ACPrayers imperative to battle casino gambling
– Religious leaders
Kaieteur News
January 16, 2007
Casino gambling is undoubtedly a potential menace to any society which creates a situation which cannot be rivalled with debates and public outcries.
That is the view of two religious leaders.
They said that while the very fabric of the Guyanese society is under threat, the answer to the problem is not rooted in religious leaders staging forums to debate the issue.
According to one of the leaders, while the religious community has a right to vocalise its opinion, it is placed in a strategic position where it should rely on divine intervention.
“For far too long religion has taken on the face of earthly reasoning…This should not be the case. Religion is synonymous with faith, meaning that you believe in something even though it seems impossible,” asserted one of the leaders.
He added that religious leaders' attempts to confront the casino gambling issue with forums and public outcries is a clear indication to the supernatural enemy that he has been given a upper hand.
The religious leaders described the supernatural enemy “as the enemy of the world whose single intent is to destroy all sense of peace and security as he tramples main sectors such as economic and health.”
But this needs not be the case since power to confound and defeat opposing situations can be had through prayers and supplication, they said.
“What our leaders need to address is the praying tendency of believers of God. If each Guyanese could get down before God and just flat out intercede for Guyana , so many things could change course.
“Crime, the revenue earnings, health, even migration could come to a halt. Certainly, then, enforcing laws for casino gambling would not be an option.”
It is evident that the aim of permitting casino gambling is simply an attempt by the government to boost the local economy, which should be regarded as a natural decision for any Government to make, one of the leaders speculated.
When questioned of their efforts to advocate prayers in the religious community, one of the leaders said, “We have always spoken of the importance of prayer. What some people don't like is that it may take years to see changes when you rely on prayer but change is inevitable once prayers are steadfastly made.
“We cannot waiver and expect things to go the right way. It is not that we are saying that other leaders don't pray continually but it must be promoted by each and every believer.
“Can you imagine what a great land Guyana could be if we all can pray and just seek the face of God? It may seem impossible but God knows and we believe that a day will come when the world will behold Guyana as a rejuvenated nation; one that outsiders will long to be a part of.”
As such, the leaders are of the belief that the place of the religious community “is not to go out shouting in the streets like the average man” in opposition of casino gambling but rather to “step-up praying tendency and to keep the faith.”
Casino gambling has been cited by the government as one of the major ways of boosting the local tourism industry during Cricket World Cup this year.
This development has, however, caused various factions of society, including the religious community, to publicly condemn the venture's implementation.
The government, out of respect for the religious leaders, had decided to permit the activity to a limited extent where only visitors to Guyana would be eligible to participate.
Government has since rejected opposing debates on the passing of the Bill to legalise the venture before CWC.