Dolphin Encounter, photo by Brian Jewell
You may not figure the Bahamas to be a prominent faith-based travel destination. But pay a visit to one of these islands, and you’ll find Christianity woven through the public and private life of Bahamians in a refreshing way.
Unlike many of the countries of the West, the Bahamas are an officially Christian nation. Christianity is named as the country’s founding religion in the preamble to the constitution, and 20 Christian denominations have active churches throughout the country of 350,000 residents.
Faith isn’t just a formality here, but an intricate part of government and daily life. The public school system requires all students to take class in Christianity, and public officials reference their beliefs often. During a meet-and-greet session as part of our tour, Prime Minister Perry Christie told our group about the importance of faith in his government.
“I’m a prime minister who is known to quote sections of the Bible,” he told us. “I think about the challenges we have and that the Bible speaks to a particular philosophy of helping those who are down and being a light to them.”
www.bahamas.com
