A Christian denomination with congregations in St. Vincent and the Grenadines has passed with unanimous support a resolution opposing same-sex marriages.
At a meeting in St. Vincent last week, the Evangelical Church of the West Indies, which has 52 churches across the eastern Caribbean, also declared its facilities off limits for the conduct of same-sex marriages and said it will discipline any of its minister who perform such ceremonies.
“… the Evangelical church in each of its constituencies believe and adhere to God’s divine fiat concerning marriage as being between and man and a woman,” the church says in the resolution passed at its Biennial Regional General Council.
The church, which also has congregations in New York, Canada, and French Guyana, said it believes that there is “a devilish plan and deliberate actions to subvert and change God’s declared principles of ‘a man and a woman’ to ‘two persons’”.
“We know that any such subversion or change is detrimental, destructive and diabolic,” the church said, adding that it rejects totally and unequivocally any such subversion or change.
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The church further resolved that none of its ministers or pastors will perform, encourage, or support any such “marriages so called, nor will we allow any of our churches or buildings or premises be used for the same.
“Further, … any of our ministers or pastors who so acts, will be disciplined and we will seek to have his marriage license revolved…”
The church said it believes “the grace of Jehovah God provided by the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ is available and is able to bring salvation and transformation to any such person of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community or any one who practices any form of homosexuality and any other perversion of biblically unacceptable sexual lifestyle.
“We therefore resolve to treat such persons with love, compassion and make every effort to extend the Grave of God to them,” the resolution said.
Sex acts among members of the same sex and same-sex marriages are illegal in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Thank god these self-righteous Christian extremist are in in the minority; less than 1% of the world population. I wonder if it’s any coincidence that 95% the congregants in this denomination is made up mainly of black people living below the poverty level. The original founders who were mainly white slave owners only taught them how to recite scriptures; no place for independent reasoning; Finally if they can use faith to transform gay people why not use it to cure cancer, diabetes and all the diseases in the worlds?
While I oppose same-sex marriage on grounds other than religion, I believe this is a lost cause in a world where “feeling good” trumps “doing right.”
As soon as we said that women are equal to men, Black people are equal to White people, and common-law unions are equal to marriage — only the first two of which I agree with — we implicitly said straight people are equal to gay people in what they do and how they want to be recognized.
There is no going back. This and other churches like it are on the wrong side of history. Ask our unelected President of SVG, Barack Obama, the world’s leading spokesman for gay marriage, if you don’t believe me.
By the way, Kenton, to the best of my knowledge, your statement that, “Sex acts among members of the same sex and same-sex marriages are illegal in St. Vincent and the Grenadines” is only half true.
There is only a single anti-buggery law in SVG, as far as I know, and it doesn’t mention gender only the physical act of rectal penetration which means that if a man engages in anal intercourse with his wife — in common parlance, if he “bulls” her — he and she are breaking the law and should be sent to jail, even if the act is consensual.
Again, to the best of my knowledge, no opposite-sex couple has ever been charged with this offense though I have much anecdotal information that this act of penetration is common, not so much among married people, but between men and so-called skettels.
As far as I know, most of these men are not homosexuals but just get kicks out of degrading the women who, of course, demand more money for allowing this painful form of sexual intercourse.
On the other hand, if two boys or men willingly felate each other (engage in oral intercourse) or engage in mutual masterbation, they are not breaking any law in SVG.
If I am wrong, please correct me.
The conversation is taking place now.This is the same conversation that Vynette said needs to happen and she received plenty licks for it.Now that the church is speaking about it and I also heard it on a popular morning radio program I wonder what the PM and the others have to say now about the church and the radio host.