The Editor, Sir:

In view of our current crime situation and so many of us agreeing that the churches should do more, we must look deeper into what impact the church can exert on our younger generation. If our churches only follow the footsteps of some TV preachers and focus heavily on the 10 per cent money we hear about, then they are missing the opportunity to coach a young person out of the wilderness.

There are churches in Jamaica with building space and access to computers and books from America, yet they refuse to start any schools, claiming that their headquarters in the States does not promote it. I, for one had to rebel against this idea in 1966. Up to this day, that church fails to see the light.

As a nation, we must use all our resources to pull our younger minds away from the gun to the classrooms. We as a people cannot blindly think that salvation from sin is all that our churches should be about in Jamaica. As Christians, we must confront our problems with prayer and some practical solutions, not waiting on someone from foreign to pull off some miracle to solve our crime situation.

We thank and commend our churches for the preparation for judgement or Armageddon, but do bear in mind that today's crime situation can be reduced with hope, education and opportunity, in addition to going to church.

I am, etc.,

TYRONE OSBORNE

kutuki18@cs.com

Via Go-Jamaica