Letter #1 : The Malory's Case - Invitation

Dear Pastor Malory Laurent,

I salute your dedication to the sacerdotal service towards the Haitian community. I respectfully invite you to a public debate on your recent public opposition to the stage sharing of a perceived non-Christian artist with other Christian artists.

I am the son of a pastor and a music maestro from the church, giving me a dual-basis to find a unique opportunity to engage in a productive debate on this topic for educational purposes. This also offers you, as someone wearing both the hat of a pastor and that of an evangelist, a great medium to share the gospel with the world.

It's worth noting that in support for your public positions on that matter, you have proposed a strict adherence to the holy scripture, a book both secular historians and many theologians have all suggested to be filled with controversies deriving from the incongruency in the cultural barriers across a large spectrum of generations and ethnicities and also due to lack of authentications around certain books' authorship such as the books of Luc, Acts, and in the old testaments, the books of Daniels, etc... More specific to your own public position, we may note the following 2 interesting facts in that same Bible you use as a ground for your arguments:

1. Mathew 7: 1 -

   “Judge not, that you be not judged."

   
   

   It is beyond any doubt that, perhaps inadvertently, your public statements have been judgmental of both the promoters of this event for showcasing a perceived non-believer to perform at a supposedly Christian event and of the artist in question as you label that person as a non-Christian making allusion to darkness as being the side she represents in opposition to the Bible instruction that you may judge not.

   
   

2. Luc 17: 1 - 2 -

   "Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."

Furthermore, due to the controversies that ensued, it can be argued that your statement have caused a scandal to the extent you became so distraught that you publicly announced that your life may even be in danger forcing you to make the cautionary step to restrict your appearances at other churches in the community. That scandal may have been the direct result of your public stance on the matter which may have placed you at odds with the scripture once again.

I seek to investigate the root cause of the conflict between church and culture as I consider the following problematics as a starting point:

1. Divergence and needs for harmony

2. The sacredness of culture

3. Emancipation through knowledge

Due to the vastness of this complex topic, I will publish a series of 12 letters, with this current one serving as an introduction. Altogether, my sincere hope is to use a parallel study of the Bible and historical facts on the conflict mentioned above, to identify its origin, cause, nature and effects. Accordingly, the following three themes will be explored over the course of a 3-month period through a series of weekly publication:

1. The Bible

   1. The Bible: authoritative, inspired or interpreted words of God

   2. The Bible: A confluence of culture

   3. The Bible: Through the ages

2. The Church as an entity in general

   1. The Church: A house of worship

   2. The Church and the states

   3. The Church and society

   4. The Clergy: Pastors and priests

      
      

3. The Church in Haiti

   1. The Church in Haitian history

   2. The Church and voodoo: The Syncretism

   3. The church today: Spirituality vs religion

Finally, I will close this series out with a last publication on November 25, 2024 as a synthesis from the synergy between the main publications and public debates.

I would like to extend the courtesy to you to offer to the public your own perspective if you see it fit. However, a simple participation through your readership will also suffice. All our 12-letters can be found on a website dedicated for that topic at: www.pastmalory.com.

Cordial salutations!

Dr. Elanaxe Yvel

(This is a pen name)