JUSTICE Frank Seepersad has called on citizens not to condone corruption.
Seepersad, a guest minister, was delivering the sermon at the Susamachar Presbyterian Church, San Fernando, which celebrated its 152nd anniversary, on Sunday.
“As a body of Christ followers, we cannot continue to condone corruption, the lack of accountability or turn a blind eye to obvious dishonest conduct because of ethnic or political allegiances.
“Now is the time for the Church to stand up and defend righteous living and its voice must be heard and must resonate within the Republic,” he told a packed congregation.
He said the Church should not ask citizens to stop dwelling on negativity in the country but must point out “prevailing deficiencies and societal injustices” which caused the negativity, while encouraging all citizens to hold leaders and decision makers, “who defile, disrespect and disregard their oaths of office,” to account.
“From our pulpits, the dysfunction which is manifest in almost every facet of national life has to be highlighted and condemned as the faithful is encouraged to modify their behaviour.
“...The lines between that which is right and wrong have been blurred and there now exists evident moral dysfunction and the decline of ethics and behaviour.”
Seepersad, a High Court judge, also spoke on gender equity and equality and the role of the Church.
“Gender equality does not imply that men and women are the same but that they have equal value and must be accorded equal treatment. God deplores discrimination and he encourages oneness and sameness before His throne of grace.
“The Church needs to be vocal in the call for gender equity and must urge society to reset the patriarchal mind-set which far too often sexualises and objectifies our women, subjects them to economic exploitation and confines them to traditional stereotypical roles.
“Most importantly, the Church must now speak the truth to this society which lives in an illusion.”
He said in Trinidad and Tobago, citizens huddled together in packs, sought mutual reinforcing opinions and only read material and media reports that fuelled partisan or insular agendas.
“Conspiracy theories abound and red herrings are usually cast by those in authority to distract and deflect from the germane, systematic and systemic problems which plague us.”
He said it was the Church’s job to identify the illusions, remove and shatter its façade and replace them with positions of “truth and uncompromising integrity.”
According to Seepersad, “The Church must question and expose the propaganda of politicians, the greed of business owners, the failings within our justice system, the bias agendas of media power brokers, the smart man nature of many citizens and the hate and intolerance which we display to those who are different from us.
“Truth needs to resonate from our pulpits as we dispel the erroneous narrative, that, ‘all is well.’”
The judge issued a challenge to the Church to initiate “difficult conversations about fiscal accountability, the equitab
