Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today.
by Bishop Selwyn Brathwaite
Having reviewed the Throne speech delivered on September 15, 2020, The Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies (PAWI) wishes to commend Government on some
promising proposals.
Worthy of note is the plan to increase the list of national heroes, the infrastructural development, the measures determined to stimulate the economy and the introduction of a family court to name a few.
We do hope that these initiatives will be implemented successfully and speedily for the betterment of our nation.
We also applaud the government on initiatives taken to mitigate against fallout from COVID-19 and we are happy to report that members of the PAWI community have
laboured feverishly either directly or indirectly with Government in this regard.
However, while we do give credit to the government for the initiatives outlined in its political agenda, there are some issues when placed under the spiritual and moral microscope reveal concerns that if allowed to go unnoticed will have severe social and moral implications.
We have certainly welcomed government’s valiant attempt to ensure that Barbados must have no second-class citizens and that no human being in our nation will be discriminated against, in the exercise of civil rights that ought to be theirs. This is nothing short of commendable and has our stamp of approval in principle.
However, it is our unswerving conviction that the intention of this government to weave same-sex unions into the moral fabric of our society is to move this country’s moral compass in the wrong direction.
It is quite troubling to hear the introduction of language from our leadership which in some cases seems to be shrouded with ambiguity on this all important matter, thereby creating more questions than answers especially in relation to how the government intends to accommodate same sex unions while buggery is still criminalized within our nation’s legislative constitution.
While this decision seems to be an attempt to improve our nation’s international social credit rating, it certainly stands to devalue and corrupt the moral currency which for many Barbadians has become a national treasure.
Our past political leaders have all etched their names on History’s page recording a legacy of courageously maintaining its value on the international market despite continued global pressure.
While we cannot with any authority lay claim to Barbados being a theocracy, our national values have been founded on Judeo-Christian principles which have served as the bedrock of our society for which we can proudly attribute our moral, social, spiritual and political stability.
There seems to be a suggestion that the world has spoken and therefore we are forced to surrender our sovereignty and succumb to pressure to remove the moral foundational stones upon which our national structure has been secured only to build on some architectural sketch that is still to prove that it can provide the moral, spiritual and political strength on which our national pride has been built with no wanton boast.
We are also careful in this matter not to become alarmist, but we do suspect that any permission granted by this Government for the arrival of same sex unions into our moral ports of entry will also provide easy opportunity for other foreign imports into our country, the likes of sexual rights packages containing comprehensive sexual education curriculums and gender fluidity to be taught in our schools at all levels.
An intrusion of this nature will no doubt force those within the education system of a different moral persuasion to be engaged in a national initiative of which they are convinced will corrode, corrupt, and confuse our present moral infrastructure and eventually cause collapse.
We must as a Nation, consider the implications of opening this door, which can lead us into dangerous and even antagonistic waters ranging from issues of adoption of children by same-sex couples to attempted prohibitions on the nation’s churches in the exercise of our faith and religious beliefs.
We are heartened by the fact that Barbados has developed governance structures and institutions that mark us as what has been described as, “the best governed Black society
in the world”.
This global accolade can only be attributed to the fact that our island has continually protected its mirror image while enjoying friendship with all but satellites of none continually punching above its weight because it refused to forfeit its national values.
Given our outstanding record we must never be bullied into accepting any position that is contrary to the mores of our people.
The Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies stands ready to join forces with our spiritual allies and concerned citizens in any initiatives designed to defend the moral borders of our beloved nation and pledge allegiance to the development of values which have undeniably contributed, to our rich national heritage. We stand on the Word of God.
Selwyn Brathwaite is the district presiding Bishop of The Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies.
