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The Church And Crime
by Christine Herbert
Holy Trinity Cathedral Parish
Crime in Trinidad continues to be a troubling social ill. What are we as a people, a community, a society, willing to do to help curb its existence? Where is the church in all this, since the Government seems, with all its crime-fighting equipment, techniques and paraphernalia, unable to reduce it [crime] to a level that brings comfort for us citizens.
Religion it seems, is the one variable that has not been fully explored in the attempt to reduce the levels of crime and deviance in this country.
Essentially, we continue to be a religious people, with varying levels of beliefs. Claims of church membership are high, often we hear testimonies of the influence Christ has had on the lives of people. Can religiosity then save us? Will it have any effect – positive or negative – on human behaviour and social outcomes? Can faith-based programmes among the un-churched youths have any effect either way, on their deviant behaviours? We need now to explore the impact of religious practice on society and, where appropriate, recognize its role and importance.
One thing that remains unquestionable though, is that there is a nationwide decline of morals and values, and this should be of serious concern to the many religious leaders of all denominations. Clearly, the disparity between crime fighting techniques and religion needs to be reconciled. Are we as a Christian community, willing to come together with genuine openness and enthusiasm, and realistically look for ways to make some inroads into preventing violence and achieving other desirable secular social goals among the disadvantaged persons in Trinidad and Tobago?
The beliefs and values a society hold are often incorporated into religion. Collectively they may constitute the morality of a society. So, it then becomes incumbent on the leaders of the various religious bodies and the congregations – each of us individually – to lead the country by example, so that individual behaviours may change to reflect a society that has respect for life, love, care and concern for its citizenry, regardless of caste, creed or gender.
Religious practice can be used to promote the well-being of individuals, families, and the community. It can be a powerful antidote to many of our nation’s pressing social problems, many of which have now reached historically high proportions. In cases where young people have become involved in deviant behaviour, specific types of religious activity can be used to help steer them back on the right course and away from further criminal activity.
It would also be good to have legislators seek constitutionally appropriate ways to have the systems of control and punishment for deviants ‘woven into the fabric of religion’ and become, as in some societies, a dominant feature.
