Bahamas Christian Council President Rev. Dr. Ranford Patterson is calling on members of Parliament to individually disclose their stance on gambling and “not hide behind a referendum”.
“I would love to see… a roll call to see where each and every one of them stands and then the people in their constituency will know where they stand,” Patterson told The Nassau Guardian on Monday.
“I don’t want them to hide behind this referendum and say the people did it when the majority of them in power perhaps have the same feeling.”
Patterson also challenged the government to shut down illegal gaming houses until Bahamians vote on the issue in a referendum but questioned if the Christie administration had the fortitude to do it.
“If you have the power to shut them down, shut them down now, take it to a referendum and whatever happens do what you have to do,” he said.
“If the Bahamian people vote against this, which I’m praying that they do, are they going to be able to shut them down and they can’t do it now? It just doesn’t make sense.”
The discourse over the Christie administration’s planned referendum has been brewing over the past few days with several members of the religious community weighing in on the issue.
Last week, one pastor drew criticisms from his peers when he said the illegal numbers business has contributed to national development.
Reverend Philip McPhee said last Thursday that a group of about 20 prominent local pastors, including three members of the Bahamas Christian Council, had become “sensitized” to the contributions of numbers houses.
McPhee did not say he supported gambling.
Prime Minister Perry Christie has said he hopes to have a referendum on gambling by the end of the year.
Patterson said the Christian Council will use all of its resources to oppose the legalization of gambling.
“We will do whatever we have to do to fight this,” Patterson said. “We will spend whatever we have to spend.”
Taneka Thompson
The Nassau Guardian
