Respect the woman’s freedom of choice, man!

Editor: A general disrespect for the rights and freedoms of our fellowmen prevails in the land. It springs from a lack of the love of God in the heart. Whether some persons want to believe it or not, our society is fast moving further and further away from God. The natural result is the increase of criminal acts. You see, God is love and the man who has God’s love dwelling in him would love all others, even those who may have differing opinions and choices.{{more}} Indeed, “love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10.

The recent gruesome murder of a Chateaubelair woman by her ex-boyfriend is evidence of the cold-heartedness and rights-disregarding attitude that exists in our country. Some men seem to think that they ‘own’ women and must force them into submission. These men do not view their womenfolk as intelligent beings who must be reasoned with. Quite often, we hear cases where the man would not accept ‘no’ as an answer. For example, a woman decides that she doesn’t want to continue in a relationship and the man’s response is to abuse her as if to say “If I can’t get yo, nobody else ain getting yo.” Sadly, the woman is sometimes left to nurse a life-injury or she is even murdered. Why can’t a man accept that a woman is free to discontinue a relationship without fearing for her life? Don’t you realize that the woman has the God-given freedom of choice that you should respect? If you want a woman to ‘love’ you out of fear for her life, then you don’t want a real woman. A woman is not a beast or an animal to whom you can give commands at your pleasure. She is God’s intelligent creation with sacred inalienable and inviolable rights and freedoms and must be treated with due regard!

Unfortunately, this freedom-hating behaviour exists even among our children. If these ideas are not rooted out with the right kind of education from school age, then the future of this nation is gloomy. This is no time for revelling and the distasteful politicking which are unfruitful. The disrespectful youths of today will be the criminals of tomorrow. The violence-loving young boy (or girl) would be the murderer of tomorrow. Hearts need NOW to be directed to the word of God to learn that we all have a God-given duty “to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law…thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness…thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” Romans 13: 8,9. May God help our nation.

Ann-Marie Ballantyne

svgpatriot@hotmail.com