SIMPSON MILLER
WESTERN BUREAU:
PRIME MINISTER Portia Simpson Miller is urging the Church to play a pivotal role in improving the moral fibre of the Jamaican society.
"It is not possible to exaggerate the signifi-cance of the work of the church as a moral institution in our society," the Prime Minister said during an address to the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) annual general meeting in Montego Bay, St. James, on Wednesday.
"When we have a Sunday Gleaner headline that screams 'Predators', which speaks about the increase in the incidents of 12 and 13-year-old girls being impregnated, then you know the church has serious work to do in this society."
Mrs. Simpson Miller maintained that the church "cannot afford to be asleep" and must intensify its efforts to reach the society, particularly in light of the increased violence and sexual offences against chil-dren, especially under-aged girls.
MORAL REVOLUTION
With 60 per cent of all registration of children not listing fathers, and the majority of house-holds being headed by single mothers, the Prime Minister stressed the need for a moral revolution.
"I am not going to retreat on my strong commitment to a public advocacy for the role of the church and other faith-based institutions in this society," she said.
Despite criticisms about her inclusion of the Church in the political arena, Mrs. Simpson Miller vows to continue speaking about the importance of religious values in national development.
"Any Jamaican Prime Minister who ignores or downplays the role of a moral institution like the Church, does so at the nation's peril. I will not do it," she said.
According to Mrs. Simpson Miller, if the moral standard of the country is not at an acceptable level, then investors will shy away from Jamaica.
READY TO WORK
"If we think that simply growing the economy, boosting gross domestic product and attracting more investments are important ... then we are living in a fool's paradise," she concluded.
Reverend Phillip Robinson, outgoing president of the JCC, pledged the continued support of the Church to her administration.
"We acknowledge the commitment to ensuring the work of the Lord in this land, we stand ready to work," Rev. Robinson said.
"Our message will not be comfortable to all who hear, but the message will be redemptive."
According to a recent Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson poll, only 28 per cent of Jamaicans attend church on a regular basis, suggesting a waning of the church's influence in society.
