WESTERN BUREAU:
WHILE CAREFUL to point out that they were not advocating violence against gays, panellists at Saturday's 'Men on a Mission' conference in Montego Bay denounced homosexuality as a moral defect, saying it should not be sanctioned by the Church.
Speaking against the background of the pro-homosexual lobby of international groups such as OutRage!, which has taken both the Jamaican Government and local deejays to task for their perceived stance against gays, the panellists Catholic priest Father Anthony Michael, Dr. Sydney McGill, and the Reverend Courtney Richards described homosexual behaviour as both abnormal and immoral.
MORAL DEFECT
"Homosexuality is a moral defect and cannot be sanctioned by the Church in any form," said Father Anthony, a highly-respected St. Elizabeth-based priest.
"That is the position of the Catholic Church and that is also my position."
Dr. McGill, a noted psychiatrist and sexologist, said Jamaicans should not allow homophobia to make them react violently towards homosexuals. However, while calling for the nation to show Christian love toward gays, he said that no opportunity should be wasted in making it clear that homosexuality runs contrary to God's law.
"While you show them love and exercise care and concern, you must not forget to make it clear that homosexuality is wrong. The Church should be in the forefront of helping homosexuals to recognise that homosexuality is wrong," Dr. McGill explained.
The conference was a joint initiative between the Gleaner Company, the Missionary Churches of Jamaica, and Family Church on the Rock. "The Church should be in the forefront of helping homosexuals to recognise that homosexuality is wrong," Dr. McGill added.
MEDIA PROMOTING GAY AGENDA
In regards to the increasing number of programmes on local television, which he said was projecting homosexuality as a normal way of life, Reverend Richard, a noted psychiatrist and mentor, said it is part of a concerted effort by the American media to advance the cause of those promoting the gay agenda.
"What is happening is not by accident, it is deliberate," said Reverend Richards. "It is an attempt to get viewers to believe that homosexuality is okay."
And on the matter of gay rights groups using HIV/AIDS as a part of their lobbying efforts, the panellists agreed that it was yet another attempt to promote the gay agenda. They stressed that the gay agenda was a separate issue from the health condition HIV/AIDS.
"We will not buy into the linking of the two issues," said Father Anthony. "We will continue to say no to homosexuality even as we continue to assist persons affected with HIV/AIDS."
