By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

BISHOP SIMEON Hall yesterday criticised the Christian Council for paying too much attention to webshops and gambling and ignoring the other important issues of the country.

In a press release, Bishop Hall said the Christian Council and other religious leaders need to come together and redirect their efforts towards “other areas of our national life” that he said have gone unnoticed.

“For the past two years, webshops and gambling has been a priority for the Christian Council, other areas such as education, family life, public health, job creation and crime have fallen below the concern of this august body.

“While I appreciate the position the Council took, some of its proponents were unchristian in their stance on a matter that calls for personal conscience. The present Executive of the Council is aware that where was no unanimous vote held by the Christian community,” he said.

“I was astonished that in this critical era in our nations history the Christian community can gather 78 Church Leaders in a meeting to protest webshops, but cannot get 12 of the same members to address crime or other more vexing issues which face us.”

Bishop Hall said he does not believe regularizing webshops will cause Bahamians to gamble more or want to gamble.

He said: “If webshops are illegal - indeed a crime, then we ought to obliterate them or regulate them.

“Regularisation will not introduce gaming to the Bahamas, but seeks to normalize and tax them for the benefit of all.

“The council must not be so absorbed in one issue until others go unnoticed. The body must be more socially conscious and ubiquitous in its approach as a national body.”

Last week, Christian Council President Ranford Patterson says he was disappointed with the government’s decision to push forward with legalising and taxing the numbers industry. 

Rev Patterson, who made it clear that he will not support any future referenda – including a planned vote to overhaul the Bahamas’ Constitution, said the Christie administrations actions have categorised the opinions of the electorate as “worthless”.

Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe announced that the governemnt will regularise and tax webshop gaming by July 1.

Legislation to legalise the industry is expected to be brought to the House of Assembly within the next two weeks.