By SANCHESKA DORSETT
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
PRESIDENT of the Bahamas Christian Council, Bishop Delton Fernander yesterday urged the government to develop short-term and long-term measures to reduce crime days after “the violent slaughter of an innocent child” rocked the nation.
In a press statement, Bishop Fernander also noted the armed robbery of a church and the family of Anglican Bishop Laish Boyd are among numerous “unconscionable acts” that have occurred in the past few weeks in the capital.
He said the country can “ill afford to lose more of its citizens, especially young men, to death, criminality or prison.”
“On behalf of the Bahamas Christian Council, I condemn these acts of violence and call on the perpetrators of such acts to cease and think before ruining their lives and the lives of others,” the bishop’s statement said.
“The government’s mission to uproot corruption is a prerequisite for growth, peace and prosperity. The raging levels of crime, the increasing numbers of murders, our embattled economy, the weakness of our education system, social ills and the increasing and deepening levels of emotional pain must be reversed. We are a resilient people. We can successfully tackle the issue of crime and criminality. The barriers of denomination, political persuasion and the growth of selfishness that is undermining the strength of the otherwise generous business and professional communities can only be stamped out by love, unity, the restoration of our moral values, and a vision and comprehensive plan to economically empower the people of the Bahamas.”
Bishop Fernander said as a nation, the country must recognise that crime is not solely the responsibility of the government.
“Over the years successive governments have instituted programmes yet somehow after decades we are still saddled with the issue of crime,” the statement said.
“The government along with civil society, the church and the citizens of this nation must resolve to ensure that those who would commit such acts and try to hold our nation hostage with fear understand that we have no tolerance for crime, period. We must develop short and long-term measures to bring crime to an irreducible level, fully restore law and order to our country and allow citizens to live freely without the fear of violent crime.
“Our country can ill afford to lose more of its citizens, especially young men, to death, criminality or prison. We need all hands on deck to further the positive development of the Bahamas.”
On Monday, eight-month-old Shelton Delano Tinker died after he was shot in his home in what police believe was an act of retaliation toward the toddler’s father.
The boy’s mother and father were also shot during the incident. The mother has since been released from hospital The Tribune understands, but the father is still listed in serious condition.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis met with the attorney general and Royal Bahamas Police Force officials to reinforce the government’s “zero tolerance” approach to crime, stressing his commitment to provide the support police need to fight the problem.
Comments
TalRussell 6 years, 8 months ago
Comrades Bishop Delton Fernander, did they outright lie? Real Christians don't tell lies!
The Bishop's call for the red shirts cabinet only to now start "to develop short-term and long-term measures to reduce crime days" - after “the violent slaughter of an innocent child rocked the nation - does not match with what the red shirts politicians said during the 2017 General Election - that if elected to govern that "they done had a plan to arrest crime. Obviously, something has gone 'deadly' wrong with the red shirts crime arresting plans with the killing of a infant child.
Comrade Bishop, this murdered infant, will never get his chance to be "Rocked In The Arms" of the good Doc!
PastorTroy 6 years, 8 months ago
Listen, Brother, for the past 20+ years, if the Bahamas 'Christian' Council cartel members were busy doing their duties in the community and not looking to only enrich themselves, and remain relevant in the press by sticking their nose in more political issues than social community issues maybe things may be a little different on this small little 7x21 rock. I sympathize with those who have been affected by crime, however, we are reaping what we've been sowing all these years, like the recent controversy with prosperity gospel charlatan Joel Osteen in Houston Texas, the hypocrisy of most of today's religious institutions (religious number houses) is ripe!! I love my creator, however many religious number house bosses today, who claims to be a representative of our creator is foul!! Greedy!! Adulturous!! Hypocritical Undercover Homosexuals!! These guys are the official religious mob in The Bahamas, always looking for 'hush money'. Sir, sell everything you have and give it to the poor and suffering, be a good example of who you claim to represent, EXACTLY! am sure you can find a convenient scripture that explicitly instructs you not to do that. It's Sad to say we are now living in the residual of our past deeds and action/non-action.
John 6 years, 8 months ago
The biggest problem and the most fundamental mistake this country, and especially those who are running it, are making is the belief that Marvin Dames, The Commissioner of Police, and the police force are suppose to fix the crime problem in this country. But when the police are called to scrape up a dead body and to haul some young men off to jail this is a representation of FAILURE! Failure of the individual who did the killing, failure of the family that raised and (didn't nnurture him, failure of the church that failed at spiritual guidance, failure of peers and friends who failed to correct him and steer him in the right direction and failure of a country that continually allows for hundreds of murders to be committed. So the bottom line is you cannot fix from its end result but you must attack it at the roots. Children must be more disciplined and made accountable for their actions from an early age as opposed to being spoiled, especially with material things as surrogate parents. Parents must also be held accountable. They must bend the tree whilst is young. Mothers, especially, must stop excluding fathers out of the children's lives, and fathers must stop taking the high road at the earliest opportunity. The church must play its role early. When children are christened in a church, the church must take an extra effort to ensure the children attend Sunday School and church eventually. Encourage the mother's to keep the fathers active in their children's lives and teach them the disservice they are doing attending church and leaving their children at home or to get in mischief. Yes it still takes a village to raise a child not the police force alone.
ashley14 6 years, 8 months ago
John's totally right.
