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The Jamaican Homophobic Culture: PART III- The Role of the Jamaican Church.

PREACH TOLERANCE

"The Rev Dr Merrick 'Al' Miller, pastor of the Fellowship Taber-nacle in St Andrew, said that Jamaicans generally deem homo-sexuality wrong.... 'Homosexuality is wrong from every possible angle...It's immoral from a physical, social and spiritual standpoint...I have no problem in supporting and helping someone who sees that he is going the wrong way and wants help in changing his life, but where I draw the line is when you say that it is OK and want to force others to accept your abnormal behaviour'."

READ FULL STORY AT: Jamaica Gleaner News - Gay lobby rebuked - Church says won't accept homosexual lifestyle in Jamaica - Monday | February 18, 2008

I wonder what type of message the church sends when religious leaders can state that the homosexual behavior is “abnormal” or that the lifestyle can be “changed” with some form of intervention? These religious leaders have congregations who look up to them for guidance. It is very irresponsible for them to provide ammunition that people can use to feed their homophobic appetite. What about teaching tolerance instead of trying to change or stigmatize?

LEST NOT FORGET OUR HISTORY

Lest not forget our history: Back in the days of slavery our ancestors, the black African, on the plantation were ostracized and liken to cattle, they were considered “hewers of wood and drawers of water”. In many instances the supporters of slavery drew from that one verse Joshua 9:23 to legitimize the practice of slavery. Many religious leaders and others in our highly “religious country” do the same, they draw for their bible and quote relentlessly from Genesis 1 and 19 and Leviticus 18 and 20 -to name a few, in order to fuel the hate. How different are we from the supporters of the enslavement of the African people? For a people who have a history of being oppressed based on our differences we should be careful how we wield oppression upon others who are different.

HOMOPHOBIA HURTS

Many times the level of intolerance in Jamaica has led to people being physically and mentally harmed from the effects of being shunned, teased and hated by others. Homophobia breeds hatred and oppression. Religious leaders are supposed to love, tolerate and nurture all humanity. Let’s not overlook the Lord’s other instructions: in between Leviticus 18 and 20 is Leviticus 19 where verses 17 & 18 states: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him”; ”Thou shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but thou shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” and verse 34 : “But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God”.

Why these three verses are poignantly overlooked in favor of the others? I think those three verses were strategically placed to remind us that there will be some amongst us who are different, whose lifestyle does not fit into our interpretation of “normal”, they are like “strangers” but we should love them because they are the children of God, they are our “neighbors”, the bible tells us so.

If we can hate one group and find reasonable literature or research to explain why we hate them, then what is to stop us from doing that to other groups who are simply different like the mentally or physically handicapped, the mentally ill or people of different ethnic backgrounds?

Why should we be their judge? If what they are doing is so wrong, “an abomination” as many religious leaders say then please leave their judgment up to a higher power.


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