PNP: 5 pillars and a prayer

The simplicity of spirituality is amazing. At its core, our redemption requires very little of us. Take Christianity, for example: According to the Bible, all that is required for our salvation is that we confess our sins to God, request and acknowledge forgiveness, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Simple enough, right? But humans are inherently insubordinate - and complex - creatures.

The Bible shows that from the commencement of Creation, we were inclined to defiance. We were given one basic rule: do not eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Of course, that was too restrictive. We were unable to obey that singular command and thus severed our connection with God. Since then, our entire spiritual evolution has consisted of an interminable voyage to return to that one true bond that would make us whole again.

Instead of eternal bliss, we chose sin. We have been on this intricate and tiresome journey to reconnect with God, ever since. Our insolent and disobedient nature necessitates rules to guide us to our glorious destination. From the bizarre Mosaic laws of the Old Testament (if a man sleeps with a woman who is a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment), to the simple dictates of Jesus Christ (Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind), man has needed steady guidance, even when his salvation has been handed to him on a cross.

Similarly, Islam's basic tenet appears quite clear: submit to the will of Allah - who is God. One who submits to Allah's will practises the five pillars of Islam: Shahada - the creed declaring Muhammad as God's messenger, Salat - five daily prayers, Sawm - the various forms of fasting, Zakat - charitable giving, and Hajj - the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The expectations of a faithful Muslim seem straightforward. Yet the convoluted nature of mankind has often perverted Islamic law. Women have, in recent times, been stoned to death for committing adultery; men have been beheaded in the name of Allah. Buildings packed with innocent men, women and children have crumbled to the ground at the hands of 'holy' warriors. It is clear that the complicated nature of man perpetually contaminates the simple intentions of God.

Progressive Agenda lacks substance

If an omniscient and omnipotent God struggles to govern mankind by way of simple decree, why does the People's National Party (PNP) feel capable of leading Jamaica by such means? Their recently released Progressive Agenda, purportedly a blueprint for addressing the dynamic and complex problems facing Jamaica, appears more like sacred pronouncements - divinely inspired yet devoid of substance.

The Progressive Agenda - like Islam - features five pillars: Human Resource Development; A Safe, Secure and Just Society; a Participatory, Accountable and Responsible Society; Progressive Internationalism; and Economic Growth and Sustainable Development. These pillars are certainly critical to the social and economic progression of Jamaica. Unfortunately, the PNP's Progressive Agenda fails to lucidly demonstrate how the party intends to achieve its inexplicit declarations.

Under the Human Resources Development pillar, the party notes that it will "address the underachievement of young men, and the under-rewarding of young women". Under Safety and Security, the PNP expresses its intention to "promote a culture of tolerance, respect, social responsibility, respect for other people, for animals, and for nature". They declare: "Jamaica will be a busy beehive." They might as well state an intention to summon great God from the sky to "take away everything and make everybody feel high".

The people demand more

This sort of hollow rhetoric is intolerable from a party that seeks to retake the reins of power. Jamaica faces multifarious difficulties that call for thoughtful, dynamic leadership. After 18 and a half years presiding over a stammering economy, skyrocketing crime, incessant waste and administrative mismanagement, the party of Norman and Michael Manley owes the people of Jamaica more than empty dogma.

Fortunately for fallen man, he can rely upon God to direct and guide him to his ultimate salvation. Norman and Michael - as large as they loom - possess no such powers. The fallen PNP truly needs a prayer if all it brings to the election table is chicken back, manish water, and this type of chicanery.

Din Duggan is an attorney working as a consultant with a global legal search firm. Email him at columns@gleanerjm.com or dinduggan@gmail.com or view his past columns at facebook.com/dinduggan and twitter.com/YoungDuggan.