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	Credibility on the Edge By Howard Gregory Jamaica Observer July 5, 2009 http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/html/20090704T180000-0500_154752_OBS_CREDIBILITY_ON_THE_EDGE_.asp A few Sunday evenings ago, the media carried a report of a clergyman who was taken away in handcuffs from the sanctuary of the church at which he was to be the guest preacher. He was being taken into custody for sexual offences committed against two teenagers during the previous week. Early reports simply referenced him as a pastor and healer of international renown; no name was given. Whether intentional or not, this partial release of information led to a situation in which a broad brush was being used to paint all who could possibly possess such an identity. The truth is that whether or not we had been given a name it would not have mattered, as the criminal and repugnant behaviour of this clergyman has led to the tarnishing of all members of the clergy as a "professional" group. This is not unexpected, as this offensive behaviour of one member of a professional group is like the proverbial one bad apple which spoils the barrel. This is not the first occurrence of priestly misconduct, nor will it be the last. What is perhaps the good news in all of this is the fact that our people seem to be becoming more sensitised to the abuse of our children and to report matters to the authorities in relation to their suspicions. An article carried last Sunday in this newspaper paints a picture of the incidents of carnal abuse which are taking place in our society and which I quote in part as follows: "The first annual report of the Office of the Children's Advocate has painted a disturbing view of the status of Jamaican children. .At the same time, the report noted that incidents of carnal abuse have continued to rise. Statistics contained in the document show that the number of sexual crimes reported against children in 2005 - all of whom were female victims - was more than 700, while 1,185 cases of carnal abuse and rape were reported in 2006." To think that statistics of this nature can involve clergymen or women is reprehensible. What is just as disturbing is the response of members of the religious community to this development. Before the evidence is brought to court, there are persons who are proclaiming the innocence of this accused sex offender. This is consistent with what prevails in the society at large in which the offender is defended and made out to be the victim in the situation, while the real victims are made out to be villains. While this behaviour may be a manifestation of an initial response of disbelief when credibility in someone who is held in some esteem is destroyed, it cannot be justified, and members of the religious community must acknowledge the impropriety and the seriousness of such an offence. Furthermore, the religious community must again take stock of the clergymen or women who are in the ranks and see that they are held accountable for their professional and ethical conduct. Part of the problem which exists within this professional group, as we have witnessed in recent years, is that these issues have not been addressed in a satisfactory manner. There has also been a certain naivety concerning the ethical violations of members of the clergy and the appropriate corrective and disciplinary steps to be taken. In addition, one of the features of religion in today's world and as manifested in the church is that each person is now a religious authority unto himself or herself and can establish what is called "A Ministry" which bears his or her name that is accountable to no judicatory authority. We have seen this in the scandal surrounding some of the leading televangelists in the United States within the last two decades. For many in Jamaica today, this is where the real church is to be found. The truth is, while institutional religious organisations with judicatory authorities fail in their oversight and discipline, at least there are structures and processes which make for accountability, whereas in these personal religious establishments, accountability may reside only in the person of the offender. Without trying to take the spotlight off the religious community and its offending "professionals", I want to suggest that the society is witnessing a kind of crisis of credibility with its professionals, which holds serious consequences for the future of our society. If we may treat the politicians as a group of professionals in the most generous use of the term, we may note that a significant section of this society uses extremely negative terminology when referring to them. They are blamed for every ill in this country. The point, though, is that credibility is lacking for the most part as perceived by a significant part of the population. The police have overtaken the politicians in more recent times where the issue of credibility is concerned. The frequent interdiction of members of the police force, the daily protests by citizens who challenge the police's version of what transpired at crime scenes, and the more recent retirement of ten officers "in the interest of the public", are a telling story of credibility on the line. Now the legal profession has shot itself into the spotlight where the issue of credibility is concerned. A report carried in another media publication indicates that "members of the Jamaica Bar Association and the Cornwall Bar Association are opposed to the appointment of Justice Marlene Malahoo-Forte to the High Court bench. It appears that one year after criticising some lawyers for what she said was their unprofessional 'hustling', Malahoo-Forte has not been forgiven." The report continues, "During a Gleaner Editors' Forum, she blamed some lawyers for the wide-scale breakdown of the justice system. 'I think the legal profession has been relegated to hustling,' she said, arguing that some lawyers often booked more than two cases for the same period, ultimately creating delays in the system. 'I see conduct so unbecoming that in other places where the legal profession is properly regulated, they could not practise law.' " It is interesting that Chief Justice Zaila McCalla had some similar but less damning observations to make concerning the problems in the operation of the justice system, and there seems to be no call to have her censured for such statements, at least in public. Certainly, the public will be watching to see if members of the legal profession will be so narrow in their perspective on the accountability of their colleagues that they will seek to punish one of their own for challenging some of their brothers and sisters on this matter. The reality is that professional groups of every discipline, not the least being the clergy, must understand that they are accountable not just to their professional colleagues but to the whole society for the way in which they operate, and when they fail in this regard there ought to be consequences. If there is violation of the laws of the land, then prosecution must follow. Where there is violation of their professional ethics, then action must be taken internally, but to attempt to justify or minimise such unprofessional conduct in the public arena under the guise of protecting the integrity of the profession is misguided. As professionals, we must move beyond the notion that criticisms from without or the actions of whistleblowers from within are just attempts to discredit the profession, and see them as opportunities for the renewing and reframing of our identity, our professionalism, and our sense of accountability. Because in the long run if the credibility of these pivotal professional groups is undermined, the society will be in deep trouble, and we will witness a deepening of the cynicism, loss of confidence, and lawlessness which is plaguing the society and which militates against the hope for stability and the positive transformation of our society.
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