A group of church leaders in The Bahamas met yesterday to kick off a campaign intended to persuade Bahamians to vote ‘no’ on the upcoming gambling referendum.
More than 20 church leaders gathered at New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church on Blue Hill Road South to show their support.
The conclave marked the official start of the campaign, said Bahamas Christian Council President Rev. Dr. Ranford Patterson.
“The Christian Council felt it was necessary to pull leaders together for the purpose of beginning our campaign to deal with the referendum that’s forthcoming,” Patterson said.
“This is our starting point where we are going to unify the church to come together and begin the process of putting together our strategic plan going forward.”
That plan includes a comprehensive media campaign with television commercials and newspaper ads, Patterson said.
A commercial shown at the conclave had Patterson asking viewers to “vote no on referendum day”.
Patterson said he could not specify when the ads will start running.
Lyall Bethel, senior pastor of Grace Community Church and co-campaign director of Churches United Stance Against Gambling, said the conclave was also meant to be one of education.
“What’s happening today is an all day summit or conclave to have the churches come together to look at all the issues before us from a legal point of view, the long history of gambling in The Bahamas and to have qualified men speak to the issues as we know them,” Bethel said.
Chairman of the Public Service Commission attorney Brian Moree QC, gave a detailed presentation of the laws on gambling.
“I think we’re about to engage in a national debate about a subject that is very important,” Moree told The Nassau Guardian.
“Any opportunity for me to make a contribution to that process is one that I will readily take.”
Moree made it clear that he was not there to take a position on the referendum.
“One point I want to make clear is whether the referendum is a good thing or not, I’m not commenting on that,” he said.
“It is often the case in democratic countries where very major policy related issues, which have a national importance, are sometimes sent to the people to get their views on it through… a referendum. So it’s a legitimate tool for a government to use when it’s seeking to determine the views of its citizenry on an important national point.
“But in this instance, I don’t think the referendum is going to be necessary. I don’t think it’s going to be necessary in the context of having to amend the constitution.
“I believe that they can decriminalize gambling by amending the Lotteries and Gaming Act. I don’t think it would require an amendment to the constitution.”
Alfred Stewart, pastor of New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, said the churches have to move quickly.
“We need to get our act on the road as quickly as possible,” he said. “This is the first in a series of things that the Christian Council is going to be spearheading to make sure the general public is fully aware of the issues and as to why they should vote no.”
Bethel, Patterson and Stewart also agreed that it was past time for the churches to speak with one voice.
“There’s been some miss cues, persons who I think have perhaps sent a confusing message, being church persons who have spoken of this issue,” Bethel said.
He said that people are waiting to see the church speak in a united voice.
“What this is, is a beginning to that,” he said.
Back in July, Rev. Dr. Philip McPhee of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church confirmed that he had accepted donations from a numbers house and had sent people in need to numbers houses.
McPhee also said a group of pastors had become ‘sensitized’ to the contributions numbers houses were making to national development.
“I have been very much involved with one of the numbers companies in terms of the sailing development, and I saw the virtue of it many, many years ago when many were reluctant to even align themselves with it,” said McPhee at the time.
“I did not see it as something that was terrible. I saw it as a door opening to benefit the needs and desires of those who could not in many instances reach their member of Parliament, could not reach sometimes their own pastors, but yet when they were desperately in need I was able to direct them to areas where they can be benefitted in some positive way.”
Several pastors, including Bethel, Patterson and Stewart, distanced themselves from those comments.
Prime Minister Perry Christie has promised a referendum on a national lottery and number houses after the North Abaco by-election.
He said if Bahamians vote against decriminalizing numbers houses the government would shut those operations down.
By: Travis Cartwright-Caroll
Source: The Nassau Guardian
