The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

IT is time for Bahamians to acknowledge “the hand of God” in the country’s history so that the nation may become truly independent, according to the Bahamas In Prophecy Association.

The organisation called a press conference yesterday when they drew a connection between July 10 and the day Israel “entered the Promised Land” and also criticised the National Heroes Committee for allegedly wanting to change the date of Independence Day.

Pastor Micklyn Seymour, of the BIP, said: “The National Heroes Committee has gone on record saying the date chosen to celebrate Independence in 1973 was ill advised because the schools were closed resulting in what they believed was the exclusion of the children from the celebrations.

“What they failed to see was the sovereignty or hand of God, directing the leaders in causing this country to become an Independent nation on the same dates the nation of Israel entered the Promise Land.”

He continued: “This we know is no coincidence. Just as Majority Rule took place on the 10th day of the 1st month aligning the Bahamas with the dates Israel’s exodus departed from Egypt, in like manner our nation’s independence celebrations took place on the 10th day of the seventh, aligning the Bahamas with the date Israel entered the Promised Land.”

Mr Seymour said “the time has come when we must acknowledge the hand of God in the historical affairs of our nation”.

Once this is done only then will the Bahamas begin to experience financial, economic and social independence, he explained, adding: “The BIP Association would also say at this time that God has chosen this nation to be a praise, model and example to the nations of the world.”
Mr Seymour said that message came “clearly” when Reverend R E Cooper “prophetically” addressed a crowd at Clifford Park in 1973 speaking of a message from God calling on Bahamians to “be an example to the entire world.”

“God has a redemptive purpose and plan for our nation as prophesied about in 1973,” Mr Seymour said.

The BIP also offered a list of recommendations to the government in lieu of next week’s Independence Day, among them choosing “a more appropriate place” than the airport for a statue of Sir Lynden Pindling.

“A few weeks ago the honourable minister of aviation Mrs Glenys Hanna-Martin said a statue of Sir Lynden Pindling will be placed at the international airport,” he said. “While this association thinks that this is a great idea, it is our view that a statue of the father of the nation should not be placed at the airport but among the people who he led into nationhood and fought so hard for.”

The statue should be erected instead in a central location, Pastor Seymour said, naming the roundabout at Independence Drive and East Street as ideal.

“With two-way traffic flowing from four different directions and merging at this busy roundabout, our people would be reminded about this great warrior on a daily basis,” he said.