By Andre Wright, Staff Reporter 
It is the fear of every young, unmarried woman who errs by getting pregnant while inside the church. She faces the cold, sentential stare of the congregation. The minister 'reads her out' of the church and blots her name off the roll. Horror stories are told of girls being confined to the back benches and sometimes their parents are stripped of all responsibilities, sharing in their children's fate.
But things could be changing. Though many Christian girls are still suffering in isolation and trod a lonely path of self-imposed 'perdition', this treatment seems to be a diminishing trend in Jamaican church life.
Practically all denominations espouse the biblical principle that pre-marital or extra-marital sex is wrong. However, many continue to be rocked by sex scandals that lower the esteem of the church community and reinforce popular opinion about religious hypocrisy.
Sherna Clarke, a rallies and schools ministries co-ordinator at the Jamaica Youth for Christ (JYFC), says, "I haven't had much experience with such situations but from what I hear, they (unmarried pregnant girls), are excommunicated from the church, and even before they are kicked out, they often leave voluntarily [out of] fear and embarrassment. That's the reality of the church." This reality is very harsh indeed.
Ketina Marshallbecame pregnant when she was 19. Her life has never been the same. "When I got pregnant my father took me back to church, I felt bad and a lot of people were laughing and pointing. They gave me a cold shoulder and talked behind my back but my stepmom was by my side."
Even now, she is virtually an outcast. The fact that she had made a mistake has prevented her from being fully restored in the church. "Well, you know, people must commit sin. Nobody is perfect. I became very stressed out and had to go to the United States for a while where they treated me better."
She does not attend church regularly as she no longer feels welcome as a part of the church family.
"People gravitated to the baby, held him and whatever, but I think they are hypocrites because when I was pregnant they treated me as if I should not go to church. But I still went when I was pregnant because I wasn't going to let them hold me down."
The Rev. Keith Williams, member of the national executive of the New Testament Church of God, admits that this sort of response still plagues many denominations nationwide. "Some churches tend to be more compassionate, and others are more judgmental, more so in Pentecostal churches," he said. "Sometimes not much pressure comes on the male, but on the female, because she carries the result of having sex and everyone sees her as an immoral person. Often she is not treated well and is ostracised and isolated."
Gentler approach to restoration
Rev. Williams recommends that, "the church should try to help the person during that time as she is going through trauma - mental, psychological, and even financial. There should be some sort of programme to restore her faith even though some members may not want to associate with her. Overall, more and more people are reaching out to these people. The solution is not to be hostile to these women but to be more compassionate and understanding."
Like Rev. Williams, Ms. Clarke believes the church should take a more pro-active role in spiritual rehabilitation. "There should be a place for forgiveness. I think that counselling plays a big part in this, especially [regarding] teen mothers who have been displaced." The JYFC co-ordinator also suggests that churches should focus on getting teenagers back in school or assist them in becoming employable to support their newborns.
The experience of Shari-Ann Peterkin, a young woman in her 20s who got pregnant, signals a shift from the judgmental to a more restorative attitude.
"In everything you have good and bad. Basically, I got good treatment. They (members) came to visit me and encouraged me. They did a lot for me. But I knew that some members who asked questions of my family never confronted me on the issue."
Many women who opt to become less involved in religious activities.
The badge of isolation is as real as the 'scarlet letter'. But some women, like Peterkin, are brave enough to stand their ground despite the whispering. She says, "Even when I was pregnant I went to church, because going to church doesn't say whether I'm a Christian or not."
Names have been changed for privacy.
