ONLINE FEEDBACK

Below are edited excerpts from comments posted by online readers at www.jamaica-gleanerjm.com reacting to 'Forbidden! Media blocked from 'Follow the Star' watchnight service', in which it was reported that a local bishop was inviting worshippers to offer from $500 to $10,000 to help in the erection of a new church building in Half-Way Tree.

Investigate them

This should be investigated by the Government of Jamaica! And they must find out why the media were blocked from the venue and ordered to erase the pictures, and on whose command it was ordered!

If this is found to be true, and it was done by any part of the leadership of the church, the Government must at once revoke their non-tax status and order them to pay corporate taxes from as far back as when they were established in Jamaica, because they would be operating under the corporate banner.

If those Jamaican members/followers want to gauge their blessings - to see if these crooks really offered blessing more than what they would get - all they have to do, instead of giving that $1,000 to the church, is give it to ordinary people on the street, like what the Downers are doing (as reported last week). Then they would be better able to gauge their blessings!

- Noshel

Beware of religious cults

History is replete with well-documented stories of abuses perpetrated by religious cults and Jamaica would be well advised to pay keen attention to these splinter groups. Freedom of religion nothwithstanding, the Government owes its citizens the right to protect them from, these cults, which ultimately do more harm than good.

Current poverty and social shortcomings are breeding grounds for these types of escape. Education is the clarion call!

- Jumpy1

Religious hucksters

Marx said it best: "Religion is the opiate of the masses." I have come to realise that you can get people to do almost anything just by prefacing your conversation with the following words, "God said to tell you ..." and by throwing around the word 'blessing' in the conversation a couple times.

I am off to start my own megachurch!

- Rainbow Bright

Tax them

I think the Government should tax churches, as they are now big businesses. I know there are still some churches that want to improve the lot of the poor, but most of them are about the money.

- Icarussuraci1