Lyall Bethel
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
LYALL Bethell, the senior pastor of Grace Community Church, said critics are too venomous to those who oppose criminalising marital rape.
He and other church officials called a press conference yesterday to discuss the issue.
In May, Evangelist Rex Major questioned how spouses would prove marital rape, saying some women would use rape claims only to end their marriage.
Mr Bethel said Mr Major was wrongfully attacked.
“I watched them castigate Pastor Rex because Pastor Rex made a statement, he said women lie,” he said yesterday. “His attackers failed to acknowledge he’s got four daughters. You think he wants his daughters being raped? No. He had a wife. But people get so venomous with this, but they don’t let you speak. They shut you down.”
He dismissed a study by University of The Bahamas professors that showed married women surveyed were more likely to have non-consensual sex than single women, suggesting the questions during the survey were leading.
He said section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act provides adequate support for a spouse who has had sexual intercourse without consent and that there is no need for further legislation.
Section 15 of the law characterises sexual assault by a spouse as sexual intercourse with a spouse when there is a decree of divorce or judicial separation; a separation agreement; an order of the court for the person not to molest or co-habit with his spouse; and where the person has notice that a petition for judicial separation, divorce or nullity of marriage has been presented to a court.
“We firmly believe that any spouse who cries rape within a marriage is signalling that the marriage is already in trouble and more than likely is headed to the divorce court,” Mr Bethel said. “On the day of the wedding, both the man and the woman make marital vows and therefore cannot retract the consent to cohabitation which is part of the marriage covenant or contract without clear certifiable evidence that it has been withdrawn.”
Mr Bethel questioned whether the husband has to seek consent for “every stroke”.
He said: “He has to keep consent –– excuse me for being raw –– with every stroke? There has to be reasonableness in all of this, and if a marriage turns sour, then let’s make sure that at the point where it turned sour, there’s a very clear demarcation that we can all agree that this marriage they need to go for counselling, they need to be separated.”
Comments
AnObserver 1 year, 3 months ago
How can someone be "too venomous" when arguing against someone who thinks rape is ok? You sir, are truly an evil man.
IslandWarrior 1 year, 3 months ago
Rex is correct; women in bad marriages expect the courts to settle their failed marriages in their favour while asking the government to arm them with the 'marital rape spiteful gun.' Women in the Bahamas are much too venomous liars and poorly reared to be wives in the first place.
Sickened 1 year, 3 months ago
Jesus that's rough. You must have been hurt bad by one woman and now blaming all. A little immature you think? And someone agreed with you too. Damn!
birdiestrachan 1 year, 3 months ago
Pastor Rex Major is correct he knows more than all who came out against him , he has worked in this field as a pastor, what is told to him will not be told to women groups, this marital rape has become a Polotical foot ball
FreeportFreddy 1 year, 3 months ago
apparently so has spelling and grammar!
Bobsyeruncle 1 year, 3 months ago
“We firmly believe that any spouse who cries rape within a marriage is signalling that the marriage is already in trouble and more than likely is headed to the divorce court,” Mr Bethel said.
So a marital rape has to occur first before she can head to a divorce court? It only takes a minute for a rape to start, but it takes months/years to get to a divorce court.
And what about those spouses who treat their wives like a pinata every time the wife says "No" to sex, or if they threaten to leave.
Sickened 1 year, 3 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
birdiestrachan 1 year, 3 months ago
She can leave the home the women groups will have a home for her , the marriage is over and a seperation is next ,the divorce can wait, martial rape is a bunch of foolishness ,
Bobsyeruncle 1 year, 3 months ago
Victim blaming at its finest, Birdie. You never fail to disappoint.
M0J0 1 year, 3 months ago
the cry a few years after they approve marital rape is Bahamians are not having children anymore. The race will soon go extinct. Only a fool will go down the isle to invest money and time to have it all taken away by a spiteful woman. Marriage will make no sense.
JackArawak 1 year, 3 months ago
so don't get married fool
M0J0 1 year, 3 months ago
Marriage is a partnership, each should be selfless ,working to make each other happy, if not do not get married just to wear a dress, take some pics and post on social media.
FreeportFreddy 1 year, 3 months ago
WOW ... whole bunch of lousy men commenting here.
If you need to rape or otherwise abuse your wife then you are not a man but a piece of scum and wimp!
JackArawak 1 year, 3 months ago
This topic blows my mind and the number of men who support the idea of a woman's body being their property....I simply can not fathom what you are thinking. For the love of God, put your bibles down and live in the current century.
IslandWarrior 1 year, 3 months ago
And therein is the problem: unlike wild animals, we were given the gift of free will. This includes instructions on how to interact with each other. However, disregarding these instructions, such as telling someone to "put your bible down," has led to confusion and a departure from our natural state. This has led to the rise of deviant inventions, which are now called relationships, causing issues in global society.
Sickened 1 year, 3 months ago
Really, the bible provide the instructions that tell you how to interact with each other? You brain doesn't do that for you? How do you think children learn not to hit people - by reading the bible? They learn by seeing it happen and they're little brain figures things out based on the other's reaction. Touch a hot stove or see someone react after touching a hot stove and your brain figures it out. You don't need to read it in a bible.
themessenger 1 year, 3 months ago
@islandwarrior, you are incorrect, we have become like wild animals especially where it comes to interacting with each other, like as in I want some but you won't give it to me, so I gone take it anyway, forcibly if necessary. I like money and sex, but I don't like to work, so I gone tief ,rob and rape.
It seems to me that despite the prevalence of all these bibles and pastors we have actually arrived at our natural state, that of wild animals.
carltonr61 1 year, 3 months ago
Show me a female priest, Reverend, politician or deacon who has admonished wives or females in general to respect the man who respect them. The bottom line is that all females are having whoring affairs of fetishism selfish passion whether in the sewer or in high places.
carltonr61 1 year, 3 months ago
There are 60,000 unmarried men roaming about. They are in every lob location at hotels, banks, institutions offices and you name it. Everyday wives are challenged to be compromised by gifferings if gifts, lunch money, flowers a one minute rude ride, gift certificates, in all about 30 bombardment each day complimenting how sweet they look, or expensive handbags staff gift collection BS. Rex Major is correct woman does fk lie. But ask a female and they laugh. The man sweats 24/7 to put food on the table, roof over his family head, BPL LORD, and just to be a man. But 10,000 dudes out there offering them a good time instantaneously and he gets some, then pays no home bills gets it for flambay. And the husband gat to pay thousands in mortgage to get it, or to take it - rape - and dudes pumping on it fir sweat talk. Lyell, keep it real. Don't expect female religious leaders with multi breadwinner and female politicians and female religious leaders knowing their mom history to back you up. Stick with the word of truth and be set free. Amen. Pray for the male who lips are barbed shut and HOLY compromised.
carltonr61 1 year, 3 months ago
Many husbands see more of their wives bodies during public exercise sessions than is exposed in the sanctity of the bedroom. In bar rooms many tears flow and drinks are gobbled down over divorces brought on because of the private trainer. Many Courtroom Exibit A show erotica explicit exercises and massages with foul language that if husbands use the system calls it abuse.
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