Religion does not necessarily equate to a good leader

Mar 20, 2011 Features / Columnists, Stella Says

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Malcolm Harripaul wrote a letter to the editor of this newspaper on February 28 entitled, “We need a leader who stands on the side of religion and truth.” The bulk of the letter actually spoke on the issue of racial politics as the writer saw it practiced by the current governing party. However, I would like to address Harripaul’s contention, which is brought to light at the end of the letter, of needing a leader who is religious.
In the letter, Harripaul said, “The past 19 years of PPP rule has been a representation of irreligion and untruth, where ego, ambition, greed, lust, jealousy, anger, and passion characterized the PPP leadership, as is evidenced by rampant corruption, crime, and child molestation in government, and wider society. The time has come to free ourselves from the PPP political racial bondage. It is time for us to stand on the side of Religion and Truth.”
In the last sentence of this quote, Harripaul draws a correlation that assumes religion and truth logically go hand and hand. As we can see from the many sexual abuse cases involving priests and ministers worldwide – as well as the cover-ups about the sexual abuse – this is absolutely not the case. Religion does not always equate to truth.
One reason I do not practice religion anymore is because modern Christianity (I was raised as a Christian) places so much focus on what God can do for the person and very little emphasis is placed on what the person can do for God. This is a selfish approach to religion. Christians are now so centered on getting rich and living lavish lives, convinced by their pastors that this is God’s plan, that they spend very little time caring for the poor and homeless.
In fact, the teachings of Christ have been so skewed that when someone struggles financially, there are Christians who now assume it is because that person has somehow sinned or displeased God. These teachings are so far from the spirit of the teachings of Christ that Christians nowadays look absolutely nothing like the Christ of the Bible.
Where are the Christians who help the homeless and visit those in jail today? Christ told a parable in Matthew 25:41-45 where he said, “I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, I was sick and in prison, and you never visited.”
The scripture continues, “Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’ He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.”
These are the essential teachings of Christ, to love others as yourself, to show mercy, to help the poor and homeless, to treat others as you would like to be treated and to be humble. I would estimate that a very large majority of those who profess to be Christians chase money more than they pursue these wise teachings.
Another wise scripture is in 1 Timothy 6:10. It says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
In my opinion, most Christians today are lost. They have wandered far from the faith and they are far from being an example of Christ on earth. In fact, most are an example of what Christ would not ever be. Selfishness, hypocrisy and arrogance are too often the characteristics that define these “followers of Christ.”
Therefore, when Harripaul contends that the governing party has been overshadowed by “…ego, ambition, greed, lust, jealousy, anger, and passion characterized the PPP leadership, as is evidenced by rampant corruption, crime, and child molestation…” I see the very same thing when it comes to the religious and would never elect a leader based on religious belief.
Harripaul ends his letter to the editor this way, “We need a leader who will restore religious values and morality in government. We need a leader who clearly stands on the side of religion and truth.” In my opinion, today’s religious values have absolutely nothing to do with morality in leadership. In fact, there was a case a few months ago of a pastor in Guyana who beat his wife. I most certainly do not consider that moral leadership.
So what is the truth? The truth is that there are good people who practice religion and good people who do not practice religion. There are bad people who practice religion and bad people who do not practice religion.
A good leader does not have to be religious, because as is quite obvious, religion does not equate to being good. If a religious person feverishly seeks money outside of political office, that person will do the same inside political office. If a person is a wife-beater outside political office, he will be a wife-beater inside political office. Religion has nothing to do with it.
A good leader is someone who has the capacity to make decisions for the good of all people, not just for a small group of people. A good leader will (like Christ) help the less fortunate in the community. A good leader will always choose the people’s best interest over monetary gain. In fact, the characteristics of a good leader have nothing whatsoever to do with religion.
Anyone who chooses a leader by hoping their religion equates to effective leadership is like someone who tosses a penny into a wishing well, closes their eyes tight and hopes their wish comes true. That does not work either.
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