Ishawna upsets church leaders

Ishawna

For comparing sex to being filled with the Holy Spirit

At least two church denominations have decried dancehall artiste Ishawna's latest single, Glory, as being "sacrilegious and blasphemous".

The song, released over the Easter weekend, sparked a firestorm of criticism online because of the lyrics and racy content. In the song, Ishawna compares the sexual act to being filled with the Holy Spirit.

"Ishawna is a bright and beautiful young lady. And while I believe in the creative license of artistes to express themselves, I believe we all have a responsibility to avoid offending the sensibilities of all groups in society. To pair sex and worship in this manner is unfortunate and misguided, to say the least. It is sacrilegious and blasphemous," Bishop Everton Thomas of Emmanuel Apostolic Church, Slipe Road, and Portmore, said.

Bishop Thomas suggested that the dancehall artiste and her management team pull the song immediately.

"Ishawna doesn't need to go to this extreme to build her ratings and, I would suggest that she pulls this one," Bishop Thomas said.

The controversial Ishawna also uses religious metaphors and makes overt references to God and sex.

One church minister who chose to remain anonymous, described the song as "very disturbing".

"The first time that I sat down and listened to this woman tell her story on Winford Williams' Onstage programme, my heart went out to her because of the physical abuse she suffered. But now, I fear that she has lost her way. She is on a very slippery slope. She may be on the verge of losing her soul. She is opening some very dangerous doors given the words that are coming out of her mouth," the minister said.

Reverend Carla Dunbar of Praise Sanctuary Church of God Apostolic, Cavalier , St Andrew, chose not to lambast Ishawna. She admitted that she did not know Ishawna's marital status and in what context she had penned the song.

"Sexual intercourse has a proper context, and I can say sex in the context of a traditional one-man-one-woman marriage is intended to be a holy and intensely pleasurable and spiritual experience. Any sexual act outside of that marriage context verbally or otherwise is a desecration and degrading of God's intent," she said.

Ishawna could not be reached for comment.