| As gay church arrives Nigeria, Christian, Muslim clerics declare:It's evil! • 'National Assembly must fight it' By JOSSY IDAM & PAUL OMO OBADAN Sunday, September 14, 2008
A welter of criticism has greeted the emergence of the first openly declared gay church in the country. Both Christian and Muslim clerics have not only condemned it, they equally dismissed it as evil. In very strong terms, therefore, they want the National Assembly to enact laws to stop what they describe as a festering sore from gaining roots and spreading. The Archdeacon of Oleh Diocese in Delta State, Ven. M.A.E Igri, in his reaction, said "the church is not biblical and out of tune with God's plan. God created man and woman to be married to themselves. The situation where a man will be married to a man is wrong and unacceptable." Coincidentally, while the Lagos debauchery was on, Anglican priests in Nigeria were holding an All-Anglican Clergy conference at Nsukka, Enugu State, where they spoke against gay marriages that is currently threatening the cohesion in the Church. Similarly, the National Missioner of the Ansar-u-deen Society of Nigeria, Abdurrahman Ahmad called on the National Assembly to legislate against homosexuality in Nigeria. Said he: "All people of conscience and people of faith must rise to fight this evil." Genesis For the first time in Nigeria, men who openly declared themselves as homosexuals gathered penultimate weekend at a church in Ojudu, a Lagos suburb. Under the auspices of a yet-to-be registered church - House of Rainbow Metropolitan Community Church - the men held a seminar and night vigil. The heavily guarded event paraded men who wore necklaces, rings, conducted themselves and spoke softly like women. Grand Irony Ironically, the homosexuals held the fiesta in the hall of United Bible University, Yakoyo Road, Ojudu, Lagos. The venue also serves as a place of worship for Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM). The event, Sunday Sun learnt, was championed by a lawyer and Theologian, Rev. Roland Babajide Macaulay. On the days of the event, a retinue of mean – looking, ill-tempered security men barred our reporter from entering the venue and meeting the men. However, when Sunday Sun revisited the place Wednesday evening, the hall, SARRMAC Auditorium, was being arranged for an evening worship by CPM. The church's minister distanced the CPM from it. "We have no connection with them whatsoever. We only hire this hall for service. We don't own it," he said. But he however, acknowledged hearing of the event. Unmasked As revealed by a plaque on the wall of the auditorium, the building was commissioned by the convener of the event, Rev. Roland Babajide Macaulay, on Saturday, November 10, 2001. Sunday Sun investigation reveals that the man is the son of the founder, president and director of studies of United Bible University, Rev. Dr. Augustus Olakunle Macaulay. When our reporter sought to speak with him, a female secretary of his said he was out of town. On his own Contacted on phone, Rev. Macaulay denied having any link with the event. "God forbid! I don't support any thing that's contrary to the teachings of the bible and God," he said, sounding shocked. Asked to comment on his son's glaring contradictory stance, he declined, saying, "I don't want to discuss that. All I can say is that the man is my son and he's over 40." Pressed for a proper interview, Rev. Dr. Augusts said he was at Owerri conducting a seminar, and from there he would head to Akwa Ibom and won't be back until end of the month. The United Bible University was established in 1994. The date is boldly emblazoned on its outer wall. To prove the top connection of the owner of the University, a new storey building - Moses Iloh Hall - was commissioned on Saturday June 17, 2006, by Hon. Oluyemi Cadoso, former Commissioner for Budget and Planning in Lagos State. The institution, according to a message on the wall of the new hall, aims to "develop moral Christian and ministerial education." Honours list A board in the University's SARRMAC Auditorium listed Mrs O.A. Adeboye as O.A. Adeboye as Appreciation Award and Best Award Winner, for 1980 to 1994. Those listed as Activity Award Winners include Mr. C.A. Sodipo, Lady Evang. C. Arinola Ogunye, Mr. A.O Adeneye, Evang. S.A. Aroyehun, Mrs. E. Doyin Mould-Olupitan, Evang. V.A. Akande, Mr A.O. Oduwole, and Mrs B.A. Sodipo. Other names on the list include Mrs M.O. Makanjuola, Mrs Bandele Jacobs, Mr. J. Babatunde Ebadan, O. Oduwole and Mr. Emmanuel B.O. Shobande. Homosexuality and HIV/AIDS In a recent survey, Integrated Biological and Behaviour Surveillance ranks homosexuals second to female sex workers, as the group with the highest figure of HIV/AIDS. In fact, the survey puts the prevalence rate among men who have sex with men (MSM) at 13.5 percent. Closet existence Sunday Sun learnt that the church, House of Rainbow Metropolitan Community Church has been existing in the closet since 2006. The church, according to a source, is affiliated to other metropolitan community churches in America and Europe. In a public statement, Rev. Roland Macaulay is quoted as saying that the church is "a mission and vision to transform hearts, lives and history and especially, to help