The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I WOULD like to comment on an article which appeared in the April 5 edition of The Nassau Guardian.

The article was about three prominent clergymen from Nassau who were urging the government to take action on illegal gambling.

One of the clergymen said that gambling houses are making a lot of money and are not paying any taxes whatsoever.

Two of the pastors called for the government to put this controversial issue to a referendum. To quote one of the pastors: "Let the people make a decision."

I believe the pastors made a valid point by stating that these gambling houses have licenses to operate and are operating right in front of the police blatantly.

I don't believe any Bahamian is that naive to believe that web shops are really internet cafes.

These so-called web shops are nothing more than gambling houses. It is high time that we admit this and stop trying to fool ourselves.

One of the pastors said that it is a discriminatory practice to allow foreigners to gamble legally in the country while Bahamian citizens cannot.

To be sure, the pastors went to great lengths to stress that they are vehemently opposed to gambling. In fact,one of them even said that gambling, along with alcoholism, drugs and the decay of the family structure are to blame for the current crime crisis.

I agree wholeheartedly with the pastors. However, I am a bit baffled as to why the clergymen would call for a referendum on gambling while at the same time saying that it is one of the reasons for the current crime crisis.

In one breath, you are telling me that gambling is wrong, yet in another you are calling for a referendum.

Well,which is it? Is gambling wrong or not? If you believe that gambling is one of the great evils in our crime-ridden society, why call for a referendum? What sense does that make?

Let me state at this juncture that I am an evangelical Christian who is also opposed to gambling. I am a member of the Nazarene Church; which came out of the Wesleyan Holiness Movement.

My denomination is diametrically opposed to any form of gambling. I am opposed to it (gambling) because it is illegal for a Bahamian citizen to gamble.

The Bible tells me in Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 to obey the laws of the civil government.

As a Christian, I am morally bound to obey God's infallible Word. Any Bahamian who engages in gambling is not only disobeying the civil government, but is also disobeying God who has created the institution of government.

A true Christian will respect the civil government. Any person, Christian or non-Christian,who defies the government is treading on dangerous soil.

As one of the pastors admitted to The Nassau Guardian, gambling has become a culture in this country.

It seems as if everyone is trying their luck nowadays; even police officers who are bound to uphold and enforce the laws of this country.

I even heard one unemployed Christian lady admit to a prominent journalist from Nassau that she plays cash three and play four in order to pay her bills.

She said that while her church has supported her financially, it is just not enough to make ends meet.

I believe that the government is partly to blame for this crisis. The government has intentionally turned a blind eye to the number houses that are in Nassau and Freeport because it realizes that the gambling industry has become the bread and butter of many struggling Bahamians.

Any government that attempts to clamp down on it would be committing political suicide.

On the other hand, if the government decriminalises gambling, it would face the wrath and fury of the church.

I think the Bahamian church has failed to win the argument on gambling, however.

I have listened to many pastors preach against gambling, but I have yet to hear any of them quote one Bible verse which states explicitly or implicitly that gambling is a sin, a moral evil.

What's more,what does one tell a struggling, unemployed mother of four who is surviving on cash three?

She can easily argue the follwing points, "Look, I hear what you are saying about gambling, but how am I supposed to survive, I have chilldren to feed?

"You are telling me that gambling is wrong, well, what about the two famous US televangelists who have 13 mansions and a $50 million jet?

"While I am struggling to pay my rent, the dogs of these famous TV preachers are living in a $100,000 dog house, is this morally right?

"Why don't you decry this blatant misuse of God's money by these televangelists?

"What about the famous healing televangelist who stays in $10,000 a night hotel rooms and spends thousands of dollars on lavish meals in high end restaurants; is this morally right?

"Is it right for a televangelist to tell his TV audience that if they donate $1,000 to his ministry, they will all be out of debt in ten months? What about the black female televangelist who was flashing her $1 million engagement ring on Christian TV, isn't that showboating?

"You are always preaching against gambling, yet when I as a faithful tithe paying member of the church go to my pastors for assistance, I am always given the run-around, so what am I supposed to do?

"Preacher, the overwhelming majority of Bahamians don't even have $1,000 in their bank accounts, yet I hear about visiting US preachers earning $20,000 to $40,000 just to preach a 40-minute sermon in your church, yet you continue to beat up on me because I am gambling to make ends meet in this depressed economy, is this fair?

"Preacher, it is easy for you to tell me to trust in God for my needs, but remember, you are earning a handsome salary every week from your church. You don't know the hell that I am catching.

"You hear about the excessive spending of God's money by these US televangelists and prosperity preachers, yet you remain mum on this matter. Why? Preacher, you need to stop cherry-picking and start speaking out against all sins, not just a few.

"You cannot tell me not to play cash three while at the same time you are paying a preacher $20,000 for an hour long sermon.

"Twenty-thousand dollars is more than the average Bahamian worker earns in one year, yet you are willing to pay that to a wealthy preacher for his services; and then you want to turn around and preach at poor me for playing cash three? You have got to be kidding me."

The Bahamian church needs to state once and for all why it opposes gambling. The church also needs to show us in the Bible where it says that gambling is evil.

We cannot say in one breath that gambling is evil, yet turn around and call for a referendum on the matter.

If the government were to hold a referendum, a large majority of the Bahamian population would vote yes to gambling. There's simply no question about it.

In the final analysis, the message of the three ministers on gambling in the Nassau Guardian article was incongruent. Their message on the subject confused me. I believe they must return to the drawing board and formulate a more coherent message.

It is my humble opinion that the church in this country is not in the moral position to speak out against gambling because it has remained silent over the many scandals that I have listed above.

The late Scottish New Testament scholar William Barclay once said that if a man has been guilty of certain actions there are certain things which he has no longer the right to say, otherwise his past will be flung in his face.

Unfortunately, this is the predicament the church finds itself in today.

KEVIN EVANS

Freeport, Grand Bahama,

April, 2012.