By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie said yesterday the Bahamas Christian Council must be seen to do more in advancing the country rather than focusing its attention on criticising the actions of government.
Speaking after the morning session at Parliament, Mr Christie said the church has a duty not only to preach healing and calmness to parishioners but to take to the streets as well at a time when retaliation killings continue.
Mr Christie said: “I had occasion to speak to the police, but it was not a reported matter on Saturday. I was hoping that the President of the Christian Council (Rev Ranford Patterson) was in the room because I had something to say to him personally too about what I think he should be doing.
“It goes both ways that I think the Christian Council has a deep obligation to understand that they should be on the streets too. They should be the same kind of response that we are concerned about when people are killed and there is retaliation.
“Governance is more than just sitting back and criticising it’s about participating. The church cannot be exempted from a critical eye. Not that they are not stepping up to the plate, but then you don’t have this kind of feeling that they are stepping up to the plate. So not only must I do something, I must be seen to do it. That is the same scrutiny under which the church must be looked at.”
Mr Christie was responding to Rev Patterson who said the government had no regard for the thousands of voters who said no to legalising numbers in last year’s gaming referendum.
The comments were also related to Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe’s declaration that officials would seek dialogue with church leaders over the matter. Patterson urged Mr Christie to clarify whether Wilchcombe was speaking independently or on behalf of the government. Rev Patterson also questioned why web shops were still allowed to operate a year after the referendum.
As the Council’s questions continue to loom, Mr Christie said it was important for them to understand that he is not responsible for executing laws.
“Read my statement and what I said. I am not responsible for executing the law so...But what they will find is that if they had an audience with the Commissioner of Police (Ellison Greenslade) they will find how complex this issue is.
“One of the things that we have to learn to do in the country, whether it is the private sector or the business sector or whether we are the church, is to recognise that the government is not going anywhere. And to recognise that whatever the position the government takes, the citizens of the country have a right to challenge, to question and most certainly to come in and ask could you please explain the position we are taking?
“So I would have thought that the Christian Council would have wanted to have a meeting. If they want to come and talk to me I most certainly would be willing to talk about it.”
Comments
Frosty 10 years, 3 months ago
ah the Christian Council, they will always be a thorn in the side of this country's progress
Thinker 10 years, 3 months ago
I vote separation of church and state. Too many people standing in the way of freedom. Jesus advocated freedom of choice.
Thinker 10 years, 3 months ago
Too many government entities standing in the way of freedom.
Thinker 10 years, 3 months ago
Christie actin all tough, trying to make it seem like he's out there all on his own, doing his very best. Lol... There's not a proud politician in the world that would admit he's doing a bad job.
hj 10 years, 3 months ago
PC is so confused that he really needs to retire. He "orders" the web shops to close but "the issue is complex". No kidding. He is not responsible for executing the laws,but he will put a policeman in every corner. I expect something similar with BTC,we got the 2% back but.......
arussell 10 years, 3 months ago
Lord where is 2017?????????
CFerguson 10 years, 3 months ago
The Bahamas can well do away with the Christian Council. Their decision making process is very similiar to that of the government ... Approve what is convenient for them!
TheMadHatter 10 years, 3 months ago
I have no particular like or dislike for Mr. Christie - but in this case I will say this is an EXCELLENT POINT he is making. I support this 200% !!!!!!!!!!!
The church has just been sitting on the sidelines watching their flock make babies at ages 14-22 while they are still children and then pretend to be adult parents who can raise them. The results are clear. Babies raising babies. That is not the only thing the church is guilty of.
The PM is right. The Church needs to get out on the streets and DO something. Jesus DID THINGS we are shown in the Bible. He went around and around all over the place. He was almost like a Gypsy how much he moved about and saw the people and interacted with them directly in the streets and in their homes and everywhere.
Of course, the church will just INTERPRET this directive from the PM to mean they need to hand out more tracts and encourage more people to come to church - LOL. They are good at interpreting things however they want to - like when they interpret the Bible to say that Jesus turned water into apple cider.
