DEAR EDITOR: I refer to the address of Verna St Rose Greaves to delegates of the Caribbean Union of Teachers Women’s Conference on Monday, August 6, as reported in the Newsday of August 8.

She is quoted as saying: “Like other institutions of socialisation such as the family and religious organisations, schools have the potential to be zones of oppression”.

She was also reported as saying that “it was in the “zones” of socialisation or oppression that gender stereotyping are (sic) perpetuated when children are not taught about gender and issues of equality and human rights.”

The statement (as reported) comes across that because family and religious organisations “oppress” children by socialising the boys in the (stereotypical) role of boys and the girls in the (stereotypical) role of girls, schools have to learn how to correct this “oppression” by teaching them about “gender and issues of equality and human rights.”

This is the jargon of the ideology of “Woman’s Empowerment” born from the Fourth World Conference on Women at Beijing in 1996 and promoted worldwide by the United Nations.

This ideology has influenced the framers of the draft of the Gender Policy that is being promoted by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs and some women’s groups in T&T.

Note the strength of the word “oppression” and the use in the article of the word “patriarchy”, which is used by radical feminists as a pejorative, a bad word, a situation to be eradicated.

Equality and human rights find their source in the dignity of human beings having been created by God in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26) and this is vital for society to support. However, on to this great good, which is used as the sales point, is tacked the issue of gender.

There is a woman’s movement, referred to as Radical Feminism, which has taken over United Nations’ bureaucratic thinking that promotes “Women’s Empowerment”.

Its ideological proposal is for a new world order based on the corruption of true sexuality through “gender equality” and the elimination of women’s femininity and motherhood and man’s masculinity and fatherhood.

The reduction of the word “gender” to mean a social construct only is an attempt to reconstruct reality. God made mankind male and female, males being masculine and females feminine. This is obvious to any rational mind when one observes what our bodies tell us.

Yet this new ideology of “Women’s Empowerment” has so powerfully affected otherwise clever minds that they have accepted the unreality that men and masculine could as easily signify a female body as a male one, and vice versa.

Their ideology closes their minds to rational thinking in pursuit of their objective: a new world order of “gender equity” and “equality” with indistinct and uniform human beings whose sexuality no longer expresses the gift, the love and the sacrifice inherent in husband and father, wife and mother.

 The beauty and dignity of laying down one’s life for another, permanently and faithfully, is cast aside for a sexuality that is more like a voluptuous drug that can be used indiscriminately without any dignified criteria.

One is all for women’s empowerment but not at the expense of destroying the matrimonial meaning of masculine and feminine. Neither should it be based on an unreality sourced in the corruption of the word gender - an attempt to rearrange truth to fit an ideology.

The consequences will only accelerate the destruction of marriage, family, society and civilisation by refusing to admit the obvious. Above all, in refusing to acknowledge and reinforce traditional roles of men and women as husbands, fathers, wives and mothers, there can be no healing of the wounds of irresponsible and transitory relationships that exist between men and women in all too many cases.

Friendships can be between anyone, but sexual relationships are meant to be conducted in a permanent, monogamous marriage between man and woman as nature clearly demonstrates and God, our Creator, commands.
Fr George Pritchett, Emmanuel Community

DEAR EDITOR: For the past twelve years and more, there have been numerous talk shows and newspaper articles lamenting the urgent need for a greater practical awareness for the development of Agriculture in Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the Caribbean region.

How many times have we heard the cries of our local farmers who ply their business with technical mediocrity? Of course we witness the Chinese and various Caricom workers working with nationals and engaging in creating building structures, roads and railway course.

But where is the human labour and high tech machines to install agriculture as second to the oil industry. Our government ought not to give up on the local labourer. Will the oil money ever done? And when will we experience high paying salaries for the agriculture worker?

Just imagine another generation of West Indians will depend on the oil industry to maintain the course of economic prosperity. By the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread and working hard is not a crime.

Many of us feel belittled and low class when we find ourselves in the field tilling the soil, sowing seeds and weeding. It is high time for agriculture awareness to be more real.

It is not a shameful thing to pay more respect to nature and the growing of our own food. Just like the oil finances, agriculture will have its share in the millions and even billions.

This would be achieved when the people of Trinidad and Tobago work with the Government in restoring patriotism, and motivate the masses into the agriculture field, just as the sportsmen and women storming the football and basketball fields.

Growing our own food with fewer chemicals will bring healthier citizens and a reduction in local food prices. How many of us have admired the various plantations of crops adorning the beautiful landscapes. Mother nature is always there for us. We don’t patronise fully so as to reap the benefits that are life sustaining.

We got a scare earlier in the year when we thought the dry season would never end. The heat turned our fields brown and barren. In the midst of this year’s holiday period, the rainfall is extremely high. Proper clearing of the drains can help to curb the flooding that generates crop losses thus sending up the market prices.

