THE EDITOR, Sir:
ONE Sunday (about in 1965) at Troja, St. Catherine, a man called to Mrs. Bell asking if she had any
writing paper. Constable Green promptly told them that it was against the law
to sell it on a Sunday. That law is probably still "on the books" but
not enforced.
Another day (perhaps in the same year) at the
same place I received a very convincing tract: "Why Not Talk to God About
the Sabbath."
The present laws of Jamaica hold Sunday
special and Saturday semi-special - to the convenience of some and the
inconvenience of others. The right kind of flexi-week law can help to "level the playing field."
If it is wrong for Sabbath-keepers to ask
Government to restrict the activities of others on Saturdays, then it is more
wrong for Sunday-keepers to use Government to force their special day on
others.
I think the best flexi-week law is one which
sees all days as plain and equal, allowing people to "colour" the day
of their choice. Government should uphold all just employer-employee contracts
and create a more entrepreneur-friendly climate (lower interest rates, less
bureaucracy, etc.) to produce more employers and a greater choice of work
arrangements. Days and hours should not be set by law.
Church leaders can do much to quiet their own
fears by co-ordinating their organisations' and members' human and material
resources to create and operate businesses to fit their religious tastes as
God supplied manna. Exod. 16.
Some "problems" are blessings in
disguise. The idler who becomes a worker on Saturday or Sunday is not able to
break into the Christians' houses when they are at church. And the extra job
that flexi-week creates could rid us of one church breaker.
Nobody owes the Christian a job. Is it right
to ask Government to force someone to hurt his business by employing one who is
not available when he is needed?
The employer who wishes to dismiss employees
for their faithfulness to their religion should think more than twice.
Economics is more than money, materials, machines and methods: it includes
morality. The chief element of security is personal integrity. Can you trust
those whom money can buy?
Human workers are not emotionless machines,
so work arrangements which hurt their family life will affect the work- place.
In several ways the presence of real
Christians at the workplace is an asset even if he is absent on a day when
the employer would like to see him (e.g. he has a positive influence on others'
behaviour). The Lord blessed Potiphar's business "for Joseph's sake." (Genesis 39.5.
Flexi-week will achieve more for all if all
players have flexi-minds. Open-mindedness and tolerance will help both the
wheat and the tares to grow together until the harvest.
I am, etc
CLEMENT CLEMENTSON
Harewood P.O
St. Catherine
