Deosaran: Look to religion for leadership

Director of the Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice, Senator Ramesh Deosaran, is looking at the church to play a major role in matters that fundamentally affect the country. He said, “A politician can tell us what kind of Catholic leader he prefers, so why can’t church leaders say what kind of politicians they prefer to lead the country?” Prof Deosaran was indirectly referring to a statement by Prime Minister Patrick Manning recently — that he would like to see a Trinidadian at the head of the Catholic Church.

Deosaran was addressing the recently held International Religious Liberty Conference at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya. Discussing the theme: “Freedom and Justice — the Caribbean Experience,” Prof Deosaran said, “Too many of our Caribbean youth are drinking rum, smoking weed, dancing half-naked and failing exams. “And worst, most of them are from poor families. Such children feel they have freedom. They are the prisoners of Satan, destined for brutish and miserable living, building bridges to hell.” Prof Deosaran found the church had an increasingly challenging role to play in matters of delinquency and juvenile justice. “The church has to hold parents more accountable for their children’s welfare and social character. Parental irresponsibility is a social injustice,” he said.

According to Prof Deosaran, the bridges have broken down and too many parents are allowing their children to become atheists by default. He explained that it was to the spiritual confidence of religious leaders that Caribbean people were looking for help in facing the challenges of crime, poverty and corruption. “The timing and objectives of your conference is therefore quite appropriate for the Caribbean.” Noting that the objectives of the organisers of the conference were in harmony with what several Commonwealth Caribbean constitutions say, he told them: “Your organisation advocates, for example, that people should be free to share their religious beliefs, to worship and adopt a religion of their choice, while respecting that of others.”