News / National
Church leaders castigate Premier Tsvangirai on homosexuality
20 Nov 2011 at 07:26hrs | Views
LEADERS of the International House of Prayer Church in Bulawayo have castigated Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai for defending homosexuality, saying the stance exposed his leadership deficiency.
Pastor Sarah Malete, who was flanked by her husband, Pastor Andrew, last week said homosexuality was against godly principles and unnatural.
She said Mr Tsvangirai should be educated on practices that are permissible before God.
"As the Church, we should never allow people to practise anything against God's principles while we stand by and watch," she said.
"What the Prime Minister said is scary, especially coming from a leader. We do not understand what got into him at that particular time.
"How does he expect to lead if he does not know where he stands?
"The Church has to distance itself from leaders who choose to live contrary to God's guidelines.
"The act of homosexuality is unnatural and an abomination. If he says it is a human right that is a lie. Rights are only rights when they are within the parameters of God's law."
Pastor Andrew Malete urged Zimbabweans to stop the inclusion of so- called "gay rights" in the proposed new constitution.
"The silence by other leaders has been conspicuous and regrettable. What the Anglicans did ' the demonstrations against the ungodly act ' was very spiritual and should be commended," he said.
"If we are to give homosexuals rights today, we might as well bestow them on satanists, thieves and murderers as well. Zimbabweans should stand and say 'no' to homosexuality in the new constitution."
A fortnight ago, Mr Tsvangirai provoked the ire of many Zimbabweans when he declared, in an interview with BBC News, that he would defend homosexuality.
The statement went against his earlier pronouncements condemning the practice.
He told the BBC that despite the "very strong cultural feeling" against homosexuality in Zimbabwe, he wanted to see gay rights enshrined in the new constitution. He was taken to task over the issue during the Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Assembly last week. In response, he said it was up to Zimbabweans to decide what they wanted in the supreme law.
Pastor Sarah Malete, who was flanked by her husband, Pastor Andrew, last week said homosexuality was against godly principles and unnatural.
She said Mr Tsvangirai should be educated on practices that are permissible before God.
"As the Church, we should never allow people to practise anything against God's principles while we stand by and watch," she said.
"What the Prime Minister said is scary, especially coming from a leader. We do not understand what got into him at that particular time.
"How does he expect to lead if he does not know where he stands?
"The Church has to distance itself from leaders who choose to live contrary to God's guidelines.
"The act of homosexuality is unnatural and an abomination. If he says it is a human right that is a lie. Rights are only rights when they are within the parameters of God's law."
Pastor Andrew Malete urged Zimbabweans to stop the inclusion of so- called "gay rights" in the proposed new constitution.
"The silence by other leaders has been conspicuous and regrettable. What the Anglicans did ' the demonstrations against the ungodly act ' was very spiritual and should be commended," he said.
"If we are to give homosexuals rights today, we might as well bestow them on satanists, thieves and murderers as well. Zimbabweans should stand and say 'no' to homosexuality in the new constitution."
A fortnight ago, Mr Tsvangirai provoked the ire of many Zimbabweans when he declared, in an interview with BBC News, that he would defend homosexuality.
The statement went against his earlier pronouncements condemning the practice.
He told the BBC that despite the "very strong cultural feeling" against homosexuality in Zimbabwe, he wanted to see gay rights enshrined in the new constitution. He was taken to task over the issue during the Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Assembly last week. In response, he said it was up to Zimbabweans to decide what they wanted in the supreme law.
Source - zimpapers
