The deterioration of home and family life in the Bahamas has reached a “crisis point”, according to an Anglican clergyman who is calling for the legal profession to do more to save the Bahamian family.
Canon Norman Lightbourne, rector of the Pro-Cathedral in Grand Bahama, believes that strong family life is indicative of a strong country.
During the annual church service for the opening of the 2020 legal year, he noted that Bahamians are running first to their lawyers instead of to their priests when there are issues in their family life.
“We are at a crisis point in our country when it comes to home and family life. We don’t realise it, but it is a fact,” he told members of the judiciary in Grand Bahama.
“We must do all in our power to build a brighter, better, more buoyant Bahamaland – a Bahamaland where our homes are havens of peace. I am a strong advocate for home and family life; I believe that family life is a necessity.”
Canon Lightbourne stressed that the Bahamas is only as strong as its weakest family.
“We can say there goes the family, there goes the country. We must stop the haemorrhaging. The lawyers who are present know and are aware of what I am saying. The number of persons who come to you…we have too many persons on Monday morning heading to the lawyer’s office rather than the priest’s office.”
Canon Lightbourne said the legal profession must not put “dollars and cents”above saving strong family life in the country.
“Try all we can do to save the family,” he said. “Something has to be done.”
“I say things have gotten worse when it comes to home and family life. I want to say to the legal profession: more can be done, more must be done to save our families.”
Canon Lightbourne further asked lawyers: “What is the state of your family this morning? What your home look like this morning? What goes on in your home?
“You might say it is not my business; it is my business because I am in the business of making the Bahamas a better place. We can all do more to have stronger families in our country,” he stressed.
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