Hart addresses Baptists:

Hart was the featured speaker at the Shouter Baptist 11th anniversary celebrations at Maloney yesterday. He apologised for the absence of Culture Minister, Joan Yuille-Williams, who is out of the country on Government business.

“As a Government, we’re faced with a serious crime problem, and we’re making all efforts. But it’s not only us who are responsible. Everyone has to pool his resources.”

Hart, too, felt that the answer lies in God.

“We have to ensure that every home is equipped with a spiritual base. Every home must have God at the head, and every Government must have God at the head. Anything we do, we should give God first place. He’s real and majestic and powerful.”

After the enthusiastic applause died down, Hart continued, “It is only a minority group that is committing the crimes. But they do not have God in their hearts. If they did, they won’t be committing crimes. But prayer changes things,” he said, on an optimistic note. After another round of applause from the congregation, Hart disclosed that he attended a Campaign for Courtesy walk-a-thon in his constituency yesterday morning, where participants advocated the return of words and phrases like “please, thank you, how are you.”

Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ashton Ezra Clarke, a Spiritual Shouter Baptist Archbishop, said the murder of six-year-old Sean Luke, for which three students were held, raises the question, “Where have we all gone wrong?”

Clarke said, “Through the years we have seen some gruesome crimes but when we look at what happened to Sean Luke, we start asking questions. Where have we all gone wrong? Have we failed as parents? As a church? We are losing the battle.”

He then bellowed, “We need to bring our youths back to Christ!

“We have got to go to the four corners of this land and release this evil that is tying this country.”

Clarke, who said he came into the faith 31 years ago, added, “The way forward is to serve God.

Parents have to teach children what is right and wrong. It aches my heart when I see some children before the courts.”