Dear Editor,

Quite recently there were public statements that it is prime time for Obeah to be legalised in Jamaica and reference was made to an individual in Montego Bay who was recently convicted and fined in the parish court for practising Obeah.

The Cambridge resident was slapped with a fine and advised to read his Bible when he appeared in the St James Parish Court recently to answer accusations of being involved in the ritualistic practice known as Obeah. He was correctly, appropriately, and lawfully convicted by the erudite parish court Judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce.

Obeah is a form of witchcraft with roots in West Africa, hybridised in a Jamaican context over hundreds of years. It has endured despite legal and moral attempts to suppress it. Obeah is not a religion in the sense that it has its own deities, but a set of ritual practices to influence the many spirits around us, or to cause bodily harm. A person wishing ill to another might consult a freelance Obeahman to put an evil spell on some person, often through herbs and potions, generally manifested as a physical malady.

Obeah also includes ritual practices aimed to bring protection and good fortune, and hence is described by practitioners as something associated with evil powers, but in common practice among most religions it is mostly referred to as an evil powers working along demonic crafts.

A prominent pastor in Jamaica firmly urged the Government not to even consider legalising Obeah for it will structurally destroy our country. I do hope and pray that Prime Minister Andrew Holness will heed the call.

Obeah is intrinsically evil and should remain on the Jamaican law books as illegal.

Jamaica is a Christian country recorded as having the most churches per square mile, and we pray and worship the Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. When we pray, it is not so that we can get what we want from God. Rather, prayer is a way to connect with Him and realign our hearts with His.

Prayer is one of the most important aspects of our lives as followers of Jesus, and it should not be taken lightly. Obeah is a very dangerous practice and is totally contrary to the teachings of God.

Robert Dalley
opinionwriter3@gmail.com