If the Rev. Patterson had his way, Jesus would have just been stuck giving a sermon on the mount his whole life. Not that the sermon on the mount was not important - it's just that Jesus obviously didn't think it was enough. He add ACTION to his ministry on Earth.
Of course, if a gay cruise ship were to again announce they were coming to Port - you can bet the church people would be out on Bay Street in a flash - just like they were the last time one announced. Their priorities are upside down.
TheMadHatter
Greentea 10 years, 3 months ago
Gay cruises come to the Bahamas all the time. No one is protesting anymore. No more cameras and too much criticism and bad publicity.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
The Church is not the plethora of religious denominations in the world
The Church is the group of born again believers who follow the example of Jesus Christ
Thats not the Bahamas Christian Council or most of the buildings with a cross on it in this country
I dont expect PGC to say anything different
He is not part of The Church..........Lol
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
Mr Christie said: “I had occasion to speak to the police, but it was not a reported matter on Saturday. I was hoping that the President of the Christian Council (Rev Ranford Patterson) was in the room because I had something to say to him personally too about what I think he should be doing.
Hmmm...Perry Christie seems to know what everybody should be doing but himself, he's going to take over the police because he doesn't trust the leadership, he's going to instruct the judges on the legal framework that should be in place and now he's going to instruct Patterson on what the church should be doing. I wonder if he has any instructions for his ministers on professional ethics, conflict of interest, money laundering, bribery and their fiduciary responsibility...
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
To the above Comment
DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its becoming narcissistic now !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think Perry is beginning to lose it,
TheMadHatter 10 years, 3 months ago
I disagree. It appears to me that he is DOING something about crime now, and people are just surprised to see him becoming actively involved in all the major aspects of society which make up society and can lead to crime if they are not managed properly.
I'm not saying he has all the answers. But I say give him a chance. If he was not doing all of the above then people would say "Look he ain' doin nuttin." So it's hard to win, then isn't it. He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. I would rather it be that "he does".
TheMadHatter
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
Disagree. Any leader who believes he has to do everything has failed before he even started. If he wanted to do something he would have shuffled off Bay St and continued shuffling right in the House of Assembly. His best chance at winning is building a competent team.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
Hmmm..just had a thought. I like Hubert Ingraham, I like his no nonsense style but he's actually more guilty of this then Perry Christie. Looking at it, our system seems to fosters this situation. A slew of unknown people coast in as our representatives based on the dynamism of the leader. What do we end up with, Sidney Stubs and Korean boat scandal, Shane Gibson and Housing, Anna Nichole and stories yet to be uncovered, Bradley Roberts and manic outbursts, George Smith rumors of drug activity and "why does it matter how you made your money". Keod smith fighting in the house and removing evidence from the scene of a crime. Someone trying to shake down John Travolta. Minister of Education employing a known drug dealer as his chauffeur and campaign general, what in God's name??? You can't make this stuff up. To me it seems like it's happening because we have NO idea who we let in the door every 5years. We simply don't know these people. No one investigates their record, their finances, their character, their work ethic. No hard questions are asked. No debate. The public don't have an opportunity to question them publicly. It's a mess. Can we monitor their finances while they're in office and 10years post office? Can we put term limits on them?
JohnDoe 10 years, 3 months ago
Over the past 20 years successive parties when in opposition have declared their intention to bring about electoral and campaign finance reform but as soon as they are elected all that talk disappears. These reforms are needed but the larger question is why are we not attracting our best and brightest to politics and why are we so enamored by the braggart/biggity type?
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
Regarding the last statement I had a conversation with a friend who's doing extremely well in business but not so well in his personal relationships. He's no doing horribly, but was wondering why he wasn't doing better. I pointed out to him that the same aspect of his personality that made him soooo successful at business was the same aspect that was dragging him down personally, he's pushy, he's the go to guy to get things done and he gets it done (ethically) no matter who's feelings he has to hurt. The conversation then turned to politics, I asked where does Perry Christie's lazy persona benefit him? The response was it wasn't his laziness that allowed him to succeed but his ability to be personable. The drawback, he has a difficult time being firm with or reprimanding his people. Hubert Ingraham? The same aspect of his personality that would have made him an excellent lawyer and sole business owner is what shoots him in the foot when leading a country, again he is no nonsense he gets things done no matter what and he doesn't depend on other people to get it done. So in each case depending on where you are relative to those people you find traits that can either be admired or abhorred. At least that's my theory, the psychologists and sociologists may have a better one.
