Issues of how people view themselves at a deeper level, the duty they owe themselves and others, and how they view the deity they worship, and their relationship to such deity, are spiritual concerns that affect people’s moral behaviour. But based on a tradition, we all know most people have come to rely on religion, or the church, for guidance regarding these matters. Although this is an age-old practice, it does not prevent a close examination of the subject.

With much regard for the guarded influence wielded by churches in Jamaica, it is being suggested that a direct relationship usually obtains between the state of morality and the general belief the country holds regarding religion and/or spirituality, and the church itself. But, at the moment, moral standards are regrettably low, with the level of crime, violence, and mayhem as high as it is.

Even by odious means, people everywhere are ultimately searching for limitless happiness. The church is overwhelmed and alarmed at the situation. But as the established standard-bearer for religion and/or spirituality, isn’t there reason at this time to question whether this institution is failing to recognise its own contribution in propagating the dilemma?

Analysis is suggesting that the general level of belief towards religion is currently low. People should not be blamed for this. The church was entrusted with the responsibility of communicating a morally enriching understanding of the matter. This responsibility was unequivocally reposed in the church. By analogy, if a student is failing to absorb learning, then it is the teacher who necessarily ought to advance some adjustment to move learning along.

The proliferation of larger church edifices throughout Jamaica in recent years, in or closer to volatile communities than elsewhere, has not abated the problem. One should think that the creation of space for more pews, aided by access to communication, would translate into an effective increase in the outreach of the gospel. But while this development may be creating better capacity for enlarged church membership, and an opportunity to increase the offering of tithes and other forms of financial contributions, it has not shown to affect the general spate of moral decay in the society. Instead, we are witnessing a movement in crime and violence in parallel with the expansion of the church.

Then vs now

If church leaders in the past cared less how the majority perceived them and the doctrine they preached, then this attitude appears no longer allowable. The reality that heinous crimes are happening in church aisles, in the full presence of the congregation during worship, is an indication that there are people who are now not afraid to brazenly challenge whatever the society previously held as sacred, formidable, or even impenetrable. The nation appears to be facing a spiritual crisis, and church leaders, for the sake of the credibility of the church and theirs, may need to get behind the veil of this perception and do much better than they have previously done.

For whatever the reason, a myth relating to spirits enveloped the Jamaican society even before any one of us alive today was born, and its effect has done more harm than good to the psyche of the majority of the population. This false notion became entrenched because the church, by not giving the correct spiritual guidance on the matter, tacitly condoned the erroneous belief.

Up until recently, the average ordinary citizen believed that spirits were distinct finite entities, more evil than not, that were separate and apart from the identity one possesses of one’s own self. It was not unusual to hear people speak of outwardly seeing or being haunted by harmful spirits, ghosts, or duppies, as such phantoms are ordinarily described. Folks in deeper rural communities are known to be continuing with this belief. It is not hard to understand why this is so. Low literacy level and mis-education are among the explanations. Another is that the church seems, knowingly or unknowingly, to be continuing along with the myth. But the majority of the citizenry of the country, guided by their own cognition, are clearly removing this veil. As a result of this and other serious misgivings, most people, who the church may want to label as sinners, non-believers, or backsliders, appear to be casting cynicism at the church which may be valid.

The church apart

Most people are uncertain about the aim of religious doctrine and or the meaning of spirituality within the context of the church today. Some folks refer to religion and spirituality interchangeably. But we also find groups claiming spirituality without claim to religiousness.

When one attempts to enquire into the doctrine of religion, it immediately becomes an arduous task, because its paths are so variegated and inundated with litanies of diverse opinions. For example, when we assimilate information from one branch of religion, Christianity, with which we here in this country are predominantly familiar, we immediately come upon countless different churches or denominations, all with their respective rules, edicts, rituals, and ceremonial worships which often fail to converge into a common belief.

Like other religions do, we are aware that Christianity draws its teachings from Holy Scriptures. But we notice that Christians, within and among sects, oftentimes manifest much difference in their interpretation of, and so are at loggerheads about, the same scriptures they all claim to respect. We notice steadfast adherence to religious dogma that appears incongruent with present-day realities. And in spite of a common claim of monotheism, all round, we notice that churches remain at variance because of the absence of unitariness in other aspects of their belief.

This conflicting image of the church does not appear helpful in appeasing the current problem of low morality in the society. If it is doing anything, it is to fuel scepticism about the reliability of the institution.

The church is known to contend that it is “saving souls, or pointing souls to Christ, and one needs only surrender their life to Christ and be saved”. This is a clichéd argument that, upon closer examination, is quite specious, not credible, and bears no truth to reality. It communicates more of the same ignorance. Its reasoning is based on a fictitious promise, and it is time it is exposed.

Let us face it, if the church, through the ongoing expansion of its ministry, is increasingly “saving” souls, shouldn’t this translate into higher moral values and attitudes, less hate, and more lasting happiness across the nation, generally? Yet, increasingly, obverse outcomes are being witnessed. If the institution tries to explain itself by claiming attainment of relief and happiness not in this lifetime, but one that is to come, such an outlook is not consistent with the infinite nature of the non-dual God that the church professes to worship. Infinity can never be divided or separated out into different space, time, or object. It cannot be that God is not here now but will appear at some future time. God must remain forever omnipresent, eternal, and invisible.

Therefore, at a metaphysical level, this consciousness is who we really are — infinite consciousness. So at this deeper level, whether we know it or not, we are inseparable from God because there can only be one infinite. We are one with God. This means that we are imperishable, immortal, and invisible beings appearing in a physical repetitive cycle of birth and death. But because of ignorance about our infinite existence, we continue to make errors that the church so far has not been adept in clarifying.

Searching for limitless happiness in finite things, situations, and beings of the world is another gross error we make. Consequently, the happiness we seek remains elusive because it is not, and cannot be, available from any finite source. We are the infinite happiness which we search for.

The church has been the known institution from which the population is best able to receive benefit of this awareness. The fact that this may be the case is perhaps the source of much of the cynicism and scepticism being shown to the church.

It is the absence of this awareness that is generally lacking in the society, and which may very well account for the level of moral and social decay engulfing the population.

While the current structural dynamics of the church might not readily lend itself to less conflict within and without, by the institution placing more emphasis on spirituality and what it means, this might go a far way towards the population giving more credence to the organisation.

Spirituality, after all, transcends religion. And since it impinges on morality, the church might want to consider the benefit of packaging the subject, without the weight of scriptures or the accompaniment of religious doctrine, for dissemination to others outside its own borders.

Wouldn’t this be a novel way for the church to expand its reach and positively impact the moral fibre of the society? If the church disfavours the challenge, some other recognised non-religious entity could then take it up.

Howard McLean is a recent retiree of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, with training in management, industrial relations, and occupational health & safety. Send comments to the Observer or howard-mclean@hotmail.com