The gay agenda and rights of Christians

Esther Tyson , Contributor

There is a wind blowing across our nation, Jamaica, which threatens to destabilise the Christian world view that we accept as the norm in our country. This wind has swept in from countries such as Germany, England, Sweden and North America.

It brings with it the view that posits that homosexual rights must be seen as paramount at this time. This is so because it comes under the agenda of human rights. All well-thinking individuals agree that all persons must have the rights that are due to all citizens of a nation, including homosexuals, bisexuals, transgender, et al.

What the country needs to be aware of, and stand its guard against, is that in many instances, once homosexuals have been granted their rights to practise their 'alternative lifestyle' openly, along with it come other demands which infringe on the rights of persons with a Judaeo-Christian world view.

This is the pattern that has been observed in nations such as United States, Canada, Germany and England. In England, according to a report at http://www.tinyurl.com/lawforcechurches, religious groups are to be forced to accept homosexual youth workers, secretaries and other staff, even if their faith holds same-sex relationships to be sinful. Christian organisations fear that the tightened legislation, which is due to come into force next year, will undermine the integrity of churches and dilute their moral message.

important development

Christianity Today Australia makes an important point on this development:

"And that is just what the homosexual activists and the militant secularists have long been working towards. They have been very clever about this. They say that religious people are welcome to practise their faith, just as long as it is not done in public."

Christians in England are coming under increasing persecution because of their faith. Yet, on the other hand, the rights of other groups, such as gays, are being promoted. In 2011 in England, a Christian couple was banned from foster-parenting because of their views on homosexuality. They "were told by a court yesterday that gay rights 'should take precedence' over their religious beliefs". Owen and Eunice Johns heard that their values could conflict with the local authority's duty to 'safeguard and promote the welfare' of those in foster care.

This shift against Christianity is taking place not only in England but in the USA. An example of this is seen in California.

(CNSNews.com) - On January 1, the California Department of Education started implementing a new law that requires all children in the state's public schools to study the "role and contributions" of "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans" to the "development of California and the United States of America".

All public schools in California, from kindergarten to grade 12, will be required to actively teach students to admire the gay lifestyle, and refusal to do so will have teachers charged with discrimination. This means that Christian teachers will not be allowed to keep silent on the matter but are being put into a situation to go against their faith if they are to keep their jobs.

In each of these instances, what began as the 'gay' agenda being accepted as part of human rights has resulted in the rights of Christians being eroded.

Even more far-reaching are the implications of the following report.

NEW YORK, July 27, 2011

(LifeSiteNews.com) - A high-level push at the United Nations for more contraception and abortion among the world's youths has met with resistance from over 120,000 people, including 57,000 young people, who have signed a Youth Statement that says that so-called "sexual rights" cannot trump the real rights of life and family.

Campaigners at the United Nations are seeking more permissive laws and policies towards homosexuality, drug use, explicit sexual education, contraception, and prostitution on all levels of world government, framed as advocacy for youth's sexual and reproductive health and 'rights'.

Persons who hold to the traditional Judaeo-Christian values which form the foundation of our society's laws and practices need to become conscious that already such values are being eroded in nations that previously were seen as having the same philosophical foundations as we do in Jamaica.

Furthermore, this insidious destruction is continuing, as can be seen in the report concerning the advocacy of sexual rights for children at the United Nations.

The Church must be careful that while we ensure that all mankind is treated with humanity and dignity, we do not fail to see that there are many groups that are using the human-rights cover to foist upon many unsuspecting persons laws that will have Jamaicans finding ourselves being forced to accept lifestyles alien to us.

threaten Economic sanctions

Already we see the British prime minister, David Cameron, threatening economic sanctions against those Commonwealth nations that do not decriminalise homosexuality and/or buggery. United States President Barack Obama is also issuing a call in support of gay rights. These calls are being promoted as a part of the human-rights agenda. Countries are now being forced to bow to the beliefs of these superpowers. Although colonialism has ended, this situation makes us aware that cultural imperialism is still alive and rampant.

Our prime minister, Portia Simpson Miller, has promised J-FLAG - the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays - that she will review the buggery law.

As a nation, we need to be aware of this process. This issue might be decided through a vote by the people. As a nation, we are not used to voting on two issues at once, so we must be careful to see that a second matter is not being decided on in any election without the electorate's full knowledge.

In addition, it is very important that every Jamaican whose world view is based on the Judaeo-Christian teaching become aware of this debate and make his or her contribution to it. Furthermore, all such persons need to be enumerated.

Esther Tyson is an educator. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.