Pastor Mario Moxey
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
EXACTLY one year after the legalisation of numbers was rejected in a referendum, a local pastor urged Bahamians not to support web shops, which he claimed continues to “rape” people every day.
Mario Moxey, senior pastor of the Bahamas Harvest Church at Prince Charles, said last night that the business continues to flourish because citizens tolerate the lawlessness that illegal numbers has created.
And despite the longevity of the numbers racket in the country, Mr Moxey insisted that the victory at the polls last year proves that the Bahamas possesses a clear picture that it remains grounded upon Christian values.
He spoke to about 60 supporters gathered in Rawson Square at a service of thanksgiving to God for the outcome of the January 28, 2013 referendum. Later, organisers of last year’s “Vote No” campaign recorded the anniversary of the resounding “no” vote to web shops by signing a billboard.
“It is our tolerance,” Mr Moxey said, “which allows police escorts to transport Her Majesty’s inmates back and forth from the prison to the court house for stealing and breaking and entering while passing 25 or more number houses that are raping brothers and sisters daily in this nation.
“Hundreds of millions of dollars are being exacted, not from residents in the gated communities, but rather from those over the hill. Habitual players are being enticed to the number houses that rape them every day of the little they do have and then send them home to their families with empty stomachs and empty promises that their luck will soon turn around.
“These number houses are symbolic of the shackles that brought our ancestors to these islands. Too many of our brothers spend their days spinning it away, chained to the computer terminals in hopes that they will win big.”
However, Pastor Lyall Bethel of the Grace Community Church, said although the group was in a celebratory mood, his feelings were “bitter sweet.” Mr Bethel called on politicians to act according to the wishes of the 52,000 people who voted against web shops. Only 31,000 others voted in favour of the business.
“The fact,” he said, “still remains that 20,000 persons more than those who voted ‘yes’ voted ‘no’. And you can’t change that. So tonight is bitter sweet. But more than bitter sweet, it is a calling of the politicians to do what they said they would do and get this matter sorted out.
“It is a crying shame that criminals are being locked up every single day in this country and as was said you have to pass 25 to 30 number houses to escort those prisoners to Her Majesty’s Prison and yet the law is being openly flaunted left, right and centre.”
Moving forward, supporters say they will continue to urge legislators to uphold and respect the outcome of the gaming referendum.
Comments
Bahamas676 10 years, 10 months ago
Bahamians so lout, they think webshops are helping the economy when infact they are destroying it lol...why u fools think in america if someone opened up a webshop without regulations in place uncle sams gives them 25 to life in prison..more money leaving the economy than whats actually circulating inside of it .. the moneys is not being use to invest in the infrastructure of the bahamas. like everyone says though knowledge is power
vinceP 10 years, 10 months ago
Actually, this guy and many of the so called "Religious leaders" are the true bandits who are raping the many idots that go to their churches, and give their last, only to have those same pastors ride around town in their fancy cars, and live in their fancy houses, and what's more funny is how the many jackass Bahamians swallow up their BS. Hmmmmmm, I wonder how many of these guys are out their picking up bums in their fancy vehicles and taking them to Church..........I'll "BET" that none!!!! Many of them are simply getting RICH on GOD's free word.
TalRussell 10 years, 10 months ago
Comrades the Peacherman's flashy lifestyles does reveal clearly who amongst them are truly agents for Jesus and who are not. My dad would say, watch the preacherman's who often passes the collection plate more than once at Sunday morning worship service.
larry 10 years, 10 months ago
the government is going by the results of the referendum they are not regulating or taxing the web cafe and there is no national lottery the problem is it looks like no one who voted understood the questions is this a result of the "D" average
bismark 10 years, 10 months ago
I say tax them,for each web shop,1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR EACH LICENSE,they said they are making over 400 million dollars a year,the amount of webshop licences given the govt should collect a hefty amount,lets face it people,these people are going to gamble no matter what,might as well tax it for couple millions than get peanuts.
jackbnimble 10 years, 10 months ago
What I find so interesting in this debate is that noone ever talks about the gambling addicts and this town is full of them. I know of at least three persons - a family member, an acquaintance and a co-worker. The family member has a strong addiction to gambling and cannot keep a dollar in her pocket. Every cent goes on gambling. The acquaintance has been in several relationships because all of her boyfriends leave her when they discover his gambling addiction never mind that she makes lots of money and is a very attractive girl. The co-worker has now lost her job because she ended up stealing from her employer to support her habit... and the list goes on. I agree with Pastor Moxey. Gambling is a form of "rape". While the proponents of legalising gambling only want to take about the millions these croonies make and how the Government can get lots of money if it taxes them, what they never discuss is the hundreds or persons who are now addicted to gambling. Tell me, who is going to bat for them while they lose everything "spinning" for a hopeless payout while the croonies live large of their hard-earned money? And why is it that you never see web shops in affluent areas? Small wonder the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.
arussell 10 years, 10 months ago
I agree with Pastor Moxey too! I know many many person who gamble their last and a friend who lost her home because she gamble her mortgage monies out! I myself played and find myself losing to much monies and I had to make a decision on whether I will continue to make these number bosses rich or better myself. A lot of people don't have that will power. You don't see these web shops in the lyford cay and eastern areas they are all over the poor areas sucking every nickle from average or poor Bahamians. They dont even have a hotline to help people with gambling addictions. I SAY CLOSE ALL DOWN!!!!!
