Fernander condemns attempts to kidnap the church’s message
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) President Bishop Delton Fernander indicated the church has rallied its international partners as it prepares to take a stand against the Pride Bahamas 2020 activities and march for traditional family and Christian values.
“We will bring our international partners from around the world to help us to enforce that message of a heterosexual family,” Fernander told Eyewitness News Online.
“That’s it. That’s all the church will be concentrating on. We are not going to get in this back and forth because there is some serious; we have already been made aware that some of the remarks that were plastered and taken to some international meetings to paint the church in a certain manner.
“I have already had meetings locally with organizations where I had to explain what was the position of the church and they didn’t get that from what was being plastered and what was being said in response. And so, I think we have done our part to set the international market straight to say our focus is on the family.”
Pride Bahamas Organizer Alexus D’Marco accused the BCC of misrepresenting the LGBTI community and said as the church praises undisturbed, the community will demonstrate its pride undisturbed.
“We are coexisting and both the LGBTI movement and the church agree that this coexistence should be a non-violent one,” she said.
Her remarks came after the council issued a recent statement indicating it will host an anti-gay march as a stand against the LGBTI event, which it referred to as a “stand against Sodom and Gomorrah”.
Following the BCC’s statement, human rights organization, Rights Bahamas, warned that any instances of hate speech or attempts to bully the LGBTI community into forgoing its rights would be met with “forceful opposition both locally, internationally and through the courts if necessary”.
Rights Bahamas accused the council of bigotry and intolerance, but acknowledged the council’s right to march in rejection of Pride Bahamas’ events.
The human rights group also noted that the council should be mindful of its message, especially given the many international organizations in The Bahamas providing assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.
Speaking to Eyewitness News Online, Fernander said the church does not intend to continue responding to Pride Bahamas, but said he felt there was an attempt to “kidnap” the church’s message.
“I never said anything about any attack on them,” he said.
“Where did that come from? I thought that was disingenuous and I don’t know where that came from. The church does not promote violence against anybody.
Fernander said: “And neither are we interested in their march. We said we were going to have our own march promoting the family. I thought the message was kidnapped and they were responding to ghosts and it was just unfortunate that the attacks came like that, but it showed the venom that was already ready for the church.”
