Anglican Church supports passage of Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill

The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church, Internal Province of Ghana, at the weekend pledged support for passage of the Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer and their related activities (LGBTQI ) Bill currently before Parliament into law.

The Church, in a statement signed by the Most Reverend Dr Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, Metropolitan Archbishop, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Tema, said: “the support of the church for the Anti-LGBTQI Bill is borne out of the belief that the practice is unbiblical and ungodly”.

“We see LGBTQI as unrighteousness in the sight of God and therefore will do anything within our powers and mandate to ensure that the Bill comes into fruition,” the statement said.

It further stated that, aside Christianity, the Ghanaian tradition and culture did not permit such act, and explained that: “This is about morality today and that of the future generation yet unborn, and we as leaders must leave a legacy everyone will be proud of – Christ-like legacy of hope.”

The statement said: “The Anglican Church, Ghana, sees homosexual practice as an act condemned by scriptures both in the Old and New Testaments – Leviticus 20:13 clearly declares that a male lying with a fellow male is an abomination and punishable by death.”

“In the New Testament, Paul speaks of homosexuality as ‘contrary to sound doctrine’ as recorded in I Timothy 1:10 – for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.”

The statement noted that “the church does not condemn persons of homosexuality tendencies but absolutely condemn the sinful acts and activities they perform.”

The Church, therefore, appealed to its members and the public not to embark on any form of harassment, intimidation, or hostilities on individuals or groups associated with LGBTQI “but rather, see them as potential souls to be won for Christ.”

“We as a church assures that, we will gladly open our counselling and support centres for the needed transformation services required by these persons or groups,” it said.

It advocates for intense education on the Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 to avoid acts of emotionalism and sentimentality by members and the public.

“We will consistently urge our members and the public to join the church as it prays towards elimination of impediments towards the realisation of the bill,” the statement said.

The Anglican Church expressed optimism that Parliament will listen to the cry of the many anxious Ghanaians who want to see the bill passed into law.