people reconcile their sexuality and spirituality." Raging controversy The ordination of gays as priests in the Anglican Church has raised a lot of dust and it is threatening to splinter the Anglican Communion. The leaders of the church in America and Britain have conciliatory view on the matter. But African bishops are resolute on non-admittance and ordination of gays. Woe betide them At a week-long All-Anglican Clergy Conference which ended penultimate Friday at Nsukka, Enugu state, the issue reverberated. The Primate of All Nigeria Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Peter Jasper Akinola said that, "Anglican orthodox members of this church are poised to do the mission of the church and those who say that gay is their concern woe onto them." Crime and punishment A lawyer in Lagos, Mr Godwin Ewa took a critical look at the gathering of gays and described it as a fad in Europe and America being imported into the country. "Nigeria is a dumping ground for all manners of products and perverted ideas and lifestyle. From this development, it won't be long before we begin to hear of gay rights, same sex marriage and so on," he said. Lamenting that homosexuality is an infringement and a complete assault on the nation's core values, Ewa blamed it on the lax law and lenient punishment for offenders. The law classifies it as "unnatural offences" under Section 214 and "indecent practices between males" under Section 217 of the Criminal Code," he said. According to him, the Criminal Code criminalizes homosexual, gay marriages, lesbianism and sodomy. When an offender is convicted, he or she could be jailed for up to 14 years. |
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7 comments:
I thought among Nigerians there aren't gays (according to what Nigerians say :)
Do you have respect for gays?That is respecting their being and been.That is the important thing.
Charles
“Both Christian and Muslim clerics have not only condemned it, they equally dismissed it as evil.” I can understand the condemnation. But dismissing it suggests their level of understanding. It should be noted that at some point in the annals of what we now call Christianity or Islamism, our forefathers not only condemned and dismissed it but fought against it.
“Similarly, the National Missioner of the Ansar-u-deen Society of Nigeria, Abdurrahman Ahmad called on the National Assembly to legislate against homosexuality in Nigeria. Said he: ""All people of conscience and people of faith must rise to fight this evil."
Does it make sense for us to fight against it? Have we defined what victory amounts to? Or do we just start one of those undefined wars that will be left for generations to come? Or even worse, a war we may end up loosing?
“Anglican priests in Nigeria were holding an All-Anglican Clergy conference at Nsukka, Enugu State, where they spoke against gay marriages that is currently threatening the cohesion in the Church.”
My opinion is that the Anglican Bishops should look for another communiqué to issue. Gay and lesbianism is not the real threat. The real threat is the inability of the Bishops to use tomorrow’s binoculars to see the events of today against the backdrop of yesterday.
"I don't want to discuss that. All I can say is that the man is my son and he's over 40." Rev. Dr. Augustus Olakunle Macaulay.
And his point? Salvation, worship and association are personal decisions.
“In a recent survey, Integrated Biological and Behaviour Surveillance ranks homosexuals second to female sex workers, as the group with the highest figure of HIV/AIDS.”
Don’t you think that this is better way to fight this? Leaving it to higher powers?
“The ordination of gays as priests in the Anglican Church has raised a lot of dust and it is threatening to splinter the Anglican Communion. The leaders of the church in America and Britain have conciliatory view on the matter. But African bishops are resolute on non-admittance and ordination of gays.”
Are we repeating the same mistake we made that still puts us in the third world category? While America and Britain were busying themselves in exploration, we were looking for each others head in territorial expansion etc. African Bishops should rethink their stand. After all, Islamism and Christianity took root in other places before Africa. Now these places are approaching this issue from a perspective different from ours. It is not always a good thing to be more catholic than the pope. That was how we got here in the first instance.
"Anglican orthodox members of this church are poised to do the mission of the church” Evangelization or fight against gays and lesbians?
“… those who say that gay is their concern woe onto them."
When the Christians woe them into condemnation, Satan will salvage them into eternity.
“….a fad in Europe and America being imported into the country. "Nigeria is a dumping ground for all manners of products and perverted ideas and lifestyle. From this development, it won't be long before we begin to hear of gay rights, same sex marriage and so on," he said.” That is what happens with dumping grounds. The good, the bad and the evil gets dumped. You have to be ductile enough to absorb the shock and sieve through the rubbish to make the best out of the dump.
