Close to 100 Christian Leaders call on Govt. to keep Buggery Laws in place

"Moreover, we believe buggery and other practices characteristic of the LGBTQ community, lifestyle are in fact, detrimental to persons engaging in them, and the decriminalisation of such acts, will have the effect of escalating the practice of these harmful and destructive behaviours, and endangering the morals of our youth and society as a whole", the Christian Leaders contend. 

Close to 100 Christian Leaders call on Govt. to keep Buggery Laws in place

In a show of unity, close to 100 Christian Leaders in Guyana added their names to a call on the Government to keep laws that criminalise buggery in place.

The group of church leaders took out a full page advertisement in the Sunday’s newspapers with their names and churches attached and made known their objection to any attempt by the Government to remove existing legislation that makes buggery a criminal offence, whether it occurs between two men or a man and a woman.

The Church leaders do not want the Government to bow to the demands of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in Guyana, which has been pressing on the Government to do away with the law that they believe criminalise homosexual relationships.

According to Section 353 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act of Guyana: 

Everyone who- (a) attempts to commit buggery; or (b) assaults any person with intent to commit buggery; or (c) being a male, indecently assaults any other male person, shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for ten years.”

Additionally, Section 354 of the same act states that Everyone who commits buggery … shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for life.”

Members of the LGBTQ community maintain that the laws are archaic and have no place in a modern democratic society, where there should be the protection of those who have different sexual preferences.

But according to the Church Leaders, “In the countries where the laws have been changed to accommodate the LGBTQ world view and lifestyle, these changes have threatened, eroded, and taken away in part, and sometimes entirely, freedom of speech, of conscience, of religion, and parental rights of people of faith”.

Guyana’s First PRIDE Parade 2018

The group continued that “the practice of buggery violates the laws of God, and is unnatural, unhealthy, destructive to the human body, and to society as a whole”.

A few months ago, Christian leaders called on the Government to ban a Pride Parade in Georgetown that had been organised by the LGBT community and its supporters.

The Government did not heed the call of the Christian community and the parade went off without a hitch.

The Christian community is now hoping that the Government will pay more attention to their newest call to keep the buggery laws in place, since they are “convinced that the preservation of the present laws is inextricably linked to the pathway to order and blessing for Guyana”.

“Moreover, we believe buggery and other practices characteristic of the LGBTQ community, lifestyle are in fact, detrimental to persons engaging in them, and the decriminalisation of such acts, will have the effect of escalating the practice of these harmful and destructive behaviours, and endangering the morals of our youth and society as a whole”, the Christian Leaders contend.

The leaders have also indicated their readiness and willingness to assist persons who are prepared and ready to exit the gay lifestyle.

In the advertisement, They also said that they will continue to reach out to the LGBTQ community “with love of Christ and power of his word”.

See list of Christian Leaders who signed onto the advertisement:

 

 

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