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Former Presidential Advisor on Reproductive Health Professor Fred Torgbor Sai has added his voice to the controversial homosexuality debate in Ghana.
He believes religious leaders who are up in arms against homosexuality must examine themselves in relation to their religious teachings.
Reacting to recent comments by the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey who earlier this week described the practice as “unbiblical, un-African, abnormal and filthy,” Prof Sai challenged the basis of this assertion, saying it is inconsistent with biblical doctrines.
In an interaction with the media and health experts on Thursday, Prof. Sai said the tone of the Man of God upset him greatly.
He said “if I take Christianity which is my religion, in the Old Testament, God asked Moses to have a man stoned just because he went fetching firewood on the Sabath. Who will kill a man today for not going to church and going to fetch firewood… Christ says be tolerant; Love your neighbor as yourself so those commands of Christ need to be looked at in relation to how we feel about homosexuality.”
In his view, even if a married couple decides to have what is termed as unnatural sexual intercourse such as oral sex, they might be breaking the law if it is enforced strictly.
“Oral sex is a kind of unnatural sex because we see the bad results sometimes of Syphilis ulcers or even gonorrhea in the mouth so we know that people have been practicing oral sex. Are they going to be put before the law as practicing unnatural sex? What about using the finger? Are you going to put people before the law?” the experienced physician queried.
Under Ghanaian law, same-sex sexual activity is illegal. The Criminal Code of 1960 – Chapter 6, Sexual Offences Act, (Act 104) says “Whoever is guilty of unnatural carnal knowledge — (a) of any person without his consent, is guilty of first degree felony; (b) of any person with his consent, or of any animal, is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
Prof. Sai is therefore urging human rights lawyers to seek interpretation of the law in the Supreme Court and to challenge the law that is oft quoted as the basis for outlawing homosexuality in the country.
In a swift rebuttal, Rt Rev Professor Emmanuel Martey has reiterated his position on the issue stating that homosexuality is “unbiblical, unnatural and it is filthy.”
Speaking to Super Morning Show host, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah on Friday morning, Rt. Rev. Martey said it is “shameful” and “dangerous” for such a comment to come from a former presidential adviser, insisting that Prof. Sai’s position has the potential to destroy the moral fibre of society.
He said he is not against the individuals who commit the act but the act itself which can destroy the youth.
Rt. Rev. stated that he is not advocating that homosexuals be lynched but that it should not be justified with an interpretation of the Bible.
He indicated that the Presby Church and the Christian Council will jointly come out soon to condemn the action and all other forms of what he calls perversions such as fornication, adultery and bestiality.
“When good people keep quiet, evil people take over,” he said.
Rt. Rev. Martey explained that culture plays an important role in the interpretation of the Bible, stressing that if care is not taken the interpretation will be made to suit the preference of the people even if it may be wrong.
He said Ghana is not Europe and what is happening in churches across Europe should not be the basis for allowing such a practice in the country.
The Man of God said people can choose to practice homosexuality but they should not use the church or the Bible as the basis for their decision.
Story by Derick Romeo Adogla/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana
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