The clergy from L to R: Rev. Nana Anyani Boadum, Apostle Dr. Opoku Onyina, Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe, Rt. Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey and Rt. Rev. Matthias Modedues-Badohu
Christian leaders are threatening to mobilize their congregations against politicians and political parties who defend homosexuality and lesbianism.
“We call on all Christians to vote against politicians who promote and support homosexuality,” the Christian and Pentecostal Councils of Ghana jointly issued the threats in Accra yesterday.
The debate about whether homosexuality and lesbianism should be legalized in Ghana is arousing public sentiments, particularly among the clergy, who are coming out strongly to condemn the act.
Even though Ghana is a secular state, the population of Christians far outweighs that of other religious groups combined as over 60 percent of the country’s population are said to belong to the Christian faith.
The threats from the Christian leaders must therefore be worrying to political parties and their interests.
At a well-attended news conference at the Christian Council Headquarters in Accra on Monday, Reverend Dr. Fred Deegbe, General Secretary of the council who read the statement, said, “We Ghanaians and for that matter Africans cherish our rich and strong values on issues such as homosexuality and we must not allow anyone or group of people to impose what is acceptable in their culture on us in the name of human rights.”
He said the Christian community, and for that matter all stakeholders, including the executive, legislature, judiciary, traditional authorities and social activists, should “resist the temptation of passing a law in favour of homosexuality.”
“The homosexual issue is becoming a problem as our youth always emulate the lifestyle of the Western world, whether good or bad. In Ghana, we have witnessed gay marriages and because these went unchecked, the homosexual community had even wanted to host a global conference on homosexuality. We as a Christian community in Ghana totally condemn this as an unnatural and ungodly act and call on all religious bodies and organizations, traditional leaders and all decent-loving Ghanaians to join this campaign.”
Flanked by other leading religious figures, Rev. Deegbe predicted doom for the country if “this detestable and abominable act is passed into law,” saying, “the passage of a law allowing the practice of homosexuality in the country will bring the wrath of God upon the nation and the consequences will be unbearable.”
He however cautioned against persecution and physical assault of people believed to be practicing homosexuality, saying, “The fact that we are condemning the act does not mean that people should take the law into their own hands by going to stone them or kill them.”
During question time, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rt. Rev. Professor Emmanuel Martey, said that the fact that the world had become a globalized village did not mean that the western world “can impose and overrun our cultural norms and values.”
He said homosexuality was a “spiritual disease” and those who indulged in it needed “spiritual cleansing.” He called for the intensification of campaigns against homosexuality.
Apostle Dr. Opoku Onyina, Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, said, “The leadership of the Christian community is not interested in prescribing what should be done, but rather helping to redeem those who indulge in the act.”
Rt. Rev. Matthias Modedues-Badohu, Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church and Bishop of Ho, said, “We speak against acts that go against the word of God. It is abnormal and not good. Our objective is to condemn it so that people will not get involved.”
Rev. Nana Anyani Boadum, General Overseer of Jesus Generation Sanctuary and Acting General-Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal Council, who moderated the press conference, said homosexuality was an abomination and should never be encouraged.
By William Yaw Owusu
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