Questioning Dr. Simeon Hall’s actions

Questioning Dr. Simeon Hall’s actions

Dr. Simeon Hall is a prominent pastor in the Bahamas and he is also a towering social activist. I am not a member of his church but I had the pleasure of attending a service when he pastored a few years back. I must say that I was not disappointed and he lived up to the billing of being a great preacher.

Bishop Hall has never been one to hide his views on a particular subject and though controversial at times, you can rest assured that he will stand by what he says. Bishop Hall has retired from his post as pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church and seems to have more time on his hands to speak about matters affecting the public.

He chastised the Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) for being homophobic after they set up a campaign to encourage Bahamians to vote no in the gambling referendum set for January 28^th, 2013. He said that there were a myriad of other issues that they should be focusing on. He did not do this privately as would have seemed the proper thing to do, but rather he had a press conference and basically brought the BCC to its knees. Bishop Hall was president of the BCC at least two times and for him to now openly criticize the council leaves many Bahamians, especially Christians perplexed.

Just recently, Hall was invited to hear firsthand the referendum questions by Prime Minister Perry Christie, a move to this day that for me is still inexplicable. Hall purports to be neutral, but this act certainly does not help his position.

Many might not agree with Hall’s actions so far on the gambling issue, but if you look at it from a Biblical perspective, he may not be in violation of God’s teachings. I have yet to see a pastor show any proof in the Bible where God said gambling was wrong.

Last week, Hall said that pastors need to stop demonizing gays and lesbians and that pastors who still practice this act may themselves have these tendencies.

His last criticism against pastors who say that gays and lesbians are not practicing God’s wishes to me is mind boggling. In a world today, where liberal views are being put in the forefront, I cannot support Hall’s disdain against pastors who see the need to preach Biblical facts whether it may be popular or not.

It would be ungodly of pastors if they said that a murderer was not committing a sin when we all know that this is in contravention of one of God’s 10 commandments. How is it then that when pastors speak about gays and lesbians activities being wrong, Hall wants to castigate them?

We must always love our brothers and sisters but I believe that we must not encourage acts that are sinful. Involvement in murderous acts and gay, lesbian, transsexual and bisexual activities in my view are sins in God’s eyes, no matter who says otherwise. Even heterosexuals who engage in sex before marriage are committing a sin, but the fact that this has widely been accepted as the norm does not make it right in God’s sight.

I call on the great reverend to use his influence not to down those who stand for God’s will, but to help keep our moral and Godly beliefs intact.

Dehavilland Moss