Christians march in protest of anti-buggery laws challenge

by Lyf Compton

thousands of white-clad people, primarily representing the various Christian denominations here, descended on Kingstown yesterday for a march and rally organized to protest the challenge to this country’s anti-buggery laws.

Pastor
Errol Daniel of Streams
of Power
churches.

The event, organized by the Christian Coalition, was held under the theme “A call to Righteousness: calling our nation to God”.

One group of protesters started the march at Mahogany Square, Richmond Hill, while the others started at Little Tokyo on Bay Street, after which both groups converged in front the Court House in Kingstown where a prayer meeting was held.

Moving behind two trucks that were belting out gospel music, the group’s final destination was Heritage Square.

As the parade of white moved along Halifax Street, persons standing on the sidewalks waved in solidarity. Many workers peered from second story windows, one man held up a wooden carving reading: “God is great”.

Some of the protesters carried placards denouncing homosexuality while energetically singing hymns. A speaker began ministering in tongues at one point.

One placard carried by Pastor Errol Daniel of the Streams of Power Churches read: “Change of heart not change laws”, another said: “Stop crime before crime stops you” while numerous others quoted scripture that denounces homosexual activity.

Organizers say the catalyst for the march was the challenge to the buggery laws by gay Vincentians Sean MacLeish and Javin Johnson, but that the activity was also held to address rape, crime, the family, and domestic abuse.

On arrival at Heritage Square, the rally began and speakers from various denominations took the stage, among them Reverend Adolf Davis, Superintendent Minister of the Kingstown Chateaubelair Circuit of the Methodist Church; Dr Cecil Richards, Pastor of the Kingstown Baptist Church (KBC); Monsignor Michael Stewart of the Roman Catholic Church and lawyer Mandela Peters.

Also present at the rally, among others, were Pastor Noel Clarke of the Layou Miracle Church, Reverend Alister Blake of Harvest Bible Chapel and Bishop Dr George Frederick of Glad Tidings Tabernacle.

“We are here because we care. I can take the attitude and say ‘Me nah care what people wah do’, but the love of God and Christ makes me have to care and it makes me have to care what people do in public and it would be totally unchristian if I say ‘I don’t care what people do in dey bedroom’,” Reverend Davis told the gathering.

The Superintendent Minister said that things have broken down as it relates to families.

“It is a serious problem in our nation,” he said while adding that in Genesis, God said it is not good for a man to be alone so he created woman for man.

“It was God’s idea to bring woman to man and to marry them. It was God’s idea and God who said let them be fruitful. So who created the family? Who started the first family? Who knows how families supposed to function and who put families in place to bless a nation? asked Davis as the crowd shouted “God”.

Rev. Adolf Davis

Davis said that is why the march and rally was being held as God has a purpose and a plan for the family. He said that things have gone bad as the family is supposed to be the foundation of society, but that foundation has been shaken.

“It has been shaken because of several things, but one of them I have to align is the LGBTQI-plus agenda. It is a serious thing. It is an attack on the family,” Davis stressed.

He said that when permission is given to same sex relationships, when you teach youths that you can have two fathers and two mothers, and when you teach children that you may be born as one sex, but can change that, all these things are an attack on the family.

He said that growing up, a lot of young men and women were abused and this oriented them into homosexuality and that is wrong.

Also addressing the crowd was lawyer Mandela Peters who told the huge gathering that the move to change the country’s buggery laws is an attack on Christians.

“It is a challenge against morality, it is a challenge against God himself because in the essence of this challenge we are calling a wrong right and calling what is wrong permissible and allowable in the guise of human rights,” said Peters.

She further noted that the persons contesting the laws will say the laws are unconstitutional, draconian, archaic and a relic of our colonial past, but she will like them to do their research properly.

“When our criminal code was enacted in 1988 we [had already become an] independent nation since 1979. England would have repealed their buggery laws already in 1967, yet the independent parliament of St Vincent and the Grenadines chose to let buggery remain on our law books,” noted Peters.

The lawyer said she believes this was done as lawmakers saw it as a moral, righteous and a health law, but now moves are being made to strike these laws down from our law books so that immorality will prevail and unrighteousness would come into our country.

“We will stand up for morality,” stressed Peters who noted that the rectum was not designed for sexual intercourse as sexual intercourse is between a male and a female.

Lawyer Mandela Peters

She said when the anus is used for penetration, a lot of health risks are associated with the practice and therefore it is not only immoral but dangerous and should not be promoted.

Peters said some persons may refer to what she is saying as hate speech, but that is not the case.

“Anal penetration is the easiest way for HIV and AIDS to spread yet they say repeal the buggery laws to deal with HIV and AIDS. Does that make sense?” asked Peters who added that repealing the laws is promoting the activity the spreads diseases.

Peters said a stand must be taken now because the same arguments that are used to promote buggery, consensual act and privacy, those same laws can be used legally to bring other things onboard including incest and pedophilia.

“This is a direct attack against us Christians,” she said and added that wherever the LGBTQ teachings have gained ground there has been an assault against religious freedoms and LGBTQ rights usually trump Christian beliefs.

“This is not about human rights because they don’t tolerate us; they don’t want to hear what we say,” Peters told the gathering.

She noted also that removing the buggery laws will make way for same sex marriages and the issue at hand is an attack on our judicial system and not just about persons wanting to love who they want to love in private.

[Updated at 8:50 am on November 15, 2019 to reflect a more accurate estimate of the size of the crowd.]