My prayers

Are not words duly hallowed, nor my wishes

More worth than empty vanities,

Yet prayers and wishes

Are all I can return.

— Shakespeare, Henry VIII, 11,3

WHY do we pray, and who do we pray to? Do prayers really work, and if two people pray for the same thing, why does one get it and the other doesn’t?

Mankind, throughout the ages, has been very religious, from the ancient civilisations such as the Druids and others who worshipped nature itself, as they prayed to the Sun, Moon and the stars. Ra was the name of the Sun God in ancient Egypt. There were many others as people always sought some deity to worship. Many worshipped idols.

It was Karl Marx who said, “Religion is the opiate of the masses”, and we all know what an opiate is. It’s a balm, a salve, something that affects your mind and keeps you calm even as it offers reassurance. It’s akin to a drug, and in fact some people use drugs as their opiate.

Such is the force of religion, and clearly, mankind of whatever stripe, colour, race or creed, needs to embrace some form of religion to survive as a society.

That’s where we’ll delve today as we tackle some hard religious talk, right after these responses to ‘Parenthood’.

Hi Tony,

Monkey see, monkey do. Children will follow the bad examples set by their parents, or they suffer the lack of any good examples that children need for a proper upbringing. Too often fathers leave the parenting to the mothers, when both should be involved, and likewise, the mothers believe parenting of sons should be administered by the father who, for the most part, is absent.

Today’s parents lack the parenting skills needed to rear their kids, so those children have even less skills in that art. God help them all.

Frederick

Hey Tony,

Referring to your column, I came across an article in the National Post newspaper, where two girls who were being bullied by two other girls filed a lawsuit against the parents of the bullies. It’s being claimed that the parents are liable for their children’s behaviour because they failed to take steps to prevent the harassment. In law, that’s deemed negligence. Personally, I believe parents should be held accountable for their children’s actions up to age 16, after which the child is legally held accountable and tried as an adult.

Wickham,

Toronto, Canada

It is said that two things you should never argue about are politics and religion. That is so true, as people who belong to those factions will always try to impose their beliefs on you but refuse to hear what you have to say. No wonder many people think that their customs are the laws of nature. “If you don’t share my beliefs, then something must be wrong with you.”

I know this lady who is mortified that a family member of hers has taken up another religion or denomination in her old age. “How could you switch from a good Methodist background to join that denomination?” is her cry. That other denomination does not celebrate birthdays, Christmas, or allows blood transfusions.

They spend hours on the phone trying to convince each other who is right and who is wrong. But remember what I said, it’s an exercise in futility, for one can never argue religion, as neither side will budge.

I also remember my late grandmother, who was a staunch old-time Baptist, almost having a conniption because her sister had converted to Islam. Oh, how they used to argue, but to no avail. Hopefully they’re both at peace now in the same place.

Also, the worst person to encounter is a new convert, as they are so strident and vocal in their beliefs that you’ll never get a word in edgewise. When I watch Ian Boyne’s TV programme, Religious Hard Talk, I am amazed at the vast array of religious sects, creeds, groups, churches, orders that exist. Every single one of them is convinced that their way is the only true way and all the others are doomed for eternity.

This goes back for centuries, and if you read history, you’ll see that the birth of many religious groups came after certain factions broke away from the Catholic Church in Rome and were deemed as Protestants. And even among the Protestants there is also dissent and infighting, as everyone thinks that their way is the only way and the only path to heaven.

More lives have been lost in religious wars throughout history than almost all the other wars combined. The crusades of Europe added so much to that carnage. Millions of people were persecuted, imprisoned, exiled, executed, all because of their religious beliefs. Modern-day Ireland was divided by religious and political strife up to a few years ago.

The carnage has not stopped, for even now around the world, people are still being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Jesus wept.

Some religions almost border on fanaticism, or so it would seem to those who don’t subscribe to their beliefs. You dare not criticise them or make fun of their leader, or you will be put to death. That’s another thing, if you know that certain people have such strong beliefs about their prophet, messiah or deity, why interfere or make fun of them? It’s akin to provoking a sleeping tiger and then wonder why he got angry.

For others, their daughters are banished or even killed if they bring shame to the family. Shame can include being raped, and for that, ‘honour killings’ by her father or brothers are carried out. I know of parents who disowned their children because they chose to abandon the traditional church and embraced Rastafari. “Imagine, after I send you to good school and invest in you, is Rasta yu take up?”

But why do we need religion, and the people who embrace none, where do they stand? Well, it’s said that we need religion because we have to have faith in something. And faith can move mountains. Those folks who have no beliefs — the agnostics, the atheists, the ungodly — who do they turn to for strength and salvation? “Yu mean to say you don’t believe in anything at all?”

There’s an old saying that goes, “There are no atheists in foxholes”. A foxhole is the hole that soldiers dig to take up their defensive stance. When they come under intense fire from the enemy it can be a harrowing experience, so everyone prays to God for help. In other words, when faced with extreme challenges and crises, everyone finds religion.

It’s been said that it’s better to believe and find out that there is no God, than not believe, only to discover that there is a God. And yet, there are atheists who scoff with equal derision at those who believe in God’s existence. “Show me the proof, show me a miracle. Why does God allow so many terrible things happen to good people?” Those are the frequently asked questions from non-believers.

Sometimes when bad things happen to people, they lose faith, and even curse God. At times they cease believing. I always remember the story of this Rabbi who denounced God and ceased to believe after he witnessed the horrors of the second World War. “There is no God,” he professed. Faith can be shattered.

And yet, many people do not give thanks when good things happen, but put it down to pure luck or their own ability. “I have good health and good fortune, how lucky I am,” say some people. Many still practice idolatry as they worship material things to the point of obsession.

Others simply say, “Thank you Lord, whoever you are.”

Now, religion doesn’t mean going to church, for I have found many noble, honourable, truthful, honest people outside church. In contrast, some of the most vindictive, badmind, judgmental, spiteful, malice-bearing people I know go to church religiously every Sunday. I often ask why, as they fail to practice any of the tenets of what the church preaches and stands for.

I attended a Catholic school, St Aloysious Primary, and took part in the rituals even though I’m not Catholic. I spent years going to Sunday School, and even took Religious Knowledge in high school. I attended churches of various denonimations, but was turned off at one point by those people I mentioned earlier.

But I’m not here to judge. So whatever your beliefs, whether you be Catholic, Hindu, Moslem, Moravian, Baptist, Jehovah’s Witness, Salvation Army, Rastafari or Jew, it’s your right to embrace them. Who knows who is right and who is wrong?

More time.

seido1@hotmail.com

Footnote: It’s said that Jamaica is a religious country and that we have more churches per square mile than any other country in the world. It’s also said that we have an equal amount of rum bars to match. Everyone needs their opiate, and alcohol is a balm to many people.

Now, in the eyes of many, ‘them free up de weed’. Statistics have shown that children as young as 13 are smoking ganja. I even saw where this trend is affecting the workforce. One employer of hundreds of workers spoke about this recently, stating that the increased usage of ganja is affecting her workforce in a negative way.

“When they are tested, over 90 per cent are positive,” she stated. So many rum bars, and now in many minds, the weed free up. Heaven help us all.