Malawi Churches reiterate on anti-gay move, bash UK same sex demands
In a statement made available to the press and signed by the Council’s board chairperson Bishop Joseph Bvumbwe and general secretary Rev. Dr. Osborne Joda-Mbewe, the churches fully and strongly calls against legalizing homosexuality because the practice is a defined contradiction with the teachings of the Lord; a threat to the family unit which was institutionalized by God; and a contradiction to Malawi’s rich traditions and culture.
“We wish to call on all stakeholders to the Scripture:- Leviticus 20:13; “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable,” and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT); “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?” reads the statement.
On Monday the local Daily Timesquoted Britain’s International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell through his spokesperson saying in UK’s The Daily Mail of Sunday that: ‘Poor African countries including Malawi must abandon their rigidity against same sex marriages as a condition for receiving British.’
“The British Government said it had cut aid of about 19 million pounds (MK4.8 billion) to Malawi because of government’s position regarding homosexuality particularly the conviction and sentencing of gay couple Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza,” specifically said Britain, in reference to Malawi.
The Council’s statement, further urges all Christians, Malawians at large and all stakeholders is to take part and convince upon proponents of homosexuality to exercise reasonableness in calling for cultures that will only alienate the general citizenry. The Council understands and believes that Malawi needs aid, and therefore asks that homosexuality should not be used as a benchmark to penalize and put to risk the lives of millions of innocent Malawians.
“We therefore call upon all donor partners to reconsider their demands for poor African countries, including Malawi, to embrace homosexuality as one of the tenets to accessing the much needed aid, and pray that development partners refrain from using aid to enforce negative lifestyles in poor countries,” said MCC.
The Council also said it therefore wishes to categorically state that the Christian Church, in line with the revealed Scripture, advises that homosexuality should not be made legal in Malawi.
“This is an alien and immoral culture that denigrates human dignity, contradictory to God’s teaching – and in itself, a human rights violation where poor people are denied an opportunity to realize their full potential,” reads the statement issued today.
Source: Simbani Media