SOME PASTORS SAY NO TO HOMOSEXUALITY

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.

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