Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller said yesterday he believes now that the United States Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriage across that country, The Bahamas “at some point” will be pressured to follow suit. Miller, who was contacted for comment, said he hopes to never see that day and called on the church to begin mounting a campaign against any such attempt.
“I hope that the churches in this country would now band together and have their say as to what they intend to do because at some point someone is going to try and thrust it upon us as a people,” Miller told The Nassau Guardian. “That leaves me very, very concerned as a parent and as a grandparent. When I look at all these Bahamian youngsters around here – this new lifestyle here; I mean, how the hell could a man marry a man? What is God saying about all of this? That is what frightens me.”
The United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across that country on Friday. The American justices ruled 5-4 that states cannot deny gays and lesbians the same marriage rights that heterosexual couples enjoy.
According to Miller, people have a right to choose their lifestyle, but he said that lifestyle should never be imposed on society at large. He said the ruling led him to question whether the second coming is near.
“The Bible says in the last days men will be lovers of men, but now it becomes an acceptable norm?” Miller asked.
“The United States, our great neighbor, I wonder not only where the world is headed, but [about] God’s prophecy in the Bible... Are these the last days is what I am getting at.”
Miller said despite the majority of people in this country being conservative, he is concerned about the influence the ruling could have on Bahamians, especially the youth.
“I have nothing against the people, but I am very, very concerned about the future and welfare of my grandchildren and other Bahamians at large, especially the young ones, who now see these things so prominently displayed on television,” Miller said.
A poll conducted last year January on whether Bahamians support same-sex marriage revealed that 86.5 percent of respondents strongly oppose same-sex marriage; four percent somewhat oppose it; 3.7 percent somewhat support it; 3.1 percent strongly support it and 2.8 percent did not answer. Researchers polled 575 people, which is considered to be a respectable sample size for the country’s population. The poll was conducted by the public research firm Public Domain.
Several politicians, including Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis, Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner and Democratic National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney have expressed the view that The Bahamas will not follow suit any time soon.
Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell was asked for his opinion on the matter on the Guardian Radio talk show “Q and A” with hosts Quincy Parker and Adrian Francis yesterday, but he declined to comment.
In March 2013, Prime Minister Perry Christie said he does not believe in same-sex marriage and it was not an issue on the government’s agenda. He made the statement weeks after then Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett predicted that the Bahamian courts will soon have to address the question of same-sex marriage.
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