The Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention will not support any form of lottery or gambling in the Bahamas, President Rev. Dr. William Thompson said last night while addressing a special service at the Zion Missionary Baptist Church, marking the denomination’s week of celebrations.
Rev. Thompson said that gambling is detrimental to the well being of the country and no legislation should be introduced to legalize it for Bahamians.
The issue of gaming was expected to come to the forefront today as House Members returned to business. Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe was scheduled to introduce an amendment to the Lotteries and Gaming Act to provide for Pari-Mutuel Wagering in the Bahamas.
That measure would allow local casinos to provide facilities for betting on horse races outside the Bahamas, but would not legalize gambling for Bahamians.
But Minister Wilchcombe said recently that the time was perhaps ripe for the introduction of a national lottery so that Bahamians will be able to participate.
This is not a good idea, according to Rev. Thompson.
“Bahamians are as talented as anyone anywhere else,” he said. “We are therefore as capable as anyone else to find meaningful solutions to our financial, social and education problems.”
He suggested that revenue for sports and other activities could be derived by asking motorists to donate to the cause when they fill up at gas stations.
This is our country,” he said. “Give us an opportunity to help in finding meaningful solutions to our problems and the problems which affect our children.”
He reminded Bahamians about where they had come from and how they survived.
“With God’s help we built a tourism and financial empire that rates among the best in the world,” he said.” Less we forget, our hotels which were open for merely three months of the year are now open year round as we welcome as many as four million tourists to our shores in one year.”
Noting that although the Bahamas is one of the
ﾠﾠsmallest nations, Rev. Thompson said it is blessed with the third most prosperous economy in the western hemisphere. “When those among us who did not trust God enough that the country could become more prosperous by introducing gambling, they instituted the Hobby Horse Hall,” he said.
Describing the days when he said families suffered as their already meagre income was wasted at the racetrack, Rev. Thompson said the experience was “far-reaching and profound.”
Also addressing the thanksgiving service was Dr. Charles Walker of Philadelphia , Penn, who also serves as the executive secretary of the foreign mission board of the national Baptist convention in the United States .
The week of celebrations will climax this Sunday with the annual Baptist day parade. Some 40,000 Baptists are expected to take to the streets of New Providence in a march of solidarity under the theme, “Removing the barriers to expand the vision.”
This year’s parade will be a joint effort between the Baptist denomination and the Police and Defence Forces.
Rev. Thompson believes that this is the time for all barriers to be removed in order to successfully combat the “demon” called crime.
The Baptist denomination is the largest religious organization in the Bahamas accounting for some 75,000 members.
During last night’s service, Rev. Thompson also called for the establishment of a national youth service.
“I enunciate that this program will not only promote and enhance the social and spiritual well being of our nation, but it will also train young men and women in how to perform during any natural or national crisis,” he said.
He said Bahamians at all levels of society must agree that the time is over due for such a programme.
Rev. Thompson added, “I call on Baptists to look forward to removing the barriers in the knowledge that we have the courage to complete the work. We as a people both black and white, rich and poor have in the course of our lives and struggles have faced some barriers and have together marched around them until they fell.”
By Yvette Rolle-Major, The Bahama Journal