Sisters, have you ever fallen for a guy who's always the clown in the room, everyone loves them, then years later you wonder why they have to make a joke out of everything? It's the same concept
leeza 10 years, 3 months ago
The church was established in the New Testament but the family came from genesis with Adam and Eve. male, female. Pray tell me what percentage of these men and women attend or even affiliate with any ministry. We have stopped taking babies to be prayed over when they are little. Why because we see these things as small or insignificant. There is so much spiritual significance but then you need to be spiritually connected to appreciate this. there are a lot of children without any type of covering. So now there is no Jesus in the home none in the school and they don't come to church much less bring or send them to Sunday school. What kind of spiritual foundation are these little one growing up with. They are being influenced by the violent video games AND OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL devices are the new baby sitters. The don't interact with other children that's why they don't have social skills thus they don't know how to resolve conflicts. We need to start working with the ones who are coming up now because if we don't these fellas will look like saints when they burst on the scene.
Frosty 10 years, 3 months ago
That is so far from truth it couldn't be more wrong. read the studies on violent video games done around the world, no connection to violent behavior, other than in china which is of no surprise. the other technological devices may play an important role in their lives and it should but it is far from the new babysitter. Parents still try to rear their child as best they can including corporal punishment if they must. They do have social skills and DO know how to resolve conflicts. If they didn't from what i am seeing they sure are good at faking it. Don't let the few misguide your opinion on the many. You might see 40 or 50 so called "thugs" in the news and use them to judge the other thousands of young Bahamians, that is a drop in the bucket. Faith is not the answer to everything but neither am i saying it is not an answer at all. Many young Bahamians strive with and without it nationally and internationally, that includes myself in the without category
Frosty 10 years, 3 months ago
So has movies, real life criminal situations, books, songs, upbringing, personal situations, human ingenuity and wanton disregard for laws and human life. You shouldn't forget studies lest you focus on the wrong targets. People can be influenced by many things, just because a media medium is violent does not mean it will make its user base, violent. Those are rare cases with underlying mental stability problems, this refers to all media not just games.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
She has the ~right concept and "faith" can be the avenue to nurturing a child but non-Christians can teach their children good principles as well. When temptation comes and their friend Johnny dares them to steal that soda from the convenience store, Mummy's voice in their head says boy don't let me ever catch you stealing, a thief is a murderer. That is what training a child is, you drill into their head over and over again the principles they will have to follow when they head into spiritual war and you are not around. (And spiritual war is not a religious concept per se, it's a reality, everybody fights it)
These young guys today have no one but the neighborhood drug dealer or gang leader to train them. Lesson is always, do what you have to.
SP 10 years, 3 months ago
Christie must have a short memory. The Christian Council is FNM Mr. Christie.
Have you forgotten how they paraded Hubert Ingraham from pillar to post prior to the last election......That is until the IMF and Moodys' declared Ingraham the worst leader in the region!
Christie needs to stop worrying about the Bahamian Taliban (Christian Council) and get on with running the country.
Remember when the Christian Council predicted fire and brimstone would destroy the Bahamas if Sunday shopping was ever allowed?.....NUFF SAID!
To hell (literally) with the Christian Council!
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
SP
The "Bahamas Christian Council" is not Bahamian (its Nassau-centric) and it is not Christian (its denominationally-oriented).
It is very much Council .................. like the Jewish Sanhedrin. Those religious guys who set up the kangaroo court at 2 am to condemn Jesus to death.
Thats where we are in this country today. Perry is Pilate (washing his hands)
Who will be Stephen??????????????????/
Go figger.........................
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