The recent gun attack on the offices of Nationwide News Network is among the list of evidence that points to a grave moral decadence in society and has reignited calls from the Association of Christian Communicators and Media (ACCM) for the government to establish a Commission/Ministry on National and Family Values.
The ACCM noted the recent disclosure made by Prime Minister Andrew Holness that a Ministry of the Family, Social Development, and Social Interaction is under active consideration by the government. The ACCM stated in a letter to Holness on September 10 that this is a step in the right direction and pledged its continued support.
“This Commission/Ministry should become the vehicle mandated to promote transformational family values throughout society. In our view, such a Commission/Ministry must be tasked to promote and incentivise the family, where children are nurtured according to righteous values as outlined in the Holy Scriptures,” the organisation said.
“We urge the government to ensure that those at the helm of this important Commission/Ministry best represent the standard to which we want our people to aspire. We believe that this move towards such a Commission/Ministry will significantly reduce most ills plaguing our society, including issues affecting our children, domestic violence, shootings, gangsterism and its offshoots, as well as general disorder,” added the advocacy group that is comprised of Christian media workers and owners from Jamaica, the Caribbean and the Diaspora.
The ACCM had issued a statement in February this year, calling on the Parliament and Government of Jamaica to immediately effect a plan of action to halt the evident decay in law and moral order in the society. The group at the time, noted that the levels of immorality and disregard for decency would only lead to greater destruction of families, businesses and communities, which are still the backbone of the nation.
“Our statement noted the recurring news of the abductions, the brutal rape and murder of our children, the buggery of our boys, suicides, the wanton theft and corruption along with the general breakdown in godliness, pointing to an abandonment of righteous principles on which the Jamaican society was built,” the ACCM said.
The Christian media workers also called on the government, with the full support of the Church at all levels, to lead the nation into a period of mourning, fasting and prayers of repentance.
The ACCM said that although the previous administrations across the political divide have attempted to implement a values-based transformation programme for the society, a Commission/Ministry on National and Family Values reporting to the people, through their House of Representatives is necessary at this time.
“The ACCM remains committed to the full transformation of our nation to a path of righteousness, and continues to express our willingness to play a key role in this transformational process,” the group said.