Emac 10 years, 10 months ago
People are addicted to all sorts of things: Alcohol, cigarettes, porn and the list goes on. Presenting the argument about not legalizing the webshops because too many people are addicted is not a strong case. The fact is people need to be able to be given the choice to make decisions on their own. The church job is provide guidance and councelling to people who fall under any of the above addictions. The government cannot contiue to "b
Emac 10 years, 10 months ago
Presenting the argument that many people are addicted to gambling does not provide a strong case against the reason for legalizing web shops. Fact is people are addicted to many things, including alcohol, cigarettes, porn etc. So do we order all liquor stores closed as well, or do we prohibit all stores from selling cigarettes? Adults need to be given the chance to make their own decisions in life, whether it is good or bad. That comes with democracy. But what we have in the Bahamas is theocracy, where the church is trying to govern the country. Not everyone is a Christian, so how can the so called pastors speak on behalf of everyone. I do agree that the referendum should be honoured, even though I was one of the persons who voted for the legalization of web shops in the Bahamas. The church’s job is provide guidance and counseling for their members and believers of their faith, not to dictate what should be allowed or not allowed to take place in our society, bearing in mind that in falls within the law.
padeco 10 years, 10 months ago
They need to close that church which one of their PHEDOPHILE preachers has just opened , after his recent release from prison. This preacher a dangerous to be among children.
Honestman 10 years, 10 months ago
I am not against the legalization of web shops - if people are stupid enough to waste their hard earned money then that's up to them. I am however against illegal money suddenly becoming legal. If PGC does what he always wanted to do ( but didn't have the bottle to do last year) and legalises the Web Shops, there will be no way to stop the hitherto criminal operators from laundering their past profits through their new legitimate businesses. THAT would be plain wrong. I think the only way round this would be for each operator to pay substantial and punative "back dated" tax in order for them to be granted a license.
birdiestrachan 10 years, 10 months ago
I am surprises. that so few people came to Rawson Square. The Pastors must be disappointed.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 10 months ago
Not sure how they organized..each has a fairly sizeable church ..means their members didn't even show up. I wouldn't take that as an indication of lack of support though. It was a bad day/time
pat242 10 years, 10 months ago
These so call religious need to get real. They are raping the Bahamas and weak minded Bahamians by using the lords using it to their advantage for financial gain. i personally know of a pastor who stole five thousand ($5000) from a woman. She had to hire a police officer to serve a summons on him, and guess what the pastor didn't come to court. If you see the size and the scale of this house you will thing he is a movie star. If the government tax the number lottery business i would support it because Bahamians are not getting anything from this industry at this time. I wish the P.M. just show his shape and tax them. That is where the money will circulate evenly.
JohnDoes 10 years, 10 months ago
I think some of yall forget that some of these pastors have really good jobs on the side of their ministry, and although they take offerings, tithes and proceeds because they have a church, a lot of the success and development actually come from what they make from their personal jobs with assistance from the church. Notice the pastors that only pastor for a living, some of them dont even have the foundation that these churches that pop up all of a sudden have. For example this Moxey man has a really good business on the side, repairing and selling boats, hes the number one man on the island when it comes to this.
ChrisRolle 10 years, 10 months ago
"the government is going by the results of the referendum they are not regulating or taxing the web cafe and there is no national lottery the problem is it looks like no one who voted understood the questions is this a result of the "D" average"
@ Larry
I will be honest Larry, I have read many of the other responses to this article but Larry, you smashed the nail on the head as you could not have said it any better. What's more amazing is the many persons who went to the polls to vote "No" without realising that to "Regulate" and to "Tax" is not the same as to "Legalize".
Its truly unbelievable!
pat242 10 years, 10 months ago
(ChrisRolle). You are correct. I have been trying to tell people that the gaming industry is going to regulated and taxed. But sense some people do not see the bigger picture and listen to bias influences they voted no. And if any from the F.N.M party say anything reference to online gaming. it happened while they was in power and did nothing to enforce it or shut it down. But the government needs all the money they can get their hands on, and taxing the gaming industry would be a excellent source of money to pay our debt.
ChrisRolle 10 years, 10 months ago
Well said Pat242!
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