The LGBTQ+ activists and those who assume such people should be granted rights, more often than not would like religion to be negated from any discussion or debate concerning this anti-life agenda.
In some cases, the activists and those who think they have rights would quote from Sacred Scriptures in attempts to assure us that God is after all behind these unnatural acts. One could hear quotations from the prophets and other books that same sex relations were not among the reasons God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Why they choose to deceive themselves while the answer lies in the accounts of the events in Genesis 19, may either be out of mischief or ignorance. Two angels were accommodated by Lot when they arrived in town in the evening. From verse 4, we are told that all the men of Sodom surrounded Lot’s house and demanded he released the male visitors so that they can have sex with them. The angels struck the homosexuals, blind.
Then again, our LGBTQ+ insist that no where in the Bible did Jesus condemn their activities. In Matthew 5: 17, Jesus said it all when He said He never came to abolish the Law but rather came to fulfil it. And the law is against LGBTQ+ and other sins.
Now another way out to use Sacred Scriptures to support LGBTQ+ activities is to say that since God created all in His image and likeness, we must respect the rights of the LGBTQ+.
Genesis 1: 27 is quoted here to promote what God saw as evil. Before I attempt to explain what that verse means, may I be allowed to express how confused I am about this bit about God’s image and LGBTQ+?
In the first place, it was not man who made laws which frown on LGBTQ+, it was God. He made these laws among many which can be found in all religions and traditions. God made laws against murderers, robbers and liars among many others. In some of these laws, the transgressors faced the death penalty. It might interest readers to note that just as to God, the murderer must face death, those who commit incest, bestiality and same sex are to be killed. Why God ranked sexual immorality among sins (crimes) that must be punishable by death can only be assumed. Sex is a sacred gift of God to man. God loves man and gave him that gift so that it should be used properly for procreation.
Whenever sex is abused, that is not conducted in the way God wants it to be, the consequences may be grave. The story of Onan in Genesis 38:8-10. God immediately slayed him for deliberately spilling his semen.
The desire to use sex as a means to achieve self-gratification is offensive to God and this is the reason, I assume that, He descends heavily on such offenders. We have the story of Samson in Judges 16; David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11 and Solomon 1 Kings 11. We all see the consequences of sexual immoralities and how God dealt with the offenders.
Jesus Christ goes on further to warn us about sexual immorality. He said in St Matthew 5: 27-28 that adultery which is punishable by death as stated in Leviticus 20:10 is not only the act but the very thought of it offends God.
That is why 1 Corinthians 6:18 must be taken seriously. God does not deal lightly with anyone who violates His laws on sex and sexual immorality.
Now back to this thing about God creating man in His own image so we need not condemn LGBTQ+. And those who use this as a caveat, have gotten it all wrong.
When we talk about been created in the image and likeness of God, we are using a theological term which applies uniquely to humans and which denoted the symbolical relation between God and humanity. To say that humans are in the image of God is to recognise the special qualities of human nature which allow God to be made manifest in humans.God created us in His own Image, according to His Likeness, to express Himself through us.
Now to say that the creation of man in God’s image and likeness should allow man to flout God’s laws against LGBTQ+ is a bias statement even as it is grounded in fallacy. When God created man, He made laws which He expects man to abide by. Who are we to decide which ones to accept and which laws to overlook for human rights sake? God made laws against armed robbery, murder, lying and all others including sexual immorality which the LGBTQ+ choose to ignore. If we are been told not to judge LGBTQ+ then why should we judge kleptomaniacs, robbers, liars, murderers and all others who when proven in court to have committed any of these offences, they are separated from us by serving jail sentences or even executed? Why should we pick and choose which of God’s laws to accept and which ones to disregard? Who can come out to say God made a mistake in criminalising sexual immorality but notall other crimes? We must be careful how we play God.
With such recent comments by Hon Ken Ofori-Atta on this matter of LGBTQ+ created in God’s image, and so they must not be condemned or judged, one may rightly or wrongly assume that with his position as finance minister, he does not want to ruffle the feathers of the Western partners so that when ever he goes for assistance, they will promptly give him.
He must be aware that not speaking out boldly against sin, is an act of sin itself. The story of the Emperor’s New Cloth, revealed how for fear every subject cheered on and praised the wonderful robe the emperor had on, when in fact he was parading naked in public, only in his underwear. It took a small boywho was totally dependant on his parents for everything, someone who contributed nothing to society, who was bold enough to point out that the emperor was naked.
We can tell and must tell the West the truth about LGBTQ+ and how they offend God, just as the robbers, the murderers and what-nots who are also created in God’s image and likeness but are judged and condemned for wrong doings.
