Billboard vulgarity must stop right now- WCLA

The Watchman Church Leaders Alliance (WCLA) is issuing an urgent and solemn call to the nation to halt what can only be described as a precipitous slide into a moral abyss.

While the recent public controversy surrounding the highly sexualized and salacious “Rude Boy” drink billboards has gripped the national conversation, the Alliance warns that this incident is merely a symptom of a much deeper, more pervasive spiritual and ethical crisis eroding the foundation of Jamaican society.

Bishop Alvin Bailey, Deputy Chairman of WCLA, last week strongly condemned on TVJ, the blatant vulgarity of the advertising campaign, expressing profound outrage and being clear that it has no place in our society. That immediate rebuke reflects part of the core mandate of this Alliance: to stand as watchmen over the nation’s spiritual and social well-being.

The launch of an imagery-driven campaign of such public lewdness reveals a devastating lack of a moral and ethical compass in our modern landscape. We have arrived at a point where business greed overrides decency, and where shock value is prioritised over the innocence of our children.

The WCLA views this billboard controversy not in isolation, but as part of a disturbing trend of broad- spectrum moral decay across Jamaica. When the boundaries of public decency are systematically dismantled, it manifests in every facet of national life:

• The Breakdown of the Home: A pervasive disregard for family stability, responsible parenting, and the protection of vulnerable youth.
• The Normalisation of Violence: The heartbreaking reality of school-age children weaponising violence against peers and the horrific desecration of sacred church sanctuaries by criminal elements.
• A Culture of Indiscipline: The growing acceptance of lawlessness, the lack of decorum from Gordon House to Village House, the speech on political platforms, the celebration of “bad man” culture, often amplified through unvetted digital platforms, and the carnage on our roads.
• Unruly Parliamentary behaviour: Our Parliamentary behaviors have drifted over many years into unacceptable territory. This cannot continue if Leadership by Example is to have sway.

A nation that sacrifices its ethical code on the altar of commercial gain or social media trends cannot sustain true development. We are rapidly replacing our rich heritage of respect, dignity, and divine reverence with imported, hyper-sexualised norms that teach our younger generation that everything—including human dignity—is a commodity to be bought and sold.

Over the past few months, we have shared 13 messages from our Leadership on Values and Attitude. This is only the beginning of a new attempt at repair through collaborative Church Leadership action. We firmly believe that our national moral compass requires more than minor repair; it demands a wholesale spiritual rebirth and a return to biblical values.

We call upon the regulatory authorities to exercise greater oversight and robust enforcement regarding public media.

We challenge corporate citizens to look beyond profit margins and operate with a sense of social responsibility.

Most importantly, we urge parents, community leaders, and civil society to stand firm, refuse to accept vulgarity as the “new norm,” and actively protect the minds of our children.

Except the Lord build the House, the builders build in vain ( Psalm 127:1). Unless we collectively choose to rebuild the walls of righteousness, accountability, and mutual respect, we labour in vain to secure a prosperous and peaceful future for generations to come.