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'Cult politics' - Clergyman says party supporters will do anything to show allegiance
Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Friday | August 3, 2007
Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
Political parties have been labelled as cults by a prominent clergyman, because of the slavish manner in which supporters adhere to party practices.
Bishop C.B. Peter Morgan, of City Life Ministries, said yesterday that as a nation there was a need to get away from this phenomenon.
"We don't talk about political tribalism anymore, that is outdated, but the political parties are cults and we have to break that kind of thing," Bishop Morgan said during a Gleaner Editors' Forum held at the newspaper's North Street, central Kingston, head offices.
A cult is a cohesive group of people devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be outside the mainstream.
The forum was called to discuss issues related to religion and politics.
"I think our parties have brought the people to a point of commitment to itself, even to the point of sacrificing people's lives," Bishop Morgan said.
The police are currently investigating several deaths of persons who have been allegedly killed in the name of politics in recent weeks.
Bishop Morgan noted that many of the mishaps taking place on the campaign trail are irrational, adding that positions are being put forward to the people to gain emotional and spiritual allegiance.
Prepared to do anything
"They are prepared to do anything to follow and to show their allegiance," Bishop Morgan said. "It is deep, it is not just what happen in the campaigns. It goes far deeper in terms of political membership and political allegiance and we have to be careful that we are not getting people tied up into a partisan kind of allegiance that does not allow them the freedom to accept their brothers."
According to the cleric, political cultism conflicts with people's commitment to other spheres of life.
He said the congregants of the Church should unite and denounce political cultism.
Deacon Peter Espeut, of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic, agreed there were cultic elements to politics.
"Politics certainly has cultic elements and certainly greed drives the system and certainly people see in political parties their future in terms of the political spoils," he said.
Deacon Espeut said the most evil aspect of politics is that it has set a priority list.
"Where does your allegiance come from? Is it to God or to politics and politics seeks to put itself first and God and Church and values second," he noted.
"By putting itself first, and everybody else second - even God, (then) God loses his seat," he added.
But Reverend Dr. Rodrique Hewitt, outgoing moderator of the United Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, said he did not share the view that political parties are cultic.
"I cannot buy into that analysis. I believe... it is driven much more by greed and money," he told the forum. "I think the institutions of political parties have long lost control over people, just as many other institutions in this society, and what is pulling people is the god called money."
Similarly, Reverend Maria Harbajan, chief executive officer of National Intercessory Prayer of Jamaica, did not agree that political parties are cultic. However, she said the love for power is impacting negatively on the society.
"First it was the politicians having power over the people who they could give handouts," she said. "Now these very persons have risen out and they are basically saying to the politicians 'you can't tell us what to do and if you don't do what we want you to do, we are going to switch on you, because you need us'."
She added: "You see the people are not stupid. They recognise the love of power."
Leon Golding, Archdeacon of Kingston concurred. "I don't see it as a cult but I do believe that money and the influence of power is what is at work."
petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com
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