OldFort2012 6 years, 8 months ago
I would like to know who appoints all these "Bishops"? Are they self styled? Every other person in the Bahamas seems to be a "Bishop". I would not be surprised if we have a few hundred "Popes" as well.
banker 6 years, 8 months ago
Self-styled. I remember when Simeon Hall decided to call himself "bishop" and the
cultsect that he belonged to, didn't even have the office of bishop.OldFort2012 6 years, 8 months ago
Begs the question: why do newspapers refer to them as "Bishops"? Surely they should refer to them as what they are: self styled "bishop". If I called myself "Emperor of the Bahamas", would they honor my "title"? I don't think so. They would think I was a charlatan, which these "bishops" surely are.
banker 6 years, 8 months ago
There are things about organized religion which I resent. Christ is revered as the Prince of Peace, but more blood has been shed in His name than any other figure in history. You show me one step forward in the name of religion and I'll show you a hundred retrogressions. Remember, they were men of God who destroyed the educational treasures at Alexandria, who perpetrated the Inquisition in Spain, who burned the witches at Salem. Over 25,000 organized religions flourish on this planet, but the followers of each think all the others are miserably misguided and probably evil as well. FRANK SINATRA
Religion is a system of wishful illusions together with a disavowal of reality, such as we find nowhere else but in a state of blissful hallucinatory confusion. SIGMUND FREUD
TalRussell 6 years, 8 months ago
Comrade Banker, you needs show some good manners for your Jesus by heading off to Buckingham Palace to curtsey before your Queen Lizzy - cause your soul does seriously needs some recharging. Pray the Queen take you back as one her colony's Loyal Subjects. But before you head to see the Queen - you will need study Bahamaland's Constitution about what Royal Powers Governor General Her Excellency Dame Marguerite - does possess to fire your prime minister and his entire members "Crown's" Cabinet?
P.S. And, take Comrade CatIslander with you to the Palace for their equal and terrifying lack of knowledge when it comes down to what Constitutional Royal Powers - does our GG possess to fire PM Minnis.
banker 6 years, 8 months ago
My Jesus?!!? If I wanted to take refuge in adult fairy tales, I would probably be a Buddhist. At least as a Buddhist, when you die, your epitaph can be "Be Right Back!".
The logic in me can't wrap my head around the fact that God sends himself as a bird to impregnate Mary to become not only his son, but himself, and then has the boy killed because the rabble that he invented een doin' enough Hosannas to please him. That's a very Bahamian kind of story I must admit. Although I do like the birth presents and the resurrection coloured eggs. The reason why Jesus is so popular, that just like James Dean, he died at the peak of his career. Besides, if Jesus had known that his image would end up on Justin Bieber’s calf as a tattoo, he would’ve never started Christianity.
TalRussell 6 years, 8 months ago
Comrade Banker, considering your profession I can see why you wouldn't want put your trust and confidence in someone like Jesus - who if He wrote you a chegue for $100, it would bounce like a rubber ball. Strange for a Man's who heads a multi billion dollar industry that stretches across and around the entire globe... and He accomplished it all - whilst riding a Donkey as His preferred mode of transportation.
Comrade Banker, if only our prime minister, his crown cabinet ministers and political appointees - could brungs themselves to tell their chauffeurs to pullover to park their government air conditioned cars - all paid for by the poor and near poor struggling citizens?
CatIslandBoy 6 years, 8 months ago
LOL! Tal, I'm not going anywhere. I think I understand the Constitution better than you do. Dame Marguerite has no such powers as those you are trying to bestow upon her. The Framers of our constitution would never have allowed that. Maybe you need to re-read the constitution, line by line.
TalRussell 6 years, 8 months ago
Comrade CatIslandBoy, before you start leaning on the framers da constitution when it comes to questioning the royal powers Her Excellency Dame Marguerite to fire the prime minister and his entire cabinet and government - you should know we still living under confusions as a peoples - despite holding a constitutional referendum on gender equality, and who gets become a citizen the Bahamaland?
So much for the interpretation we constitution? Looking at a framed picture one ya's and Banker's Aunties, would make more sense than to challenge my constitutional wisdom on this subject.
ashley14 6 years, 8 months ago
I said it a couple of weeks ago and people seemed to be offended, but John is right. I read this paper daily and article after article addresses the current problems with todays youth. There also a lot of good ideas, but I don't see anyone doing anything. It starts at home. Where are your children. Have you shared a meal with them today? Have they even had a meal today ? Is your family unit strong or have family ties been broken. If you truly want things to change, start at home with your family. If everyone did this things would change for the better. It's Sunday , get together with your family today. It will be fun.
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