Persecution and Discrimination within the police?

[BlackCryptoKnight]

Commissioner Lewin declared that police officers who complain about not being given the day off as required by their religion should not have joined the Force in the first place as the job requires them to work even on days of worship.

The comments drew a rowdy response from police delegates, who claimed that persons who are of the Seventh Day Adventist faith are being discriminated against.

"That you are so religious that Saturday is a conflict, then come out of the police then. The Commissioner not tolerating it. It is simple. I face that challenge of Cheif of Staff," said the Commissioner.

Read more

I am very disappointed with the Commissioner. He is disregarding the valuable contribution that many of his Sabbath keeping team members have made to the work of the police force. He is displaying great intolerance, arrogance, and discrimination.

The very thing that we are discussing now was placed before the Supreme Court and the court ruling in favour of the organization stated clearly that their religion should be considered and members who worship on a Saturday should be given the appropriate consideration," Sergeant Raymond Wilson said.

If the Commissioner can make such incendiary statements despite the clear legal precedent to the contrary, what kind of leadership is he really providing to the police? What does that say about his judgement and capacity for fairness?

Between the Minister of National Security, and the Commissioner of Police, this nations security is a joke thing. It was a really "smart" move for Nelson to disrespect the people of Jamaica by calling their suffering at the hands of the police "collateral damage", and it was really "smart" of Lewin to alienate further an already disgruntled police force by displaying his ignorance and bigotry towards some of its members.

God help them, and God help us.

[Arch_Angel]

So people who worship on Sunday get the day off? If so, then I understand the discrimination against Seventh Day Worshipers. If not, I don't see why Seventh Day Worshipers should get the day off if Sunday Worshipers don't.

Also, is this the practice for other organizations? If you are religious and require certain days off, isn't that something you make known to the place of employment before you get hired?

[Manu]

You can't compare Saturd the day to Sunday A_A and the reasons are for another debate...

[BlackCryptoKnight]

The recent remarks by the commissioner of police regarding members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) who are Sabbath keepers is a matter of grave concern, not only to those who are directly affected, but hopefully to all Jamaicans who are mindful of their constitutional right to worship in accordance with the dictates of their conscience.

While serving as the chairman of the Police Strategic Review Panel, from which several of the 124 recommendations that were made are now being implemented, I had the opportunity to interact closely with loyal and committed individuals serving at all levels of the JCF. Many of these individuals happen to be Seventh-day Adventist Christians. These faithful men and women are always mindful of the fact that, in an emergency situation where their service is required on the Sabbath, they would be obliged to rise to serve their country and they have done so from time to time.

But service to the JCF is not the same as writing an examination. Respectable organisations everywhere that from time to time have to administer examinations such as the JCF's qualifying examinations, have, out of deference to individuals who are not willing to write such examinations on Saturday for religious reasons, permitted the writing of such examinations on other days. Why should the JCF be an exception?

Letter in the Gleaner from HERBERT J. THOMPSON - President of NCU

So people who worship on Sunday get the day off? If so, then I understand the discrimination against Seventh Day Worshipers. If not, I don't see why Seventh Day Worshipers should get the day off if Sunday Worshipers don't.

Also, is this the practice for other organizations? If you are religious and require certain days off, isn't that something you make known to the place of employment before you get hired?

A_A, Jamaicans have a constitutional right to worship according to the dictates of their conscience. Yes, you should be upfront and discuss such things with your employer at the time of employment. This is likely to have been the case with many people.

The bone of contention is the arrogant manner in which the Commissioner commented on the issue. He showed contempt for Sabbath keepers. Even if you don't subscribe to those views, as a public official, and as a leader, you should not be showing contempt for your staff like that. He was disrespectful and rude. He disregarded the value of the many police officers who are Sabbath keepers. That was wrong.

[ramesh]

The bone of contention is the arrogant manner in which the Commissioner commented on the issue. He showed contempt for Sabbath keepers. Even if you don't subscribe to those views, as a public official, and as a leader, you should not be showing contempt for your staff like that. He was disrespectful and rude. He disregarded the value of the many police officers who are Sabbath keepers. That was wrong.

I 100% agree with you BCK. No matter what your anyone's religious or secular beliefs are, they should be respected no matter what your own religious or secular views are.

[Arch_Angel]

You can't compare Saturd the day to Sunday A_A and the reasons are for another debate...

I'm not looking for a debate, so send me a PM on the reasoning please, if you don't want a debate on it.

A_A, Jamaicans have a constitutional right to worship according to the dictates of their conscience. Yes, you should be upfront and discuss such things with your employer at the time of employment. This is likely to have been the case with many people.

The bone of contention is the arrogant manner in which the Commissioner commented on the issue. He showed contempt for Sabbath keepers. Even if you don't subscribe to those views, as a public official, and as a leader, you should not be showing contempt for your staff like that. He was disrespectful and rude. He disregarded the value of the many police officers who are Sabbath keepers. That was wrong.

Even if he spoke of Sunday worshipers, I'm not too perturbed by it.

The way I am looking at it is, as a Christian, when applying for a job, I look at the times when I am required to work and see if it clashes with my time of worship. If it does, I make decision whether I am going to forgo my days of worship for doing work on that day.

I am not really expecting me to go to a place of employment that requires me to work on a Sunday, then months or years later, asking for a time out on Sunday to go worship.

I guess they way he presented his point might seem rude and disrespectful. But is that the only reason people are upset at it? Not at the point that he is refusing to give them day off to go worship?

If my reasoning is off, let me know.

[BlackCryptoKnight]

Even if he spoke of Sunday worshipers, I'm not too perturbed by it.

The way I am looking at it is, as a Christian, when applying for a job, I look at the times when I am required to work and see if it clashes with my time of worship. If it does, I make decision whether I am going to forgo my days of worship for doing work on that day.

I am not really expecting me to go to a place of employment that requires me to work on a Sunday, then months or years later, asking for a time out on Sunday to go worship.

I guess they way he presented his point might seem rude and disrespectful. But is that the only reason people are upset at it? Not at the point that he is refusing to give them day off to go worship?

If my reasoning is off, let me know.

I think the original point was about scheduling of an exam on a Saturday. Sabbath keepers in essential services do give service on Sabbath, as Christ himself gave service on Sabbath (healed the sick etc.), but taking an exam is not in the same category. That was the bone of contention.

[BlackCryptoKnight]

Crusade against commish's comment - Adventists say statement infringes on religious freedom

Published: Sunday | May 31, 2009


Bignall

SEVENTH-DAY Adventists are demanding that Commissioner of Police Hardley Lewin withdraw his recent comment that police personnel who believed their jobs conflicted with their religion should resign.

Commissioner Lewin made the statement during the closing session of the 66th Police Federation conference in Trelawny on Friday.

In a statement issued to the press on the weekend, the church said Admiral Lewin's comments amounted to intolerance of religious rights and called on Minister of National Security Senator Dwight Nelson to repudiate the comments made by the commissioner.

Read more

Hartley Lewin needs to learn something about diplomacy. He probably doesn't even realize who some of the people he has disrespected are. The Governor General is Sabbath keeper. The Prime Minister's family (wife and kids) are/were raised as Sabbath keepers. The Minister of Labour's family are/were raised as Sabbath keepers. "One Don" Eddie's mom was a Sabbath keeper. Many of the doctors and nurses pulling bullets out of cops and saving their lives, are Sabbath keepers.

If you took Sabbath keepers out of the workforce, Jamaica would be much worse off for it.

Hartley Lewin made a stupid political move when he said what he said. He will pay for it.