Is there a social role for the church in Guyana?

Observing events over time it cannot be denied religion plays an important role in the lives of the average Guyanese. This is noted in almost every facet, be it in the workplace to celebrate an anniversary, a wedding, birth, new job, promotion or mourn a lost; you name it, Guyanese find the time to acknowledge the Supreme Being or beg for spiritual intervention and guidance. Even in post-election those involved in protests are calling for divine intervention. This is good, particularly since it is recognised in societies that the religious community serves as the moral compass, the nation’s conscience for right and wrong.

The other side of this religious conscience is that invocations are strongly motivated by the cries for justice, which Christians often refer to as righteousness. It is the supplication by man to his Creator, particularly in a time of need, to render intervention and provide the strength needed to overcome. It is a cry for help. It is a cry of religious people who do not see their spiritual leaders alongside them playing any public role.  It is a departure from the practices of yore, particularly in the Christian community, when leaders saw it as duty to intercede on behalf of their congregants.

From the Quakers who fought for the abolition of slavery, history proves man’s spiritual well-being is not separate and apart from his social, economic and political well-being. The dysfunction of one affects the proper functioning of all.

It is accepted even as religion can play positive roles in society it has also been used to justify atrocities of man towards man. That choice existed before, as it exists now and will in the future. Religious leaders must choose today which side they want to be on.  As the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., United States (U.S) Civil Rights icon, would say “A religion true to its nature must also be concerned about man’s social conditions….Any religion that professes to be concerned with the souls of men and is not concerned with the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them is a dry-as-dust religion.”

In challenging the boundary of religion and politics he was able to bring Americans to a consciousness that the essence of morality -right and wrong- has fled men who are supposed to govern with a heart, with compassion, with respect for each other. King and other religious leaders’ activism achieved the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. These are laws we as a people of colour can reside in the U.S or visit and be assured of rights such as voting, protection from job and housing discrimination and that there exists recourse for justice should these be violated. These are rights not enjoyed here by everyone, many are fighting for, and feel abandoned by the religious community.

Even at this distance Guyanese bear witness to the role said community is playing in the social struggles for better government, police reform, dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19), voting and civil rights, among others. It is therefore fitting to nudge local religious leaders to recognise their silence, their absence from social discourse and activism could be construed as consent to immoral acts meted out to their congregants, to fellow citizens and government against citizens.

The church has a social responsibility to society. It is not only to proselytize but to advocate for socioeconomic and political justice, to advocate for righteousness. Understandably some leaders may think it inappropriate to speak out against the injustices, but they need not forget an affected congregation is an infected church. This infection not only adversely impacts membership but also offerings and doing God’s work.