Declaring that it has become fashionable among many young people in Jamaica to describe themselves as 'agnostics' and 'atheists', Member of Parliament for East Rural St Andrew Damion Crawford said he sees no need to pander to them.

Declaring that he is a believer in God, Crawford charged that the so-called liberals are of the misguided notion that other persons in Jamaica, who are not of like mind, are not entitled to express their belief in a God, in the name of democracy.

Crawford contended that persons were ranting in the name of atheism and agnosticism, in reaction to concerns he expressed about Jamaica's relationship with God, at a function in Canada to mark Jamaica's 52nd anniversary of Independence.

Jamaica not pleasing God

The Parliamentarian maintained that there were indications that many Jamaicans were not pleasing God by the way they live, and served notice that he answers to no man as far as his religious convictions go.

Crawford said the comment that appeared to have aggravated his critics was his complaint that Jamaica was moving away from God and had lost its collective conscience. For this, he has been experiencing a torrent of criticism on social media.

Speaking with The Gleaner yesterday, Crawford suggested that the loss of the nation's collective conscience had robbed it of its sense of equality, which is fundamental to Christianity.

"I am not making myself out to be the greatest Christian, but I have come to notice that belief in God is not in style and what is wrong is right," charged Crawford.

He stressed that he would not be muzzled. "People have a right to say that they don't believe in God, so why is it that people who believe in God shouldn't exercise their rights to say so?" he said in response to some of his critics' charges that Jamaica was not a theocracy and that God should be left out of public matters.

"I have the right not to explain to any of them about my religious belief, but they (critics) can ask me about my political position, ministerial responsibility or constituency representation," he added.

