African values and male empowerment

The Superiority of African Values

African Values are Divine

By Michael Burke:


SO, we are once again in Black History Month.  Much discussion has been generated about the marginalised male in the African diaspora, in general, and Jamaica in particular.  All sorts of solutions have been bandied about, but I do not often read or hear about solutions that come from Africa.  In most African ethnic groups the men are respected as the fathers and the chiefs.  In most African ethnic groups the men have their separate meetings where they deliberate as men and they are told and held to account for what is expected of men.

While urbanisation and negative European neo-colonial ideas have permeated much of Africa, many of these traditional values remain.  In Black History Month, shouldn't we be looking at such things for solutions to the marginalisation of the men in the African diaspora?  After all, black women look to Europe and the United States for solutions to bring about advancement.

Women's rights groups were important 100 years ago, and even 50 years ago, as there were centuries of oppression to women.  But much of that has now changed and women are not as oppressed as before, but the liberation groups remain and many of them are both obsolete and repressive to men.  Indeed, the so-called women's liberation today seems to be going in the direction of tyranny to men.

Politically, the only way for the US Democrats to win a majority is to create a coalition of minority groups.  While that might be excellent politics for the US Democrats, it is not all right for the empowerment of black men, especially when the women's liberation groups are added.  Further, these anti-man positions breezed into Jamaica many years ago by the usual channels of media, travel and, perhaps, conditions for loans, grants and charity as well.  So we in Jamaica have the dilemma also.  And, of course, this marginalises black men even further.

Some of our national heroes placed a great emphasis on education.  That said, there were many other people in black history that placed great value on education both here in Jamaica and elsewhere.  While education is the starting point to achieve this liberation, it cannot be education by itself, especially if there is no emphasis on values such as family life, for instance.

But even if the education system does emphasise it, what happens if the availability of jobs is better for women than for men? Unfortunately, it is the person with the money who has the power, and if the wife and mother earns more then she has the power.  And in such a scenario, the black marginalised male is marginalised even further.

The ideal situation regarding families is one where children are born within their parents' marriage.  But if the marriage laws, or at least the dispensation of justice from the family courts, is of such that it gives an unfair advantage to women, then marriage will not be an attractive option to men.  If our men feel that they cannot possibly receive any justice in a custody battle, or in a divorce settlement, then marriage will not be considered to be a viable option for the male onlookers.

By way of explanation, the Roman Catholic Church allows marriage annulments in situations where in the view of the church a marriage did not exist in the first place, although the requirements of civil law were met.  But even if our church grants annulments, for it to be legally binding it has to go through the civil courts in the country of the dissolution.  Many countries classify this as divorce and at that point one has no choice but to work with that.  Having explained this, I continue.

When marriage becomes unattractive to men then it is a hard sell for Christians to preach it.  The fact that officialdom says one thing but encourages free sexual liaisons makes it even harder to convince men to get married.  Most will simply have sex with a consenting partner, and if there is a pregnancy, then so be it.  And, of course, this is the entire reason for the problem in the first place, so the first verse becomes the last verse: "There is a hole in the bucket."

So, how do we empower the black man in the African diaspora?  In the first place we have to do an overall improvement of his income.  This is best done in co-operatives, but first the black man in the diaspora has to learn to co-operate.  The best way to do this would be to show them the co-operatives in the motherland Africa.  The traditional African way of life in the various ethnic groups was basically co-operative.  The late Julius Nyerere made this point when he combined the traditional African way of life into an ideology called Ujaama, a Swahili word for 'familyhood'.

In the second place, we have to make marriage an attractive option for men; in terms of making sure that men are not at a disadvantage in matters of custody, alimony, and the distribution of marriage possessions.  But changing laws is a long process, so we can only warn men to be careful when choosing a partner.  And once marriage becomes attractive, then we can speak about raising children in a situation where they are taught proper values.

Equally important is the need to teach our black children to love themselves as they are, instead of aping the Europeans.  A few weeks ago I wrote that it was sad that the first thing that ever had the 'Made in Jamaica' label on it was so-called haircare products that made black women's hair look European.  This was during the war when there was a scarcity of all imported items and Madam Rose Leon made her own beauty products.

Some people believe it is easier for girls when going to school; others say that people of other races alter their ethnic features and so on.  But it is still a sad commentary.  We are talking about Jamaicans who, from the days of slavery, were told that they were inferior, unlike other races who made that choice from the solid background of knowing exactly who they are.  Those who made such comments work at cross purposes with African values.

ekrubm765@yahoo.com

February 05, 2015

Jamaica Observer

The facts about homosexuality

BY CYNTHIA BURTON

Jamaica Observer - Columns:

I want to add my thoughts to the much-talked about topic of homosexuality, and clarify, once and for all the facts about this lifestyle.

Let me first state that this issue is not only confined to the perspective of the church, but to the wider society as well.  The first point that must be made clear is that homosexuality is a chosen lifestyle.

Homosexuals were not created.  Man was created as a being of free choice.  He was also created with an inherent sexuality, which is also governed by choice.  If we look at nature and how it is designed, even the animals and plants exist as male and female.  It was so ordained for procreation.  Each creature has to procreate in a union of male and female to ensure the survival of their species.

 

I have used the word "created" guardedly, as there are those among us who do not believe in the creation theory, but would ascribe to the evolutionist theory that says man evolved from animal life.  Whatever your persuasion, we have to agree that the natural order of things is male and female.

