#BTSpeakingOut – A man is a man; a woman is a woman

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

by Shirley Richards

 The recent call by retired Anglican Bishop of Kingston, the Right Reverend Dr Robert Thompson for the repeal of the buggery law gives credence  to the thinking “that the only thing we  learn from history is that we learn nothing from history”.

In the late 1960’s the call for decriminalisation of buggery in England was actively supported by the Church of England.  What was the rationale? In a letter to the Editor of the Daily Gleaner in December 2011 Rev Everard Allen of Brown’s Town Baptist Church, Jamaica, recalled the visit of the then Archbishop of Canterbury to the United Theological College, Jamaica, in the late 1960’s.

When questioned regarding the support of the Church of England for decriminalisation of buggery in England, the Archbishop responded to the effect that it was desirable that homosexuals come out in the open so that the Church could help them change their lifestyle. This response is in line with the historical records. Currently though the British Government is considering criminalising efforts to assist homosexuals to change their lifestyles.

Christian Concern, a UK based group, has opined that “government’s proposals to ban ‘conversion therapy’, could potentially restrict and criminalise pastoral support for those wanting to move away from same-sex attraction.”

So the jail cell which was reserved for persons engaging in buggery will now be occupied by those who  offer  assistance to homosexuals who request  help. Currently, Church of England clergy have to ensure that they are politically correct when dealing with the matter of homosexuality.

A case in point is that of Rev Randall Bernard, an ordained Church of England minister who delivered a sermon in June 2018 at  Trent College, which is a Church of England school in Nottingham, England. The sermon was entitled “Competing Ideologies” . . .

In said sermon he advocated  for respect for all persons whilst at the same time  advising his listeners, in the context of the LGBT debate, that they are “ not obliged to accept someone else’s ideology.” The sermon can be found on YouTube. After the sermon, he was reported to the government’s counter terrorism watchdog and eventually made redundant by the College. There are many examples of persons being  punished  for expressing viewpoints which are contrary to the dogma of sexual diversity.

Let us remember that the buggery law preserves knowledge in several ways. Firstly in teaching that anal penetration is wrong, it impliedly teaches that penis/vagina is the acceptable method of sexual intimacy. It also teaches that the sexes
are different.

A man is a man and a woman is a woman. This difference matters greatly when it comes to sexual intimacy. Further, this knowledge provides a guardrail for the institution of marriage.

One must also not forget that homosexualism has spawned transgenderism resulting in even more confusion in these matters.  For example on March 17, 2022, University of Pennsylvania Lia Thomas a “transgender” woman won an NCAA female swimming championship. Is there then a future for women’s sports?

With these examples occurring in many countries, one would have thought that by this Church leaders, particularly those affiliated with the Church of England, would have learnt their lesson. Alas, for some, the reverse is true as they evangelise the world in calling for the acceptance of unnatural behaviours thus calling evil, good and good, evil.

The Church is supposed to be a repository of moral truths thus helping social and political systems to navigate the issues which face us all as human beings. Instead the Church is accepting the dogma of the world resulting in greater moral confusion. God help us all!

Email: sprichards82@yahoo.com