The argument on the LGBTQI rights has witnessed two opposing sides: those in favour and those against its endorsement. What informs each argument?
Unlike the Western world, whose stand on gay rights is informed directly by their values — a mostly atheistic society that believes there is no God, and, therefore, humans, being masters of themselves, must be allowed to live, act and do things as they feel – the Ghanaian community, on the other hand, is mostly theistic society. Our society has a culture that’s largely informed by its belief in the existence of God. However, there is a minority in the Ghanaian society that has registered their support for gay rights. What informs their support for gay rights? With the exception of those who argue from a legal perspective, it has been a matter of logic and empathy! I have followed the arguments closely and one line of argument is common with supporters of gay rights: the idea that gay people are humans and must be allowed to exercise their sexual preference.
There are those who also do not see the differences in what gay people are seeking to do and what their critics are already doing. For example, how is it that people who are living in sexual sin – fornication and adultery have openly castigated homosexuals for their sexual preferences? It may interest you to know that supporters of gay rights have interpreted this as hypocritical – that this group of people also lives in sin yet they point fingers at them. But the truth is that what they are seeking to pursue is not only sinful, but defies our very identity as image-bearers of God, so that a person who did not create himself believes he has the right to assume an identity that he desires.
Having said that, homosexuals lament the fact that they were born with such feelings and since they did not decide to feel the way they do, why then can they not be allowed to indulge their feelings. This is perhaps the part that gets many to empathise with them.
This brings me to a more crucial concern: If at all we have taken time to listen to homosexuals, how have we responded? For a person who believes he was created in a certain way and with certain feelings he did not particularly choose, is it enough to tell him it is not right to express his feelings? Maybe Perhaps, the manner in which the anti-gay community has registered their stand against the movement is what makes it look more like an act of hate rather than a condemnation. I wish to share two practical events I witnessed a couple of weeks ago: I listened to a religious leader on television who was asked to share his opinion on the subject of LGBTQI rights in Ghana.
Clearly, given his religious values it was not surprising that he took a stand against it. But I was surprised and disappointed at the tone with which he registered his displeasure. While he quoted some good texts that obviously vilified the act, his tone and choice of words were rather not “scriptural”. I believe that the way in which a message is delivered is as important as the message itself.
When Christ talked about rebuking a brother when he was wrong, He stated that we should do that in love because He knows admonishing the person is not the goal. The goal is to cause a change or redirect the person’s path and it is only love that has the power to do that. This is precisely my perspective: I believe we need to rethink the manner and tone with which we address this issue. If we are against it because God is, then we must do it God’s way. The way to
change a person’s heart has always been through love and that is God’s way. Finding God does not mean the feelings towards same-sex or any type of sin would not haunt you. It definitely will. But what becomes different is that this time, you recognise that God is greater than your feelings and you trust Him to help you overcome sin.
Indeed, we are in an era where the world believes everything can be redefined; A world that believes there are no “absolutes”; A world that has learned to justify everything; a world that believes there is no such thing as “evil”. This, however, is not the case. Ghana is a secular country made up of Christians, Muslims and traditional believers.
None of these sects accept lesbianism and gayism. And as a President once the people you rule abhor these things, equally you cannot accept these cultures on the grounds of human rights. I think that the President should be a strong leader with character and readiness to protect and defend the sanctity of his country.
Irrespective of our challenges, our nation remains paramount against any other foreign aim. Ghanaians must rise up to resist this with all our might. It is time yet again, to see our Civil Society groups, Pastors, Imams, etc to take their microphones to speak against this naturally and logically wicked agenda. Even in the animal kingdom opposite sex feeling is what is embraced.
The author, is a student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism Writer’s email: hakimrichard56 @gmail.com