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The Caribbean region is diversitized with multicultural and multi-religious societies. In order for there to be social agreement amidst our diversified societies, it is essential that we comprehend the principles and traditional customs of each other, because as the saying goes 'ignorance breeds fear and fear breeds hate and hate breeds violence.'

From the 15th through 19th centuries, the Caribbean basin was the site of an extended encounter between Europe and the Americas with Spain, Holland, Portugal, France, and the British Isles competing against each other for control of the Caribbean islands as well as Central and South America. In addition to enslaving the native population, the colonizers brought Africans from Central and Western Africa as slaves to the region to provide labor on tobacco and sugar plantations and sought to convert them to Christianity. Caribbean families who choose to raise their children in an interfaith community often cite unity as one of their reasons for doing so. In an interfaith setting, both parents have equal status. Both parents can sit at a gathering or holiday celebration with the children, and neither will feel like a guest. When a family chooses both, it means parents also take on equal responsibility in transmitting culture and beliefs to the children. This Christian family household allows the children to attend both churches as their teachings are similar. It also means that both religious traditions are celebrated but not forced upon the children.

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Most schools in the Caribbean region are named after saints and have a church with the same saint located near it for example ST. Margaret's Anglican Church and ST. Margaret's Boys Anglican as shown in the photo below taken on 3/3/17 In the 19th century in Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname there were Hindus belonging to various sects who have schools today. Many Hindus were also converted to Presbyterianism due to the Canadian missions there who marketed it as a means towards upward mobility. Studies show that students who are more religious for example students who have incorporated in one's self religious integrity and principles are less likely to engross in delinquent activities. Schools that incorporate a higher level of religiosity in the school culture and climate, have a lower rate of delinquency. High academic achievement and high levels of parental religiosity also contribute to the decline in delinquency among adolescents. So incorporating religion into educational studies help shape the societies within the Caribbean for the better. A major problem being faced by most Caribbean countries, as well as other developing nations, is an increase in school violence and indiscipline among the juvenile population. There is a conception of violence and delinquent behavior in schools during the past ten years. Subsequently violence and disruptive behaviors in schools have been at the forefront of news headlines in Trinidad and Tobago. Religiosity or religious influence in adolescents acts as a deviance inhibitor.

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If we all lived by the Ten Commandments, the police would have very little to do. Crime is not an outcome of poverty. There are lots of honest, poor people in the world and lots of wealthy criminals. But without spiritual awareness, you experience major social problems. I believe negativity brings on negativity and positive actions bring on positive actions. Prayer is not about asking, but doing. It is not God's job to manipulate actions so that we become magicians. It is God's job to be with us in good and bad times and to give us the strength and wisdom to overcome adversity. Religions demands that we be adults and think before we act. I think these principles will serve the Caribbean region well if the society is more religious.

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As crime and criminality remain on the front burner in Trinidad and Tobago, Bishop Mural Dillon said the Baptist community has a very important role to play in their reduction.

"Therefore we must utilise some of our limited resources to educate and inform our male in our churches and communities. They must know how to love and treat and care for our females. The male in the church must be the role models for our young men in this island," said the Bishop during Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day celebrations at Signal Hill in Tobago yesterday.

Dillon said men must take up their responsibilities and execute them efficiently. He called for the implementation of social programmes, such as parenting workshops, as he said some of the bad behaviour in society is as a result of poor parenting skills or lack thereof.

"We must revisit our moral and spiritual values and set high standards and uphold them," he stated.

Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Minority Leader Watson Duke was in attendance and danced and sang with the Tobago baptists, advising them to speak out against what he termed are the wrongs of the THA.

"Continue on the journey, when you see wrong things going on in the Tobago House of Assembly, shake your bell and walk the streets, yes, shake your bell. It is okay and I am giving you permission now to come by the Assembly and shake your bell," said Duke.

THA Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles said the struggle of the Baptists of the country is one which reflects courage, persistence, endurance and creativity.

"Even today as we await the progress of the autonomy bill, that progress reflects an ongoing struggle, not merely for recognition as Tobagonians, but for the opportunity to determine our path forward as an island seeking to fashion a robust economy and an enduring society."

Charles said he hopes to establish, in the office of the Chief Secretary, a unit with the responsibility for ecclesiastical affairs.

Yesterday's celebrations took place under the theme, "Continuing the journey, Securing the ship", and were held on three acres of land at Signal Hill given to the Baptist faith by the Tobago House of Assembly in 2006.

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'baptists have important role in reduction of crime'

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'Baptists have important role in reduction of crime'

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As crime and criminality remain on the front burner in Trinidad and Tobago, Bishop Mural Dillon said the Baptist community has a very important role to play in their reduction. "Therefore we must utilise some of our limited resources to educate and inform our male in our churches and communities.

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The origins and advancement the Spiritual Shouter Baptist Religion in Trinidad and Tobago are not well known but the general agreement is that the religion developed among the people of African descent during the Nineteenth Century. The name Spiritual Shouter Baptist is indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago. It is a unique religion, comprising elements of Protestant Christianity and African doctrines and rituals as shown in the picture below. It is also one of the few religions indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago. The term Shouter was given to the Baptists because of their tendency to shout, clap and sing loudly during their religious services. It was a derogatory term imposed on them by mainstream society. During their fight to have the Shouters Prohibition Ordinance repealed, the Baptists decided to use the term Spiritual Baptists instead of Shouter Baptists, in an effort to gain respect for their religion. There are four theories that place the roots of the Spiritual Shouter Baptist Religion in Africa, Britain, North America and St. Vincent. Another division of the influx of new settlers in 1797 was a group of former American Slaves who had supported Britain during the American War of Independence. They were rewarded for their loyalty with their freedom and grants of land in South Trinidad. These settlers brought their Baptist faith with them and influenced the development of the indigenous Spiritual Shouter Baptist Faith. Although the origins of the Spiritual Shouter Baptist Faith in Trinidad and Tobago can be traced to foreign countries, it has evolved over time to become a unique, indigenous religion. It has managed to fuse the spontaneity and rhythms of Africa with the restrained, traditional tenets of Christianity to produce a religion that is vibrant, expressive and dynamic.

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Religion is a collection of belief, systems, cultural systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality and sometimes to moral values. Many religions have history, symbols, traditions, and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to obtain morality, ethics, religious laws, or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas about human nature. Resistance also created other uniqu world views such as through Rastafari formed in the 1930’s in Jamaica based on Marcus Garvey’s philosophies. The system of religion in the Caribbean has been a struggle between the ideas of the dominant Europeans and colonized peoples. Syncretism and Hybridization have re-created the institutions of religion primarily through the Africans and Amerindians adopting many Europeans forms and practices into their own traditions from slavery until now. Religion can help groups maintain solidarity and keep their traditions alive in the face of globalizing western culture. For example the descendants of the Caribs, Arawaks and West African people still practice many of their African customs today. Institutions Religion is seen as a major factor in the establishment of the justice system as countries with different religious systems have usually varying justice systems. For example Sharia law vs. Western legal system based on Christianity. Some religion laws have various beliefs which bind their believers which can affect interaction with other institutions for example Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in blood transfusion altering relationships with health care professionals. Religion also has an immense ability to generate conflict in a society especially among plural societies.