Bahamas News
10-14-04, - 12:22 AM
Baptist head says National Lottery counterproductive
Church should support levy to fund sports
BY Vanessa C. Rolle
Nassau Guardian
No religious leader has come out in favour of a national lottery, hence the position of the church is clear, advocated Rev. Dr William Thompson, President of the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention.
Celebrating the 46th Annual Baptist Recognition Day and Baptist Month at Faith United Missionary Baptist Church on Tuesday night, while Dr Thompson knocked the establishment of a national lottery, he praised the Government for its "quick and compassionate" response in the securing of relief for people displaced by the passage of Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne.
Speaking under the theme,Protocol of the Kingdom, he warned, however, that unless the authorities propose healthier and more humane environs for persons living in areas such as The Mud and Pigeon Pea, where most of the Haitian population lives, the entire nation will be at risk of a health catastrophe.
Dr Thompson, who is also President of The Bahamas Christian Council, said he will also be making recommendations to the Government on behalf of the local Christian churches in this regard.
As for the national lottery, he advised his congregation that its implementation could compound the already existing social problems by encouraging the youth to be dependent on gambling instead of working hard for a living.
"This is quite a weighty consideration, when it is realised that not all denominations are opposed to gambling. The general position, then of the church is clear! It is not in favour of the adoption of a National Lottery to fund sporting," he said.
However, he said some sort of levy should be introduced to fund sports in The Bahamas, given the stellar performances of Bahamian Athletes at the Olympics in Athens, Greece.
He said it is pathetic to witness people on the side of the road with big bottles, requesting handouts from the public every time Bahamian athletes have to travel abroad to represent the nation in competition.
He concluded that the church has three alternatives to consider: making a direct contribution, considering the pros and cons of a National Lottery, or supporting the concept of a form of a national levy.
Moreover, he said the church cannot delay action on the matter, adding that one possible approach can be the making of direct contributions to both the government and voluntary organisations involved in sports. However, for congregations on the Family Islands, the resources to make generous contributions on a regular basis is limited.
The idea of "phasing out casinos" suggested by Rt. Rev. Michael Eldon several years ago, has been placed on the backburner, said Dr Thompson. He also discussed the recommendation by Sir Durward Knowles, the nation's first Olympic gold medalist, for a levy of .2 cents per gallon to be charged on gasoline and diesel.
"Considering the huge amounts of gas consumed in The Bahamas, this would certainly raise the massive amounts required to fund sporting. Virtually, all Bahamians would be involved, and the amounts raised would enable us to raise adequate equipment, pay for trips abroad, and grant attractive financial rewards to those who excel whether at home or abroad," said Dr Thompson. He stated that the most effective way for the church to contribute to the funding of sports is by supporting the levy endorsed by Bishop Eldon and the levy advocated by Sir Durward.
"Bahamians would be expected to make a regular contribution towards the huge cost involved in the operation of a national programme to support our Bahamian athletes as they seek to develop their full potential as good citizens of our beloved Bahamaland," he said.
Sports today is "big business" he said, with athletes being offered multi-million contracts all over the world.
"And while we cannot match these astronomical amounts, we have to be honest in realising that we must find ways and means of providing much more funding for sporting activities if our young are to realise their full potential in the highly competitive world of sports. It follows quite logically - we have to adopt new methods if we are to raise the massive amounts required to fund sports in such a way that we would be able to compete at the world's level."
"The time has come for us to stop depending on a lot of fund-raising events to support our athletes," Dr Thompson said.
Church should support levy to fund sports
BY Vanessa C. Rolle
Nassau Guardian
No religious leader has come out in favour of a national lottery, hence the position of the church is clear, advocated Rev. Dr William Thompson, President of the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention.
Celebrating the 46th Annual Baptist Recognition Day and Baptist Month at Faith United Missionary Baptist Church on Tuesday night, while Dr Thompson knocked the establishment of a national lottery, he praised the Government for its "quick and compassionate" response in the securing of relief for people displaced by the passage of Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne.
Speaking under the theme,Protocol of the Kingdom, he warned, however, that unless the authorities propose healthier and more humane environs for persons living in areas such as The Mud and Pigeon Pea, where most of the Haitian population lives, the entire nation will be at risk of a health catastrophe.
Dr Thompson, who is also President of The Bahamas Christian Council, said he will also be making recommendations to the Government on behalf of the local Christian churches in this regard.
As for the national lottery, he advised his congregation that its implementation could compound the already existing social problems by encouraging the youth to be dependent on gambling instead of working hard for a living.
"This is quite a weighty consideration, when it is realised that not all denominations are opposed to gambling. The general position, then of the church is clear! It is not in favour of the adoption of a National Lottery to fund sporting," he said.
However, he said some sort of levy should be introduced to fund sports in The Bahamas, given the stellar performances of Bahamian Athletes at the Olympics in Athens, Greece.
He said it is pathetic to witness people on the side of the road with big bottles, requesting handouts from the public every time Bahamian athletes have to travel abroad to represent the nation in competition.
He concluded that the church has three alternatives to consider: making a direct contribution, considering the pros and cons of a National Lottery, or supporting the concept of a form of a national levy.
Moreover, he said the church cannot delay action on the matter, adding that one possible approach can be the making of direct contributions to both the government and voluntary organisations involved in sports. However, for congregations on the Family Islands, the resources to make generous contributions on a regular basis is limited.
The idea of "phasing out casinos" suggested by Rt. Rev. Michael Eldon several years ago, has been placed on the backburner, said Dr Thompson. He also discussed the recommendation by Sir Durward Knowles, the nation's first Olympic gold medalist, for a levy of .2 cents per gallon to be charged on gasoline and diesel.
"Considering the huge amounts of gas consumed in The Bahamas, this would certainly raise the massive amounts required to fund sporting. Virtually, all Bahamians would be involved, and the amounts raised would enable us to raise adequate equipment, pay for trips abroad, and grant attractive financial rewards to those who excel whether at home or abroad," said Dr Thompson. He stated that the most effective way for the church to contribute to the funding of sports is by supporting the levy endorsed by Bishop Eldon and the levy advocated by Sir Durward.
"Bahamians would be expected to make a regular contribution towards the huge cost involved in the operation of a national programme to support our Bahamian athletes as they seek to develop their full potential as good citizens of our beloved Bahamaland," he said.
Sports today is "big business" he said, with athletes being offered multi-million contracts all over the world.
"And while we cannot match these astronomical amounts, we have to be honest in realising that we must find ways and means of providing much more funding for sporting activities if our young are to realise their full potential in the highly competitive world of sports. It follows quite logically - we have to adopt new methods if we are to raise the massive amounts required to fund sports in such a way that we would be able to compete at the world's level."
"The time has come for us to stop depending on a lot of fund-raising events to support our athletes," Dr Thompson said.