Editors Forum Not Fully Free Literacy Specialists Bemoan Challenges

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Jamaica continues to rank among the countries that most respect freedom of information in the world, gaining two places to eight in the recently released Press Freedom Index 2017 by Reporters Without Borders.

But organisers of a Media and Information Conference 2017, to be held in Kingston next week, have warned that freedom of expression in Jamaica may not be as 'free' as many now believe.

"We are not doing as well as you say we are doing in terms of freedom of expression because we are playing catch-up in many ways," said Dr Clement Lambert, lecturer in literacy studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, during a Gleaner Editors' Forum last week.

Lambert argued that minority groups are particularly denied freedom of expression in Jamaica, and that starts in the schools.

"From an educator's stand-point, the curriculum needs to be improved so that we include the conversations that we have to have - conversations about diversity, about acceptance of other persons regardless of race, colour, creed, religion, sexual orientation, and otherwise," added Lambert.

Editors Forum Not Fully Free Literacy Specialists Bemoan Challenges



Christians in Jamaica and other countries keep on hearing that they are intolerant, bigoted, and hateful and as such is shamed by educators, lecturers, human rights supporters, atheists, persons of other religions and many other persons in different professions.


That Christians should embrace other religious groups on equal ground to their own etc. That countries with Christian inspired governments must embrace religious diversity and tolerance of everything that is not biblical instead of sticking to it’s roots.


Yet sill in countries where non-Christian religions are dominant, Christians and other smaller religious groups are severely prosecuted. Additionally in atheist countries, Christians and other religious groups are persecuted severely as well.


Yet still Christians specifically are being targeted, forced to accept every ideology and lifestyle while other religious and non-religious group do not have that same pressure on them.


It is also interesting, that immigrants from other non-Christian countries demand that countries with Christian heritage accept their way of life, and expect at the same time that persons who live in their countries follow their laws and adhere to their belief system. This is clearly more than a double standard.


Christians need to continually remind persons that calls Christians bigoted, that Jesus Christ teaches us the following two most important commandments.


Matthew 22 verse 35-40

[35] Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
[36] Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
[37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
[38] This is the first and great commandment.
[39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
[40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.



Revelation 22 verse 12-16

[12] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
[13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
[14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
[15] For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
[16] I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.