It's not nice when you sit in your living room trying to watch the news or just trying to relax and you are unable to because the noise coming from across the street makes you feel like you are in the middle of a dancehall.

And whether the invasive noise is from a dancehall or from a church, it is still noise. There are some of us, however, who feel that if the noise is religious in nature, it should be tolerated because it is somehow righteous. I have never heard such garbage in my life.

Since Sunday, I have been bombarded by noise coming from a crusade that is in full swing. There is a lot of preaching, singing (if you can call it that) and testimony, with people calling on those attending to step forward and give their lives to the Lord. During the two or so hours that this thing is on, I can't hear anything on my television, I have to shout when I am speaking to members of my family and it is impossible to think clearly. Last night I had to resort to wearing earplugs!

Jamaica, they say, has more churches per square mile than anywhere else in the world. I think somehow, this gives the impression that we are, or should be, among the most devout Christians on the planet. That perhaps, used to be true 30, 40, or 50 years ago, but when the country also boasts one of the highest murder rates in the world, one has to wonder whether having all these churches is just a grand waste of time and space.

What this large number of churches means is that every community has a church or two. Well, that is unless you live up 'in the hills' in a massive mansion buttressed by cut-stone walls and giant electronic gates. What it also means is that poor folk like me will get bombarded by religious fervour during the period of these so-called crusades.

It's ironic that they should call them crusades. Back in the days of the original crusades, Christians used to burn people at the stake if they were not Christians. These days, they just burn your eardrums with loud music and excessively passionate speeches about the Lord. This week, I have been bombarded by both. The worst thing is that the people who sing, and I use the term very loosely, should be charged. I don't care who you are. If you can't sing, you shouldn't even think about putting a microphone to your mouth in a public space. The band is really no better, as they sound like a bunch of no-talent school kids playing in a basement.

I feel I have a right to peace and quiet but this week I have not had that privilege. My wife has had to seek refuge in our bedroom. Normally, I have work to do, which means I am in my living room where, this week, work has been impossible.

People have suggested that I join the proceedings, a suggestion that I find offensive. Let us say I was Muslim, Buddhist or someone who didn't belong to any religious group, why would I want to join them when all I want to do is to enjoy some peace and quiet so that I can be productive or just bond with my wife and child?

The way I see it, if churches want to have crusades, they should be held at locations where they do not disturb people, who work hard each day and expect to find escape in the sanctity of their homes.

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