A Look At Issue Of Homosexuality Religion Essays

A Look At Issue Of Homosexuality Religion Essays A Look At Issue Of Homosexuality Religion Essay A Look At Issue Of Homosexuality Religion Essay The response of the church to the issue of homosexualism is debatable ; it is so because homosexualism now has become so apparent and conspicuous. It is flooring how people are coming out in the unfastened as being homosexual and how it is being discussed openly and even receives sympathy from some quarters in the church. The obvious fact is that it can no longer be ignored. In this paper I will discourse how the church in Africa should react to this job. Analysis OF CONTROVERSY Homosexuality is a legal offense in most African states, although in recent old ages there are efforts to legalise it in some states, but it is legal in most American provinces. This is why it is a contention to the Anglican Communion which is universe broad. The definition of homosexualism harmonizing to Woods Jr ( 1968, p.135 ) the word homophile can be used to mention to assorted elusive steps of titillating attractive force or engagement between members of the same sex. The moralist would disregard moral expostulations on homosexualism establishing on natural jurisprudence, which they say natural jurisprudence assumes that the construction of male and female genitalias determine their map sexually. The early church besides criticized same sex patterns, for illustration Gagnon ( 2001, p.163 ) puts it really good that Jews, like Greek and Roman critics of Homosexuality, rejected it on the land that it was against nature, that is apart from the fact that the jurisprudence forbade same-sex intercourse. He says there are four grounds why merely intercourse between male and female was considered to be in conformity with nature. The first he says is that there is no reproduction in Homosexual intercourse and the 2nd ground is that it is an insult to how God designed the male and female variety meats. The 3rd ground is that there is no natural titillating passion in Homosexual sex says Gagnon and the last he says is that non even animate beings pattern Ho mosexual intercourse. But some bookmans would reason that apart from reproduction intents, sex serves a figure of maps. Harmonizing to Woods Jr. ( 1968 ) the judgement that sex is merely for reproduction is every bit limited to an agricultural, low-population economic system as the judgement that pearl are valuable is to a consumer economic system. The Lambeth conference declaration figure 1.10 of 1998 provinces that in position of the instruction of Bible, that matrimony should be between a adult male and a adult female in a life long brotherhood, it recognized that there were individuals who experienced themselves as holding a homosexual orientation. Some of these people are church members and hence necessitate pastoral attention, moral way and God s transforming power. The declaration was to listen to the experience of the homosexual individuals and guarantee them that God loves them. Although they called for the ministry of the pastoral attention to all irrespective of sexual orientation, the declaration did non rede the legitimizing or approval of the same sex brotherhood nor enacting those in same gender brotherhood. Some would reason that in the Bible it is non clear what they meant by homosexualism. For illustration Bishop David Russell in his foliage Lashkar-e-Taiba ( page 3 ) wrote that the Biblical authors neer of all time contemplated the sort of homosexual that we are contemplating today, the Partnerships we are seeking to hold affirmed in our clip. I do non hold with him and others who think in these lines because the Bible is really clear on homosexualism. In Leviticus 20:13, it is really clear that a adult male who has sexual dealingss with another adult male, both should be put to decease because they have done abhorrent thing. The other text, which condemns homosexualism in the New Testament, is Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. it is hence really clear that homosexualism is condemned in the Bible. If the homophile of the Bible ( Leviticus 20:13 ) is same as the homophile of today, so homosexualism is an ancient signifier of sexual perversion. Those who seem to back up homosexual argue that we are all iniquitous, and we have God who is love, who loves boundlessly. They even give the illustration of the adult female caught in criminal conversation ( John 8 ) The nazarene heals are and blessed her. They say this should be our attack to the whole job in African Communion. The latest response refering homosexualism was in the article, which appeared in the Post Newspaper of July 12, 2010, where the Church of England blocked the assignment of a cheery reverend ( Jeffrey John ) to the station of Bishop. This issue brought the progressives and conservativists at dunces, and could hold perchance affect Arch Bishop Rowan William base. It is the 2nd clip John is being rejected to be consecrated Bishop, on the land of being homosexual. Williams said he was non traveling to let himself to be pressured into back uping anyone. Harmonizing to Reuter as quoted in the station ( ibid ) Williams has ever attempted to set a halt to the infighting over the issue of homosexualism in the Anglican Communion and last month he warned those member churches, which approves them or actively oppose them that they will be sidelined from official doctrinal commissions. RESPONSE OF CHURCH IN AFRICA The church in Africa does non hold one voice on homosexualism. It is divided into three cantonments. There are those who support homosexualism, for illustration South Africa. There are those who are impersonal, they neither support or condemn for illustration Zambia, Zimbabwe, and others are those who condemn for illustration Nigeria and Kenya The state of the church of Central Africa that is Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi stand is that those individuals who pattern homosexualism are non puting a good illustration of what Bible Teach and those bishops who knowingly ordain them act contrary to the Bibles and instruction of the church. They say it is the duty of the church to take those who deviate from the right instruction of Bible to repentance, and to guarantee them of God s forgiveness, hope and self-respect. I agree with this statement because it is non all who are in homosexual patterns, who are making because they want to, but some claim to be born homophiles and they need to be helped. This people have to be brought out and helped, harmonizing to Jacques ( 1976, p.114 ) the danger of repression is non that it stops people practising their secret lecherousnesss and perversions but that it prevents them from admiting them. So the best manner for the church to cover with homosexualism is to acknowledge that homophiles are at that place and they need to be helped. As for our state Zambia the job is non a local one but a Communion one. What I mean is that we do non hold a homosexual job as the Anglican Church in Zambia at the minute ; we are involved because our church is a world-wide church and what of all time affects philosophy in one country affects all. Nevertheless people in Zambia have commented on this issue, for illustration when Robbinson was consecrated Bishop, the Bishop of Central Diocese Bishop Kamukwamba commented on 12th December,2003 in an interview in Lusaka, the article that appeared on the website Anglican Evangelical Ministries, that the Bishops in Zambia were against the act because it is non scriptural and was unchristian. He said the Anglican Church will non tie in itself or back up homosexuals. He said, nevertheless ties with Anglican churches that tried to defy the ordination will be maintained. He said we should back up and pray for others to defy farther enticements. Another remark came from Bishop Mumbi of Luapula D iocese, merely late, in his capacity as Zambia Anglican Council Chairman stated as quoted in The Church of England Newspaper ( 2010 ) that although the West is advancing homosexual life style it is against Christian belief and African values. He says our traditional morality as Zambians have received dual assault from force per unit area of the West and from rapid dislocation of society due to urbanisation. From the above remarks from the two bishops we can see that the church in Zambia does non back up homosexualism, but at the same clip wants to stay in Communion with those who pattern and support homosexualism. What they believe in is what the bible or scripture Teach on matrimony, for illustration, ( Genesis 1 A ; 2 ) which states that God intended Man to be married to a Woman. So following the Genesis agreement, those who marry from same sex are evidently transgressing. Christianity besides teaches us non to look down or discriminate evildoers, this is shown by Jesus s illustration with the adult female caught in criminal conversation ( John 8 ) he did non reprobate or know apart her and Jesus went to eat with the revenue enhancement aggregator and evildoers ( Matthew 9:9f ) . Peoples should non be left in their Acts of the Apostless of wrongdoing ; they should be helped because people who live in wickedness will be punished. The illustration is ( Genesis 18:20 ) God punished the metropolis of Gomorrah and Sodom for the same patterns like homosexualism, so people should be helped to forbear from such patterns and prayed for as bishop Kamukwamba above suggested. Christian religion should be a faith which should demo an illustration of good ethical motives, at the same clip love and peace should be proclaimed to every individual regardless of their gender. The church is the school for evildoers and no 1 should be discriminated. Decision The issue of homosexualism has been with us for clip immemorial, and it will stay with us every bit long as people continue to be. But as the church we should near it with cautiousness, with understanding and audience so that we may accomplish our end as people who are geared to convey about the land of God. God accepts each one of us as we are, so we should accept each other as we are. So as the Anglican Church and the Arch bishop Williams are looking for the manner out of this issue, which is endangering to split the church, they should encompass and co-exist with the people with homosexual job in order to assist them.