The Head Pastor of Mount Herob Victorious Church Rev. Benjamin Oppong has stated that our leaders should let common sense work on the issue of LGBTQI+ activities.
The man of God contends that LGBTQ activities are against the tradition, norms, and customs of Ghanaians and also against God’s will for mankind.
Speaking on Plan BbFM’s late afternoon show EBAANOSEN hosted by Ohene Kinnah, Rev. Oppong explained that,
“We should wait until the bill gets to the president’s office if he will assent to it or not but it will not be a surprise if the president does not assent to the bill and make it a law”
He stressed that, Western countries are trying to impose these abominable acts on Africans forgetting that there are customs and traditions in Africa.
“Because they know that most African countries depend on these Western countries for their survival they will do everything in their power to impose it on us. But if African leaders could be diligent in their leadership and make good use of the natural resources, no Western country can dictate for Africa, he added.
He emphasized that those talking about human rights should know that LGBTQI+ is not a right but rather an abominable act that could wreck humans and the entire country.
Meanwhile, it emerged from credible sources that some advocates of LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana have allegedly attempted to sway the interpretation of scriptures condemning homosexuality through the Bible Society of Ghana, however, were unsuccessful.
The Bible Society of Ghana is an organization that translates the bible into different Ghanaian languages and publishes and distributes bibles at subsidized prices.
The advocates seek to influence changes to scriptures that strongly condemn LGBTQ activities.
There have been strong theological conspiracy theories globally as part of an attempt for the church to take a more inclusive approach towards gender and sexuality.
For instance, a documentary film titled ‘1946’ claims that translators of the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible incorrectly inserted the word ‘homosexuals’ into a New Testament passage in 1946,”.
Despite subsequent corrections by the RSV translators in 1971, the film suggests that this error had lasting repercussions, influencing subsequent English translations and contributing to the mistreatment of the LGBTQ community for decades.
In October 2018, four bishops from the Anglican Diocese of Oxford published guidance designed “to advise local clergy and congregations to support LGBTQ+ people and their families and to learn from the insights of LGTBQ+ people about being church together.
The Vatican announced in December last year in a landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis that Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies.
The Vatican said such blessings would not legitimize irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all.
However, the synthesis of responses by African Episcopal Conferences, endorsed by His Holiness Pope Francis and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, reveals a unified stance against blessings for same-sex couples.
The Episcopal Conferences reaffirm their commitment to the Successor of Peter and the Gospel, emphasizing that the Church’s doctrine on marriage remains unchanged.
They reject liturgical blessings for same-sex couples, rooted in the Sacred Scriptures and upheld by the universal Magisterium of the Church.
Ghana’s parliament on Wednesday passed legislation that strengthens penalties against LGBTQ individuals and those advocating for non-conventional sexual or gender identities in the country.
The bill introduces a prison sentence of up to five years for promoting LGBTQ activities, in addition to the existing punishment for gay sex.
Sponsored by a coalition of Christian, Muslim, and traditional Ghanaian leaders, the bill will now be presented to President Akufo-Addo, who has seven days to decide whether to assent or refuse.
The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has urged President Akufo Addo to grant assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill passed by Ghana’s Parliament, stating: “This is the earnest expectation of most Ghanaians.”
In their statement issued Friday, March 1, 2024, signed by Apostle Immanuel N. O Tetteh, General Secretary, GPCC expressed gratitude for the bill’s passage and congratulated the private sponsors and supporters, noting: “They have supported the passage of this Bill through the arduous journey spanning almost three (3) years.”
However, the Big 18 ” and Human Rights Coalition have urged President Akufo Addo not to assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021.
They argue that “the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill violates key fundamental human rights provisions in Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. In one swoop, this Bill seeks to infringe on, among others, the rights to dignity, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom to partake in processions, academic freedom, equality, and non-discrimination”.
President Akufo Addo in February 2021 assured that legalizing LGBTQ activities would never happen under his presidency.
“I have said it before, and let me stress it again, that it will not be under the Presidency of Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo that same-sex marriage will be legal” the President stated during the 2nd Archbishop of the Anglican Church held in Asante Mampong.
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