During an almost 3-hour-long forum held in Belize City on Wednesday night, November 23, attended by about 120 people, key presenters such as the President of the Council of Churches, Pastor Canon Leroy Flowers, expressed their stance on the constitutional motion filed in the Supreme Court by the United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM).
“Why are we here tonight?” Flowers asked. “That is the question that we need to answer as we engage in this debate. It is one which no Christian should shy away from, but at the same time we need to be informed; we need to be able to be confident as we engage the wider community.”
“What we are dealing with is an abomination, and it is a sin against God. Homosexuality is one of the many sins that we have to fight against,” said Flowers.
At the event, dubbed the “Belize Action/Family Forum,” held at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall, Pastor Scott Stern said: “We are together as a church on this issue.”
This family forum sought to solidify the church’s position by presenting structured arguments against homosexuality. They explored scriptural precepts, as well as scientific information, and they also approached the matter from the human rights and legal perspectives.
“This is not just about a homosexual agenda,” said a speaker at the forum, “the warfare is not just a homosexual agenda; it is about an orchestrated plan of demonic darkness to dethrone God from our Constitution and open massive gateways to demonic influence and destruction that will affect generation after generation to come.”
In exploring the question: “Why We Don’t Want This?,” the churches, in a circulated pamphlet, argue that there will be dire ripple effects if UNIBAM succeeds in striking out section 53 of the criminal code, which outlaws unnatural sex, including same-sex relations.
Under this section of the pamphlet, Christians contend the following about homosexuals: “They’re after the kids. The UK approved same-sex marriage years ago; now they’re having court battles to lower the ‘age of consent.’ …This proves that they’re after the kids. Homosexuals cannot reproduce; therefore, they must recruit.”
Stern announced that a demonstration will be held next Saturday, December 3, 2011, under the theme “Take a Stand” at the Battlefield Park from 10:00 a.m. through to 1:00 p.m.
The churches say they are “raising awareness, standing up for what’s right and taking action.”
The rallying immediately precedes the December 5, 2011, presentation of the case of UNIBAM against the Attorney General, in court.
The Council of Churches, which has joined this case as an interested party, is being represented by attorneys Rodwell Williams, Eamon Courtenay, Michel Chebat, Jackie Marshalleck and Christopher Coye.
The Attorney General is represented by counsels Nigel Hawke, Magali Perdomo, Andrew Bennett, and Illiana Swift.
UNIBAM is represented by attorneys Lisa Shoman, Christopher Hamel-Smith, and Dr. Arif Bulkan.
Joining UNIBAM as a part of their international agenda are the Human Dignity Trust, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the International Commission of Jurists. These entities are represented by attorneys Godfrey Smith and Lord Peter Goldsmith.
(This article reflects only the views and opinions raised at the family forum and does not explore all sides of the debate.)