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For example, take the claim by some
members of the church that as a society, we have the right to
determine what is right and wrong.
It is claimed that as a society, Jamaicans find the
practice of homosexuality reprehensible.
People who are homosexuals should not be legally allowed to
practice what they do. Their
rights, in this regard, must be curtailed.
In Apartheid South Africa, the
whites also made a similar claim.
Their society was being kept “pure” by not allowing
black people equal rights with whites.
The very thought of giving blacks equal rights with whites
was thought of as being sickening.
Their society, the white government used to argue, has a
right to impose its version of right and wrong.
Now, if the church thinks that the
rights of homosexuals should be curtailed; then the Apartheid
government that South Africa used to have must also have been
right in curtailing the rights of blacks.
Indeed, using the church’s own logic, Nelson Mandela
should be damned forever as a terrorist for destroying Apartheid
South Africa’s “just society”.
Blacks, using the church’s logic, should be stripped of
all rights in South Africa and white-dominated societies – they
don’t deserve any liberties.
The church is concerned that if
homosexuals are no longer discriminated; then their unhealthy
practices will be a source for an increase in the number of people
being infected with diseases.
In particular, AIDS will explode, as it is felt that
homosexuals will now be free to “do their thing with anybody and
anywhere”.
This claim, however, is nonsense.
In Jamaica, most cases of sexually transmitted diseases are
with heterosexuals. AIDS, Syphilis, gonorrhea and the others are mainly within
the heterosexual community. The
figures are clear and they don’t support the claim that
homosexuals will spread more disease than heterosexuals.
I don’t know if it hasn’t dawn on us yet, but
heterosexuals also spread diseases.
Also, despite the discrimination, homosexuality is here and
there is nothing to suggest that it will “explode” if the laws
are changed.
Many people think that once
homosexuals are free to do what they do, their first targets will
be children. I saw
one stupid pastor writing in one of Jamaica’s dailies trying to
make the point that homosexuals are mostly pedophiles.
However, this is not true, as the
crime statistics do not support this claim.
Most pedophiles are actually heterosexuals – men preying
on innocent young girls. It
would seem that while, as a society, we seem to regard the rape of
a young boy by a man as despicable; the rape of a young girl is
normal – nothing to be alarmed about.
Also, as these deviant homosexuals
would be preying on our young boys, our young boys would be in
serious danger. I
would be very angry if I see a young boy being preyed upon by a
man, just as I am angry when I see grown men preying on young
girls. Again, our
society has some strange norms – young boys must be protected,
but it is all right for young girls to be cannon fodder!
It is being said that sex between
two men (or two women, for that matter) is unnatural. I am not too sure what this means. I, for one, would think that “natural” sex, in the
strictest sense, would mean the sexual penetration of one person
by another. Such
penetration should not include any form of “artificial”
barriers like condoms nor any other form of birth control.
If we should all be jailed for
engaging in “unnatural” sex, then the vast majority of us
would be in jail. “Natural”
sex, if we were to have practiced it, would have resulted in a lot
more Jamaicans, a lot more sexually transmitted diseases and a lot
more mouths to feed. Homosexual sex is also said to be unnatural, as it does not
exists in the animal kingdom.
Of course, this is total nonsense.
I remember a man, in the United States, taking his dog to
an animal psychologist, because he caught the dog trying to mount
another (male) dog. Ironically,
while the man had a fit, the dogs didn’t mind.
Then it is claimed that the bible
preaches that homosexuality is a sin.
We are a bible-loving country, the church claims. If we
were to legalize homosexuality, that would be breaking god’s
commandment and we would automatically be bringing down the wrath
of god upon us. This
is the argument that is also used by many of our DJs.
I, however, still don’t get it.
Many of our DJs, I am sure, are not
married nor are they virgins – they frequently boast about their
manhood (and womanhood). It
is a fact that over 70% of our children are born out of wedlock
today. How is it that the “wrath of god” hasn’t reached us
yet? The bible
condemns fornication and adultery as strongly as it condemns
homosexuality. How is
it that, when using the bible as a basis, some of our DJs don’t
condemn each other for fornicating, that is – having sex outside
of marriage? I wonder
why is it that our pastors don’t preach strongly against
fornication and adultery just as they do homosexuality?
Are they afraid of alienating most of their congregations?
You see – one of the major
problems that I have with this society is that, as a people, we
don’t think. This
non-thinking is typical. Our
churches are centers for non-thinking.
Without even a second thought or a question, the church
congregation accepts anything that the pastor says as true.
Our dancehalls are the same – anything the DJ says is
true. Our media,
sadly, is not helping either – it routinely censors views that
it considers “harmful” to the society.
I must say that I myself am very
worried about my own rights.
Being the “evil” atheist that I am, I know that when
our churches are through crushing these homosexuals into the dust,
I will be next. It doesn’t take much to start discriminating against other
groups once you have perfected discriminating against any group of
people. I will soon
hear that people like me cannot be allowed to “contaminate”
our “god-fearing” society.
If I am not too careful, I may soon find myself before some
sort of inquisition.
You should be worried too.
Like myself, you too belong to some group, whether it’s
the fornicators’ group, the “too black” group, the
“geek” group, the “nuff gal” group, the “tight pants”
group, the “poor man’s” group or whatever.
At the rate these people are going, we will all be at the
receiving end of some law designed to protect the society.
I am still disappointed that as
black people, we still continue to direct hatred towards other
groups of people. Of
all peoples, we black people should understand the dangers of
discrimination – we were at the receiving end of slavery; a
severe form of discrimination.
We did not like being discriminated against during slavery,
but we love discriminating against other groups of people.
It seems that we black people are really incapable of
thinking.
There is really no good reason for
discriminating against any group of people, including homosexuals.
The church has once again shown that it is out of step with
the times. The rest
of the world has matured and moved on.
We should do the same.
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