THE EDITOR, Sir:
I HAVE been following the comments of your columnist Ian Boyne on his observations of the church's preoccupation with "bling-bling theology" and the (consequential?) ineffectiveness of the church's ministry in bringing about a universal moral transformation of Jamaican society.
I have no theological credentials and would not wish to cross theological swords with Mr. Boyne. I would venture to suggest, however, that the problem he portrays goes to the very heart of Christian philosophy, or theology if you like.
Christianity is not a natural religion. Rather, it is based on revelation. In embracing it, one is urged to abandon reasoning for blind faith and to take a metaphysical approach toward life on earth.
The idea that we cannot build a just and upright society without adherence to so-called Christian values is arrant nonsense. Virtuous living is by no means the sole province of Christianity. By vigorous application of rational thinking, one can arrive at an understanding of life and its sustaining principles in ways that are far more profound than what is afforded by internalising religious dogma based largely on medieval superstitions.
It is its characteristic preoccupation with mysticism and its diminution of the human capacity that make Christianity and hence the church progressively ineffective in its ability to transform the social order. Christianity is itself in need of a transformation that will make it a more relevant and potent factor in modern society.
I am, etc.,
DENNIS MILLER
Lot 1020, Mount View Estates
St. Catherine
