Registered Anglicans were encouraged by Reverend Laish Boyd, bishop of the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, to make their votes count in the country's upcoming general election by going out and exercising their constitutional right. Boyd said one vote can do much, as elections are won by a simple majority.
"If enough 'one votes' stay home, that could add up to several, or scores or hundreds of thousands, if enough 'one votes' stay home. You are a person. You matter. Make your one vote count," said Boyd in a pastoral letter distributed to parishes on Sunday, April 23.
"National activity is a part of the duty and responsibility of every citizen and resident. It is certainly the duty of us Christians, who were told by Jesus to 'render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's'."
General elections will be held on Wednesday, May 10.
While he said the Anglican Church respects the fact that some individuals and religious groups do not participate in general elections and related activities, nor in other national activities, the bishop said he considered the approach to be wrong for two reasons. Firstly, it does not follow Jesus' command, and secondly, it does not allow ordinary Christians to interact with and bring godly influence to bear upon the parties, the process and the many people who are involved.
Boyd said Christians should take an interest in the national landscape, be informed, discuss the issues, be a registered voter and vote, become involved, stand fast and celebrate.
"Many people are interested in politics and many are not. Some see it as pointless, because who is going to win is going to win anyhow. Some say that all of them are the same in it for what they can get. Some say it is nothing but corruption and mudslinging. All of this may be true, from time to time, however, we need to be interested in national issues and, by extension, in the electoral process and the lead-up to it, because issues are defined and leaders chosen thereby. Leaders, whether it is one of them or 10, make a difference. Take an interest in your national landscape and in all of its processes."
He encouraged them to take in a wide sampling of what's going on from all news outlets available, including radio stations' news, talk shows and other programming; printed newspapers; and online and social media, to get as total a picture as possible.
"Often there is one conversation in the conventional media, and another, broader, more representative discussion can be seen in social media. This is the modern reality. Also, conventional media establishments are business entities. They are not perfect, and there, any human entity can be subject to bias from time to time -- to forces that are not interested in the objective reporting and analyzing of facts. Occasionally, some establishments can even be known for their bias and their downright [propaganda]. This is why we must listen, watch, and read widely and sensibly to formulate our own informed and balanced view."
The Anglican bishop also encouraged discussion of the issues. He said conversation, watching, listening and reading are good, because they improve people's knowledge, thinking and analytical skills. But he advised them that the conversation must be filtered and weighed carefully.
"We can always find shallow, gossipy and scandalous conversation. Or we can find conversation where there is a desire to examine the issues, to share genuine concerns, and to seek a clearer understanding of the facts," he said.
He advised them to choose their conversations carefully.
While it is too late to register to vote in the upcoming election, he encouraged them to be ready for the next cycle. He encouraged those who are registered for this election to vote.
Party politics, he said, is something they should get involved in if they have the interest and the time.
"I always encourage my members to get involved, to be a part of the local branch, to be an organizer and a worker, and to campaign. If Christians, whom, I assume, hope and expect to be people of integrity, do not get involved, how are we going to Christianize our environment? How will we influence the people and the process to be cleaner and more honorable? How will we be salt and light and leaven? How will we be ambassadors for Christ in that arena?"
Boyd said that he did not want to give the impression that things are all bad. He said there are upstanding politicians, candidates, party members and campaigners, but the problem is that too many Christian people get involved in politics and then cast aside what they claim to believe.
"We condone, encourage and even participate in wrong when it occurs. We compromise our integrity and fall right in line with those who have no scruples, and who want to win at any cost. The people in the party and on the campaign trail do not see Christ in some of us, and do not see behavior that represents Christ at all."
The bishop also spoke to his horror at the level of "gutter" politics and venom that he sees and hears spewed, often with little regard for the truth in both the conventional media as well as social media.
"'Fake news' is propagated as facts, and so many of us are gullible to believe whatever we see that is negative or degrading about others. This must stop."
He said the issues should be discussed, and the candidates should not be demonized.
"This terrible practice of denigrating and maligning others has the result of discouraging some decent people from wanting to serve in public life. Too much is at stake, and a good name that one might have built up over the years is suddenly dragged through the mud by unscrupulous opponents. We cannot build a country like this, and we definitely cannot allow our children to believe that the vast majority of persons serving, or desirous of serving in political office do not have integrity or good character."
Bishop Boyd encouraged Anglicans to commit to making The Bahamas the best they can by each doing their part to build the positive. He urged them to commit to being genuinely interested in whatever is happening, to do what is right every chance they get, and to get out and vote for the candidate of their choice.
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