GOVERNMENT'S decision to grant licences for the operations of casinos in Jamaica yesterday provoked members of the religious community.

GARTH. it is a very sad day

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, making the announcement in his contribution to the 2008/09 budget debate in Parliament yesterday, said the economic benefits were enormous and that revenues from casino operations would be put in a special fund to finance health, education and security.

But president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals Rev Peter Garth and other members of the religious community were not amused.
"This is a very sad day for Jamaica. For a lot of persons it is victory, but for us it is a very sad day," Garth told the Observer in the wake of the announcement.

"We have always said that gambling, including casino gambling; is personally selfish, morally irresponsible and socially destructive. If they have given the green light we would be very disappointed and we would be disappointed because there is an active campaign for a fresh start and when you want to have a fresh start and you give the green light to something like that it throws a different light on calling people to values and attitudes and on calling the nation to look at our standards and our principles," Garth said.

"Whether it is JLP or PNP, we believe it is morally wrong. We are against it but we will continue to use moral suasion and continue to educate persons as to the ills of gambling on a whole," said Garth.

In the meantime, he dismissed the Government's argument that features of casino gambling had long been in Jamaica but for table games as 'gymnastics'.

Lord Bishop of the Anglican Church Rev Dr Alfred Reid yesterday said the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands remained 'averse to the idea'.

"Our position has not changed; the church still holds to its view that casino gambling is not in the best interest of our people," Reid said in a statement to the media.

The Diocese said it had publicly stated its anti-casino stance by Diocesan Bishops in Synod Charges and by resolutions passed by the Synod in 1984 and 2003.

The Jamaica Council of Churches, in a statement on the issue in February of this year ahead of the announcement by Golding, said it remained 'adamant in its opposition to gambling, whether it is casino or other forms'.

The Council said social evils such as fights and squabbles, increase in street violence, drug trafficking and the corruption of public officials often accompany gambling.

It also took umbrage at accusations that the church has remained silent about other forms of gambling, saying that "the Church has never failed to articulate the moral grounds on which it opposes gambling" and has consistently and unequivocally registered their opposition to gambling in all its forms from as far back as 1958 when it objected to the idea of introducing casino gambling facilities in tourist hotels and in subsequent times.

The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, addressing the issue of gambling in a statement on its official website, said it rejected gambling and would not solicit nor accept funding clearly derived from gambling.

"The idea that gambling operations can have a positive economic benefit is an illusion. In addition, gambling violates the Christian sense of responsibility for family, neighbours, the needy, and the Church," the statement said.

Furthermore, the organisation said it did not condone raffles or lotteries to raise funds and urged its members not to participate in any such activities, however well-intentioned.

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