Lamenting that homosexuality is an “infringement and a complete assault on the nation's core values” Which core values are being infringed and assaulted? Human reproduction is still predominantly through the relationship between Adam and Eve.
The law classifies it as "unnatural offences" under Section 214 and "indecent practices between males" under Section 217 of the Criminal Code," …..
When an offender is convicted, he or she could be jailed for up to 14 years.” Somebody help me here. Which law are the clerics clamoring for? Are they just making noise like empty barrels? Or are they asking for a repeal of the existing one?
My point here is that this has come to stay with us. In a competitive world of natural selection, the stronger species will prevail. Let the Bishops and Clerics concern themselves with an objective interpretation of their religious teachings. Let the homosexuals concern themselves with their abnormal practices. The better of the two will prevail. Any attempt to declare war on homosexuality will be doing it a great service. Remember, no publicity is negative; misery attract company.
Has anyone ever wondered what Jesus Christ was trying to imply in the
The Parable of
The Wheat and the Weeds
Matt 13:24-30; 36-43
Cornel Ani
(USA)
I respect their BEING (Creation of God). I dont respect their BEEN (existence as gay). They were not created GAY by God. They are are trying to Recreate what has created. Acting God is what I dont respect.
Chief Cyril Onyemaechi Oleh
Abuja - Nigeria
I admire this Nigerian church "coming out". In a homofobic society, homosexuals are not accepted, still also homosexuals believe in God and know to be part of his Kingdom. God loves all creatures no matter who they are or what they do. So , how can a man or a woman dare to say that he/she despices a person because of his or her being or been,
Is that person better than God?.
Homosexuality has always existed and homosexuals have the right to worship God openly.
Why don't people start worrying about more serius things like, for example,pedophily perpetrated by "honorable" men or rape in families, (which are very common all over the world) when fathers rape they own daughters: isn't this a real abomination instead.
I wish I will get time to take a shot on this topic. It is one of those topics that one has to partake in with utmost caution! The reason being that at this moment we have no idea who is gay/lesbian in Nigeria. From the experiences we have in reading and studying the literature of the group, there is much to be careful about writing about them in a society like Nigeria where they have no voice, and are not visible; where they are still in the closets. It is only comparable to what Nigerians Call "Osu" or the Osus in Nigeria--especially , in Igbo land. I personally do not have anything against the Osu people because their own case is quite a pathetic one. Societies have always maltreated groups that could not forcefully defend themselves. Even in Nigeria--there was a time when just being a member of the Church Missionary Society--sets one out as a tabooed individual. Thank God, we are getting over that now.
But the gay issue is the most intriguing to me -- to say the least. When I was an undergraduate student at the world famous university of California, at Berkeley, years ago, I tried so much to unravel the core of the idea of gay-ism, but was not able. They had an office at the university where they say that they will answer any question anyone puts on them regarding this life-style; but when some of us went there to dialog with them, they never gave any straight-forward answer. They kept making circular arguments that always defeat the explanations they claim to be giving. For example, I posed a question to one of their chiefs as follows: Sir, "if you guys say that your behaviors are natural; why then is it that a lesbian tries to act like a man and your men try to act like a woman?'. They were not able to satisfy me with any logical answer to that question. There were many other questions I posed on them they did not give me satisfactory answers. Since then, I have not been able to reconcile the life-style's calms to any epistemological foundation-- to say the least.
When it comes to whether they would be out-lawed, one now has to reflect deeply on that. If these people are Nigerians--would serve in the Nigerian armed forces and perhaps play by the rules of Nigeria--why would other citizens feel to have the right to out-law them? Besides, they are already living and functioning in Nigerian, but just in the closets; what will be better for the society at large? To allow them to surface and be known or to suppress them, so that, we do not know who they are? I think the former is more compelling argument. But who am I to say? The issue is not, and will never be a child's play. We are facing an upheaval that will challenge the conscience of people who think in Nigeria. I see the issue as one of moral dilemma. With that, let me run back to the books.
Jerry
Greetings,
The Lord who created heaven and earth declared to us that evil entered the world at some point. That evil is spearheaded by the devil that we also call Satan. As long as Satan exists, evil exists in different forms and it will stop at nothing to destroy what God has created while God himself gives us the free will to accept it or denounce it.
