Religious fervour – Can it serve to disenchant fellow Christians?
During the Lenten period Christians have had many opportunities to renew or express their Christian faith by attending evangelical services. Many of the services appear to have been well attended and the religious fervour was very apparent in some congregants. These persons chose to attend and participate, but what of those persons who Christians seek to bring into the fold? Is religious fervour likely to be well received by those persons?
Sometimes goals are not achieved because persons fail to consider the make up of their audience and their individual backgrounds, histories, needs and wants. Should religious fervour focus only on saving souls or should it focus on preventing the legitimate establishment of activities that those possessed with religious fervor consider to be an abomination to a Christian life? Are these two things mutually exclusive or are they really intended to achieve the same end. Recently this issue has been the subject of discussion as persons consider publications and pronouncements, which have been made in response to the government’s plan to allow, licensed luxury gaming clubs in Anguilla.
Are the pronouncements and publications by members of Anguilla’s Christian Community intended to convince the Government not to allow licensed Gaming in Anguilla or are they intended to convince their members that Christianity condemns gaming and they should abhor and shun such activities? The Government, so far, appears unfazed by the publications and pronouncements. Some members of the public, on the other hand, have expressed concern about what they consider to be an attack on them as Christians, by the language of some publications, which appear to be calling them out. One such publication called on all Christians who support casinos to repent.
Anguilla is considered to be a Christian society. Bingo, raffles, lucky dip and other games of chance are also very popular among Anguillians. Church organisations have been known to promote some of these activities. Many Anguillians visit casinos when they travel overseas and many travel to St. Maarten for the sole purpose of frequenting casinos. Many persons have taken the call for Christians, who support casinos to repent, as an indictment against Christians. Rather than endearing persons to the Christian community it appears that such language can possibly drive a wedge between Christian leaders and members of their flocks. Some persons have suggested that the Christian leaders would better serve their flocks by pressing for programmes and facilities to assist those persons who have been negatively impacted by the existence of games of chance and who are likely to be negatively impacted by such games.
Separation of Church and State is also considered by some to be the best course to be adopted. They propose that Government should be free to promote and allow programmes and activities intended to grow Anguilla’s economy. Conversely, the Church, they say, should be free to dissuade its members from participating in such activities on the premise that they are contrary to Christian principles. These persons consider Church and State to have different roles. It is felt that it might be best that each institution focuses on its individual role, lest it fail to give priority to the needs of those for whom it has responsibility.
There appears to be real potential for religious fervor to achieve the result, which should be least desired by Christian leaders – a diminishing of their flocks. The same can be said for the governing administration. It is very likely that some political support will be lost, based on how the Government handles the issues surrounding the introduction of luxury gaming in Anguilla.
