Archbishop Against “The Cat”:

Expressing alarm that Supreme Court Justice Jon Isaacs recently sentenced a man to eight lashes of the cat-o-nine tail, Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez last night called for the country to abolish or discontinue the use of what he called cruel and inhuman forms of punishment, which had been formally outlawed by the 1963 constitution.

"Quite apart from the stated government policy of penal rehabilitation, it is simply unchristian for us to inflict any form of barbarity upon human beings," said Archbishop Gomez, in his charge at the opening of the 106th session of Synod at Christ Church Cathedral.

"Rehabilitation is the compassionate Christian response to the communal challenge on crime. The traditional secular over-emphasis of punishment has contributed to recidivism and the spiraling increase of violence in our community. We therefore call on all persons to exercise compassion and mercy even unto those whom we think are undeserving."

He added, "Simply put, our Saviour has warned us, even in the Garden of Gethsemane, ‘Those who live by the sword die by the sword.’ As a community we must strive to eschew violence in our daily lives. We must set examples of Christian love and attempt to control our anger so as to ensure that at all times we make Christian responses to all situations in which we are challenged."

The archbishop also turned his attention to the need to improve the quality of life in The Bahamas.

"In recent times much emphasis has been placed upon the number and size of various developmental projects which are being planned for The Bahamas," he said.

"If a majority of these projects come to fruition, the economy of The Bahamas will experience a significant shot in the arm and many Bahamians will experience an improvement in their financial affairs. While I welcome the possibility of an improvement in the improvement of the standard of living, I lament the fact that we do not seek to be placing sufficient emphasis on personal development. Two key issues for me are the type of country we wish to build and the type of Bahamian we wish to develop."

Archbishop Gomez said the experience of Freeport and the wider community of Grand Bahama as a result of recent hurricanes leading to the closure of a major hotel should serve as a national warning in respect of the country’s over-reliance on tourism.

"As we continue to expand our tourism product, we should also be intentionally engaged in meaningful diversification," he said. "We place our nation at risk if we continue to place all our eggs in one basket. While we enjoy the years of plenty, let us plan for the possibility of the lean years. I urge that we approach this issue on a non-partisan basis in the national interest."

He said honesty and integrity should not simply be regarded as "optional ideals" but should form the foundation for character development.

"In this regard we must note that in the tourism industry and other areas of the commercial sector, Bahamians have developed a reputation for dishonesty," Archbishop Gomez said.

"In several areas of our national life, the predominant philosophy centres around the immoral principle that the end justifies the means. In public life the argument based on principle is dismissed as unrealistic. As a community, we are seriously challenged to frame and fashion our lives on honesty and integrity in our private and public encounters."

Archbishop Gomez also promoted other qualities, including hard work and industry; courtesy; and self respect."

24 October 2006

bahamian law