For many, the difference between good and evil is as clear as night and day, but for others, it is not so simple. The reasons are varied. For some, it is a result of their rearing. Environmental influences, social and/or economic (socioeconomic) factors, peer pressure, early childhood sexual abuse by male of females of the same or opposite sex by brothers, sisters, priests, the village perverts, and their teachers, psychological or emotional exposures, and the most shocking of all, their sexual predisposition emanating from their mother's welfare during pregnancy. It has been said that if a mother carrying a male child, suffers a certain amount of stress during pregnancy, the child can have more female hormones that will make him act like a female which will attract some of the other psychos (excuse me, I mean other mentally ill) men who are attracted to men who act like females and vice versa. Females are no exception. Some tomboys are good examples.
This mental imbalance may make the individual think that since he is acting like a girl, he must be made (created) to be with men or so the devil tells him anyway, in his head.
But as stewards of Christ, what we can do is persuade them to seek treatment while we pray fervently for them. If we are related to them or are close to them and can afford to help pay for their psychological evaluation and treatment, we should do so.
It is not enough to denounce the act but as children of God, we have to help them because "they know not what they are doing". They get so blinded by this act that some of them are willing to die or give up whatever is valuable to them to prove their point. Demon possessed people hardly know they are possessed. It usually takes people to point it out to the sufferer. They may know that something is wrong but the devil in their minds constantly tells them that wrong is right and right is wrong. It is unfortunate indeed.
Nigeria is a country full of different forms of evil. I am surprised that it stayed underground for so long in that country and now that "coming out of the closet" is a fad in US, it has finally surfaced. A spiritual war is going on and Nigeria needs to fight back to suppress it. You may need Nigerian army, navy and marine to stop it. The gay force is stronger than you think and will pervade every aspect of that society if taken lightly. It is one gay church now. If not quenched, by next year, you will have seven gay churches even gay education in your classrooms. It has gone out of control here in the US because they allowed freedom of expression and sexual practice and rights. All forms of it are about to start in Naija if not controlled. There may be gay matches on your streets, gay parades, and gay nightclubs with trans sexual and trans gender performances with men wearing lipsticks and dresses. If not quenched, you are about to have gay governors, and gay men leaving their wives and children to move in with other men, you may have gay men who openly work as prostitute in the day or night for money considering the poverty level in Naija. You are about to witness young men loosing their girlfriends to other females and vice versa if you allow this evil.
Did someone say that one out of every 3 people in Nigeria has AIDS? Right or wrong, this perverse behavior is about to make it true. Death rate of women who do not have the right to question their husbands regarding their whereabouts is about to rise as more diseases and infections are about to be on the rise. Women are naturally receptors. Whatever a man brings along on his didis or coolitos, which is usually not thoroughly disinfected, grows at an alarming rate when in the warm, moist environment of the female (chichis) organ. It can also kill her almost as fast if untreated. Some are not treatable. The untreatable ones, desguise themselves by being quiet or silent (meaning, it grows and grows in her without symtoms) until it becomes very infectious and then pow, it spreads like wildfire when transmitted. When a bisexual man gives AIDS to a woman who becomes bitter enough to pass it on to another married man, gay or not, he takes it home to his wife and the innocent village girl who is enticed with gifts and money she needs to support her mother and siblings. Now do the math. How many did the gay guy really kill? Answer: the protitute or Lagos girl, the village girl and her entire family because they all eat and drink from the same unwashed cups, cut and shave with the same blade, sleep on the same mat, poop in the same shallow toilet etc. You get the picture.
In summary, AIDS and STDs follow gays and gayism kills not one, but multitudes. Heterosexual, closet gay men, are the biggest killers of women. They look good, they are usually very clean shaven, eloquent, very handsome, dress to the "t", and are usually very rich and can buy sex anywhere. Yes, the devil knows how to look good too. Therefore, even with your radar up, they are highly undectectable. A dead give away however, is that they shy away from intimacy or romance with girls. They want to hit and run. Naija women say their men are usually unromantic and so settle for these hit and runs as is the norm. But if the women are patient, you can sniff them out by paying attention to their associations. Apply the "if it smells like a rat, its a rat" theory.
I hear they are about to construct a truck stop at Umunede or close to it. There are prostitutes there already, now there will be gay ones too. Naija, get out now or start killing yourselves gradually by tolerating them and the behavior.
My prediction is that the closet gays will be silent while the fire rages on because they do not want to burn in hell alone. Besides, they need people to help them satisfy their urges. It will be wrong for the straight people to sit back and watch or just talk. Have a good one.
There are a bunch of different "clubs" in Naija. Is there a gay one yet?
Mrs. P. Nwaru
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