Times Of Swaziland: SOME PASTORS SAY NO TO HOMOSEXUALITY

SOME PASTORS SAY NO TO HOMOSEXUALITY
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Phiwase Phungwayo on 23/03/2022 08:23:00


MANZINI - The Rock of Hope had a challenge convincing some pastors and
capacitating them on homosexuality yesterday.
This was during a workshop hosted by The Rock of Hope to capacitate the men of
the cloth about homosexuality. It took place at the Family Life Association of
Swaziland (FLAS) conference room. The pastors were presented with information on
lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, intersex and queers (LGBTIQs), and their
integration into the church. The meeting was aimed at relaying a message on the
LGBTIQ community’s wish to attain support within the religious sector, to
assist the movement in breaking cultural barriers in the move towards full
discrimination and full acceptance in Eswatini.
However, the men of the cloth seemingly had a tough time accepting what was
being presented to them. One pastor submitted that homosexuality was wrong
because the Bible clearly stated that it was a sin. “You cannot then twist and
turn against what the Word of God says. It is simply wrong,” the man of the
cloth said. He further expressed his concerns on some religions that reportedly
wished for The Holy Bible to be reviewed. Another pastor wondered why LGBTIQ
couples still wanted to balance the role of ‘male’ and ‘female’. “If
they are LGBTQI, why is there a need for them to still want to fit into the role
of man and woman? Why can’t they just be woman and woman, or man and man?”
he queried.
Another pastor averred that the Bible was totally against homosexuality. He was
of the view that LGBTQIs, just like traditional healing, was a concept of
socialisation.  The pastors’ submissions came after Rock of Hope Executive
Director Sanele Sibiya, addressed some of the misconceptions that people had
about the LGBTIQ community. He told the pastors that there was a general notion
that certain sexual acts were only done by gays. The executive director stated
that some gays did not engage in certain sexual activities but found other ways
to give themselves sexual pleasure.
Instead, he made mention that some people who were not within the LGBTIQ
community enjoyed unconventional sexual acts that were mostly associated with
homosexuals. Sibiya also stated that most LGBTIQs were still not living their
truth because they were governed by societal standards, which compelled them to
take wives and reproduce to extend their family legacies. He added that some
parents even forced their children not to embrace those who were in the LGBTIQ
community.