many of us are enslaved to “Me”. We focus on ourselves and pay little or no attention to the poor and the oppressed. We have become oblivious to the injustice around us and have become slaves to our own desires and comfort,” she stressed.

Blake, whose ministry operates in several of Montego Bay’s inner-city communities, catering to the homeless, abandoned and neglected, said the Government needs to lead the way in providing much-need assistance to the disenfranchised.

“There are a lot of neglected persons on the streets…. some are deportees who have no families; some are youths who have dropped out of schools so we need to pay more attention to their needs and give them an opportunity,” she said.