adminFilbert Ruwende Chronicle Reporter
THE gay storm recently brewed by Seventh Day Adventist world leaders asking their congregants to be compassionate towards gays has attracted the attention of mainline churches who are condemning the call.
Archbishop Alex Thomas of the Catholic Church said homosexuality was not a natural tendency and most churches which existed from the beginning of Christianity never approved it.
“The Catholic Church does not approve homosexuality. According to the catechism of the Catholic Church number 2357, tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law,” said Archbishop Thomas.
He said the catechism of the Catholic Church further states that homosexual acts close the sexual act to the gift of life. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
Brethren in Christ Church Bishop Danisa Ndlovu said homosexuality is a sin and it will not be accepted in their church.
“We are still based in the traditional beliefs of the church. Our view towards homosexuals has not changed and in future we will never change.
Homosexuals need to be prayed for so that they can change their ways. They need salvation. We are not going to accept them as members of the church,” said Bishop Ndlovu.
After the SDA storm, many people responded though Chronicle’s Facebook page giving their thoughts on the suggestion that the church’s vice president Ella Simmons made to the congregants at a sexuality workshop in South Africa last week.
Maureen Tlale said: “And let’s also says no to other groups of sinners in the church who most of the time sits up in church every church day trying to look respectable. I think all of us Mr Dhli, need God’s saving grace.”
Solomon Phiri Jacob posted: “As it was in the days of Lot . . . This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
Lovemore Fuyane posted: “But the question is, what exactly do you do about or to gay people then since we disagree with the practice. In fact what do you do to or about anyone at all that falls outside the faith, gay, Catholic, Moslem, ancestor worshipping, Bahai? Do you ostracise, hate and kill as the OT scriptures say? I think that really is the question in essence.”
“In my view I see a difference between a disagreement with a concept and intolerance towards the person, a clear distinction.”
Zvikomborero Kagwida Dhliwayo posted: “They started again; please stop them before they go far. I say no to homos and lesbians.”
Tisang Tiisetso Moyo said: “This is all the works of the devil to divide the church.”
Efforts to contact the head of the Zimbabwean congregation were fruitless as the president was said to be attending a meeting at Solusi University, an SDA university west of Bulawayo.
Grace Sibanda said: “There is nothing wrong with this lady’s idea. I’m not gay and won’t judge anyone but like she said they are our brothers needing saving grace, understand this. She is right, she did not say let’s join them or marry them in church but pray for them.”
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