The Christmas season, referred to as the season of goodwill, will see Guyanese of all religious persuasions seizing the opportunity of participating in all that the season has to offer. They delight in the exchange of gifts, pampering the children and enjoying family gatherings. Some try to bring cheer to the less fortunate. Many Christians take the opportunity of reaffirming their faith, to give thanks and to celebrate the life and work of Jesus Christ. All participate in the fanfare of welcoming the New Year. Some consume too much alcohol and drive recklessly.
In this period religion plays an important, sometimes a dominant, role in the lives of many people in Guyana and around the world. Christians engage in religious observances and reflect on the lessons that Jesus in his short time on earth left with us. Different people are moved or motivated by particular aspects of the teachings of Jesus, depending on their special interests. Jesus’s clear, outspoken and uninhibited partisanship towards the poor, oppressed, disadvantaged and sick are what appeal most to me.
Even though serious academics have questioned the existence of Jesus Christ and thrashed the quality of scholarship that ‘proves’ his existence, Christians are in no doubt about his sojourn on earth and its purpose, the story of his birth and life, the lessons he gave and the miracles he performed, the manner of his death and Resurrection, and his being the Son of God. Others have criticized Christianity, the religion that his ministry gave birth to, as advocating the acceptance of oppression on earth in return for everlasting life in heaven, if the praises of the Lord are sounded clearly and loudly enough.
Trenchant criticisms of religion, particularly Christianity, have been made by Karl Marx.