Of course, the Water and Sewage Authority has their part to play in providing water to both the Government and private agriculture lands. The people of Trinidad can work.

They need motivation to propel them. Hopefully, we will one day soon, see the hidden talents of many and a tourist attraction in the lines of agriculture cultivation.
Gregory Neptune, Port of Spain

DEAR EDITOR: On the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Friday, June 15) my children, their families and I gathered together at my home to consecrate our lives to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

It was a beautiful and moving ceremony performed by Fr Allan Ventour. Fr Ventour led us in the prayer of consecration, he then spoke of how good it is to make this consecration and of the spiritual benefits and graces we receive when we do so. He said that we have now united ourselves closer to Jesus and Mary and so we are given the grace to surrender our lives fully to them.

The unity and closeness of family that we experienced was wonderful and we truly felt wrapped in the arms of Jesus and Mary. Members of the family, or I should say, we all prayed asking for forgiveness, love and peace in our families.

We sang Bind us Together, Father then blessed the picture of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and closed the ceremony with a prayer.

It was a ceremony which touched us all deeply. I want to encourage all families, who have not already done so to consecrate their lives to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In these times when family life is being destroyed and the devil, the world and the flesh, seem to be swallowing up our families we need to go with all haste to Jesus and Mary for protection, love and unity.

May all families take this step to surrender their lives to Jesus and Mary our mother, it is a step which can certainly bring about our deliverance and salvation. Thank you, Fr Allan, but most of all, thank you Jesus and Mary. We love you.
Veronica Samuel, Mon Repos

DEAR EDITOR: Please allow me space in your newspaper to express my view on something that I believe we should all consider as Catholics.

I have been quite observant of the concept of the Church harvest – the excitement, how people look forward to it, the preparations and teamwork, and everything else that goes along with it. That is all well and good, however, there is usually something missing in the whole equation - the witness of JESUS!!

I attended a number of Church harvests this year, and honestly, I do not believe that the harvest in its present state represent Christ. All the energies and efforts are to raise funds, rather than bringing forth the fruits of our labour to be blessed and enjoyed in a way pleasing to God. the very fruit that God has helped us to grow and reap during the year. It should be a time of witness and praise to the Lord.

The Church harvest attracts non-believers into the church to help us raise funds and to have a good time, rather than an opportunity to have fun, and at the same time, give us believers an opportunity to evangelize and show those present what being a Catholic means to us.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations....." Everything the Church does is supposed to evangelize the unbeliever, and to renew the faith of the lukewarm or lapsed believer. We should witness in all our celebrations and activities, not only in the Mass.

Most of the types of music being encouraged in the Church harvest is, to say the least, tasteless, and definitely does not reflect Jesus or what He stands for. All music played must give glory to God, especially on holy ground.

Where is our witness, fellow Catholics? Where is our focus? Are we Christian to follow Christ and His Way? The music we play is an important part of our witness, especially on occasions like these...the passers-by will still assist us in our venture to raise funds even if we play the type of music that exalts our Most High God.

Our shepherds, the priests, have a huge role in ensuring that all our activities and music are attractive to the passer-by, but, above all, retains the message of Christ and what the parish represents under his leadership.

My greatest displeasure is really in our attitudes to all things of Christ and our general focus as Catholics. We allow too many opportunities to make a difference pass us by, and it seems to me that, any change for the better of the Faith, lies in the hands of those who dare to challenge the things that are becoming the norms of society.

I urge parish priests and parishioners to seriously consider this view as it will make a significant difference in our witness. We must never lose sight of our mission - to go and make disciples and to teach them what He commanded.

We must enjoy ourselves as Christians in all our activities, but no activity must ever compromise Jesus, but should always promote and revere Him.
Be blessed!
Marina Marcano, Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, San Fernando

DEAR EDITOR: I would like to personally express my thanks to the Archdiocesan Communications Commission for the programme “Communicating for Success - Pathways to Creating Effective Media Teams”, which was held during the month of July at North Eastern College in Sangre Grande.

I was one of the participants and it was a wonderful experience for all who were there. This programme opened my eyes to many things about life and all aspects of the Church in general.

I would like to say, thank you to Msgr Cuthbert Alexander for taking time and sharing his insights that made it easy for all of us to understand the programme.

Thanks too to Louis Blake and Mr Victor (didn’t get his last name) on an excellent job in getting everything in order for the programme that was truly exceptional.

To those who took time from their busy schedule to give presentations on the theme, thank you for your time in sharing a lot of information. May God bless you all.

Lastly to my fellow participants Lisa Boodan, Patricia Charles, Collin and Debbie, it was indeed an honour learning with you all.  I hope what we have learnt will become a reality in practice.
Harris Mahase, Coryal