 

This homosexual lifestyle is wrong and abhorrent, and moves so far beyond the realm of the Christian church that if you should examine all other major religions, such as Islam and Hinduism, homosexuality is tabooed.  Additionally, if you should approach the biggest don in the inner city or the dancehall artistes, who have nothing to do with the church, they will give out against this lifestyle.

In fact, several of them have been banned from certain countries because of the stance taken against their music which hits out against this lifestyle.

 

This lifestyle, therefore, is a classic case of doing and believing the thing that is wrong for such a long time that it now seems right.

 

Times have really changed as far as the acceptance of this lifestyle is concerned.

 

I remember as a child growing up that homosexuality had to be kept behind closed doors, and those who practised this way of life had to do so in their closets under circumstances of great privacy.

 

Now look at how our world has changed.  We not only now accept this as a way of life, but we are seeking further to endorse it, by allowing those who practise homosexuality to demand the same rights as heterosexuals.  We have now got to the point where we have put legislation in place to protect the rights of these persons, them the message that they have the right to this choice of lifestyle and can therefore make such demands.

 

Now let us look at the whole thing from the church's perspective.

 

What is the church?  The church in the bible is spoken about as the bride.  It is God's institution and the voice of God for man.

 

If we go back to the book of Genesis, at the time of creation in Genesis 1 vs 21:

 

"And God created great whales, and every living creature and every living creature that moveth which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind and every winged fowl after his kind and God saw that it was good."

 

Genesis 1 vs 27 and 28:

 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them.

 

(28) "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

 

Now for those who say that the Bible does not speak out against homosexuality, and that Jesus himself did not address this issue, let us move over to Romans 1 vs 24 - 27.

 

(24) Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves,

 

(25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie.

 

(26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature.

 

(27)And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of a woman, burned in their lust one toward another men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error...

 

Now we see the implications of societal acceptance of homosexuality, that people who practise this lifestyle have taken this matter to a different level, where they are now heading up the church and purporting to lead God's flock. It is the tolerance of this lifestyle that has now resulted in these persons now demanding rights of those things that are rightly the purview of heterosexuals.

 

Let us go even further with this dilemma.  Now homosexuals are demanding the right of marriage and the right to adopt children.  Gay marriages are very popular in modern society.

 

Can you imagine a scenario where a gay couple adopts a child and takes on the responsibility of raising this child in a primarily homophobic society?  The child goes to school and the school hosts a PTA meeting.  These two parents, male for argument's sake, turn up at the PTA meeting.  Who is Mom and who is Dad?  Can you imagine this poor child the next day at school with the other children?

 

Let us be quite clear -- marriage was an institution ordained by God between a man and a woman who are expected to procreate and create the unit called the family.  So important is this institution that Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding in Canaan of Galilee.

 

Now to the big question.  Is homosexuality a sin?  Let us look at the definition of sin.  Sin is transgression of God's law.  So those who argue that all sin is sin, may want to think again.  Homosexuality is not provided for in the 10 commandments, because it is considered an abomination to God, and those who practice this lifestyle are flying in God's face and going against the order of things as God intended.

 

Now there are those who will argue that God created homosexuals.  Let us be clear that God created all persons including the homosexual, but our sexuality and our sexual preference is as a result of the free choice with which we were all created.  Some of us choose heterosexuality, some homosexuality and some abstinence.  How could God create something that he abhors?

 

We can now see the dilemma that we have created as a society.  The wrong has now become the right, and we are now creating laws on our books to not only allow the homosexual his constitutional rights, and to fulfil his everyday needs as stated in Maslows' hierarchy of needs, the right of food, shelter, the right to earn a living, but by extension are protecting rights that God ordained to be enjoyed between a man and a woman.

 

Additionally, while acknowledging these rights, we also have to be cognisant to the fact that certain professions, such as teaching, are not compatible with this lifestyle, because of the risk of perpetrating and influencing the spread of this lifestyle amongst the youth.

 

Finally, let us give the homosexual the benefit of the doubt and say for a minute that homosexuality is accepted and should enjoy all these rights.

 

Can we take it to the extreme and ask the question.  What if all persons should adopt this lifestyle?  Can you imagine that the human race would become extinct, as the only thing that the homosexuals could not do is to procreate.

 

Finally, as a society, what legacy are we leaving for our children?  Already as we move from generation to generation, we find our youth becoming more tolerant of this lifestyle and are being taught in schools that it is all right to pursue this lifestyle.

 

What of our moral values as a society?  What will the decision makers of tomorrow embrace when they now become the leaders and legislators of tomorrow.

 

We therefore have to conclude that this lifestyle is unacceptable, abominable, and a clear message should be sent forthwith to all who choose to practise same, that they have the right to their sexuality, and all the other constitutional rights, based on their ability to contribute to society, but should not try to enforce this right to the point where we legislate for this lifestyle, thus threatening the whole moral fabric of society.

 

Let us therefore unite in a message of love to our homosexuals, that we love them as persons, but abhor their lifestyle.  Additionally, this lifestyle is not permanent, and can be subject to change as evidenced by reformed homosexuals.

 

If we examine the facts, we see that environmental factors such as economic circumstances, rather than genetic predisposition, have influenced homosexuality, and therefore organisations such as J-FLAG should actively try to secure a transformation of this lifestyle, rather than serve as a voice in society for its acceptance.

 

cynthiacburton@hotmail.com

February 09, 2013

Jamaica Observer