The Tribune

By Canon S Sebastian Campbell

THE strength of our country must not and cannot be measured in the erection of buildings, advances in technology or in political manoeuvres. Its very foundation must be the hard core strength in relationship. This relationship must have its genesis in the family.

We have corrupted the Christian understanding of family; we have weakened our social pillars and now are paying a high price exacted mainly by crime.

We must be unapologetic in upholding the Christian ideal of a family unit, a married man and woman as the only channel through which children are to be brought into this world. This is the “nuclear family”.

In such a family, Christian principles are taught and the faith is handed on. In this habitat children learn to pray before going to sleep, say grace before meal, the golden rule is instilled and happiness abound. A country is the sum total of our families. Strong families produce a strong country. The country needs strong fathers. From the father ought to come leadership. Many women “wear the pants” only where the men fail to put it on and pull it up. A woman, we’re told, searches out a strong man to give loving and caring leadership. This is our biblical understanding of the Christian faith.

Both women and men need each other for support and companionship. Also, it is far more economical to live within such a bonding. This is a company; resources are pooled and shared. The single parent idea is a living hell for so many, especially our women, when it comes to the stark reality of finances. It was never intended by God for a family to operate on one single parent income or resources. The nuclear family is the foundation for happy family life, strong and secure. I’m the product of a happy home. We were poor in the material things of life and didn’t even realise it. Daddy and Mummy were tied together, through marriage, in an indestructible bond. We were pleased with whatever we had so we were really never in want. Daddy had a strong presence, giving leadership mainly by example. We worshipped regularly together; he showed us how to face up to and conquer hard work. We played together, had fun together. It was the ideal home, the nuclear family.

In the Bahamas, happy families do exist. This we acknowledge and celebrate. We also own up to the fact of many single parent families, maybe single parent through no one person’s fault, are survivors and do experience great measures of joy. But oh, with so much “raking and scraping” against the odds. Many single parent families are led by men, for any number of reasons. These men, in many instances, do a superb job at attaining this happiness. Many are role models struggling towards human perfection. There is however an increasing breakdown in family life. An overwhelming number of Bahamians are anything but happy. The misery index is said to be highest in the region. There is a direct relationship with this scenario and the increasing crime rate and insecurity among Bahamians. It is safe to say, the average Bahamian is not a totally happy soul. He is stressed and walks through the valley of depression. Any wonder heart conditions are among the leading cause of death.

Father hunger stalks many innocent children. To our shame an average of 80 per cent of children in the Bahamas are born outside of marriage. Hundreds of teenage girls abort their high school education because of pregnancy.

An ever increasing number of children have absolutely no relationship with a father. Many have never been introduced to one. Many mothers cannot introduce their children to a father because it might cause some shame and scandal. This father hunger makes for unstable individuals growing up in an unstable society. So girls grow up not knowing how to deal with a real man except one feeling up all over her and this leads into her slack sexual ways. Boys all too often lack a role model on manhood. Some view a real man as a sex beast making children, dropping them from yard to yard even like a dog drops puppies. Presently we are reaping from such a harvest. A weak family structure produces our social problems such as alcoholism, drug addition, gangsters, illegitimacy, crime and on and on.

No government, no church or civic group can honestly be held responsible. None of these have ever been pregnant and given birth to a child. It begins and ends with the family. Too many men boast of their large number of children scattered all over the Earth. Common-law marriage is all too common place. Children do have the advantage of both parents. The problem arises when one partner dies. A nightmare is almost always created, especially when it comes to the property of the deceased. Worse still when one of the partners is legally married to someone else. This also referred to as “shacking up” is not a desirable ideal for the birthing and raising of children. Our children deserve better.

We thank God for all who strive for the Christian ideal of parenthood, especially as it relates to the family. We celebrate the joy of family life and the extra strength brought to it by the father. God himself is the standard of fatherhood. When presenting the image of God, Jesus invites us to think of him as father. So when you pray say, “Our father”. Our standard is godlike, an ideal after which we must strive. A strong Bahamas, therefore, can only be based on godly principles. Today we celebrate real men, macho men who are resident fathers in their homes. Real fathers who love the mother of their children and thus give these children the greatest gift of all, which is the only route to building a stronger Bahamas.