Thinking Through The Homosexuality Debate

What are we to make of the current debate on homosexuality? Perhaps you have

felt this struggle at least briefly at an intellectual level. On one hand

you find it odd that someone’s personal life should be criminalized. On

another hand, you probably do not want to advocate for a law that will open

up the flood gates for a lifestyle that you have been nurtured to see as

going against the natural order.

Those advocating for the right of homosexuals to freely practise their

lifestyle are advancing arguments on grounds of human rights. Voices

(especially Christian ones) against this lifestyle are also taking a firm

stand and clarifying their beliefs about homosexuality. My objective in this

piece is not to propose which law should be enacted but to assess some of

the logic being used in thinking and arguing about this issue of

homosexuality and also shed some light on the Christian response.

Former Presidential Advisor on Reproductive Health, Professor Fred Torgbor

Sai, was quoted in the June 25, 2011 edition of the Daily Graphic as saying:

“My personal position on this practice is that, I wouldn’t practise it but

who am I to judge someone who does it? Especially as a doctor, I don’t know

whether there is a biological basis for it, a psychological basis for it, or

simply a person’s choice. I don’t know” The statement sounds noble. But a

few important questions spring to mind: Why wouldn’t Professor Sai practise

homosexuality? Is it just a matter of his preference? Is he conceding that

there is nothing objectively wrong with the practise? If yes, then why is he

personally against rather than indifferent to the practise of homosexuality?

There are clearly moral underpinnings to the professor’s stance.

It is deception to think we can wrestle the morality element of this issue

away from its legal aspect. You see, even when framing our laws we cannot

escape the fact that our decisions either come from the moral constructs in

our worldview – it may be one of an absolute morality or a relative

morality. And whichever perspective it is, needs to be defended in the

public square.

Absolute morality insists that if something is wrong for one person in a

certain circumstance then it is also wrong for everyone else in the same

circumstance; the moral wrongness or rightness of a thing is fixed and not

subject to people’s opinions or feelings. Relative morality, on the other

hand simply, says that “this may be right for you but wrong for me and I am

not going to impose my morality on you because I believe it is wrong and you

also have your own morality which is right for you.” The funny thing here is

that we end up doing the very thing we are claiming not to be doing –

imposing the view that it is objectively or absolutely wrong to impose our

relative morality on another. So while rejecting absolute moral values, we,

at the same time affirm it.

The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Professor

Emmanuel Martey was quoted in a Daily Graphic article (titled: *Homos are

filthy – Presby Moderator*) posted on myjoyonline.com, on June 21, 2011, as

saying that homosexuality is "unbiblical, unnatural and it is filthy." There

is the sense among some people that Christians in this country are being

intolerant by speaking out against homosexuality in these terms. Well, while

I concede that rhetoric such as describing homosexuals as struggling for

diapers with babies is essentially substituting mockery for refutation and

thus not appropriate for the debate, I contend that generally the Christian

voices have been consistent with and in the spirit of their religious

teachings on the subject of homosexuality. For instance, what is the

Christian to say to Ghanaians when he has read the reasoned defence of the

Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians in Rome that says that the

moral law of God is written on the hearts of all men and that men are guilty

when they live contrary to it?:

“Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal

power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in

the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all! They

know God, but they do not give him the honour that belongs to him, nor do

they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and

their empty minds are filled with darkness. They say they are wise, but they

are fools; instead of worshiping the immortal God, they worship images made

to look like mortals or birds or animals or reptiles.

“And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts

desire, and they do shameful things with each other. They exchange the truth

about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of

the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen.

“Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions. Even

the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts. In the

same way the men give up natural sexual relations with women and burn with

passion for each other. Men do shameful things with each other, and as a

result they bring upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their

wrongdoing.

“Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God,

he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that

they should not do.” – Romans 2:20-28 (GNB)

Further, in the Apostle’s letter to the church in Corinth he names

homosexuals as one category of people who will not inherit the kingdom of

heaven saying, “Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God's

Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols

or are adulterers or homosexual perverts or who steal or are greedy or are

drunkards or who slander others or are thieves – none of these will possess

God's Kingdom.” - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (GNB)

To a Christian the message cannot get any clearer. It is not one of the grey

areas in the faith. Homosexuality is condemned as sinful and a real

Christian cannot be true to his Lord and support or preach otherwise or even

tone down this teaching. Indeed to tell Christians to review their teachings

because of the rising phenomenon of homosexuality is in a way telling them

that their religious beliefs are now wrong, outdated and unacceptable

because it does not fit into modern ‘progressive’ Ghanaian society. As

heated as this debate presently is, it is presenting many of us in Ghana

with the opportunity to scrutinize the consistency and coherence of the

various worldviews we have held hitherto.

One thing must be clear, the Christian is under obligation to preach to and

persuade all men (homosexuals included) and women who are engaged in all the

forms of sins which the Bible so clearly talks about, to repent of their

sins and be reconciled to God. This is because the initial premise for the

gospel, which means good news, is that we have all missed the mark – we have

sinned against God – but in Jesus Christ, we can be saved from the power of

our sinful nature and God’s coming judgement on all sinners. I believe,

however, that for the Christian message to get through to people, it must be

conveyed with compassion and the desire to see them change because God loves

them and wants to save them from their sins rather than with hatred for

their very human existence. I conclude by stating that, in saying that

Christians are right in advocating (and should advocate) for their

convictions, I do not in any way encourage violence against one’s opponents.

We can oppose arguments while leaving the dignity of the opponent intact by

treating them with respect and gentleness.

By Robert G. Coleman, Accra

(E-mail: bobabs81@hotmail.com)