Same-sex partnership
- A new decadence being faced by young males -

Pastor Graceson Kame *

Sandeep and Nikhil become an epitome of sweet gay couples in Manipur. This first ever nuptial took place in Singjamei, Imphal West on April 30, 2010. Shobapati Sumon deserved a big thanks for his article written on this gay couple marriage which was printed as cover story in Northeast magazine—an issue of May 15th, 2010.

This trend of dissipation in moral in our society has turned out to be a context of discussion or a big question. Firstly let me put a few questions. Are same-sex partnership an option?

Is homosexual practice allowed for human beings? God made human kind; he made us male and female. Our sexuality is created by God so as to replenish in this world and worship Him as the source of everything. Heterosexual is accepted and endorsed in all community of the world, society, or custom. Same-sex partnership is to be strongly disapproved by any community.

Here, no justification is to be made whatsoever, if one really believes and relies on God's creation of human kind. For God created male and female and at the same time God established a norm for sex and marriage by creation. The term sex plus marriage are meant for reproduction. In the world today many human theories spurious theologies and the right of individuals are considered to be the end of everything.

The truth that was accepted by our forefathers is taken as archaic and inapplicable to this present time. The mindset of the people is controlled and directed by his own understanding and final judgment is done by the standard of the so called acquired knowledge.

And thus mankind started to consider and compromise with the contemporary arguments raised by this kind of people. For example, (a) If someone says, "I am gay because God made me that way..." (b) You may say that "homosexual practice is against nature and normality, but it is not against my nature nor is it the highest degree of abnormal for me."

P. Norman wrote, 'a homosexual person is not an "abnormal" person with "unnatural" desires and habits', on the contrary heterosexually oriented person acts "naturally" when he acts heterosexually while a homosexually oriented person acts equally "naturally" when he acts in accordance with his basic inbuilt homosexual desires and drive. Such contemporary arguments are so common and taken as acceptable. Doubtlessly every religion and its holy book does not approve or encourage such type of same-sex relationship.

Unfortunately or fortunately in the world today Government legalised gay couple marriage and accepted as lifelong partners in few countries. In May 1989 Denmark became the first country to legalise homosexual marriages. The previous year Bishop John S. Spong 'of Newark, New Jersey "urged the Episcopal Church to place and affirms the love that binds two persons of the same gender into a lifelong giving relationship of mutual commitment."

When any maxims are made for the welfare of humankind we may accept them. Yet these so called man-made rules and regulations outlaw and right should not be above the religious faith because there is no other better (eternal system of faith) belief apart from the true religious faith.

Please do not take this small write-up otherwise. It is not an attempt to dehumanise the gay couples. All of us inclusively lesbians, gays wicked peoples and good people are still humans. According to the Bible all humankind is sinner by nature. So God (Jesus) died for us at the expense of our sins. He rose up from the death and wants us all to accept Him as Redeemer and Saviour. We ought to love Him as He commanded us to love.

"If you love me keep my Commandments". If we love God, we shall follow His precepts. Here the point is that just because of the way that they indulge in Lesbianism, homosexuals, unnatural acts. they must not be excommunicated and regarded them as inhuman sect of people.

Therefore, as a mere Bible student and ordained Pastor, let me focus on Holy Scripture and give some Biblical prohibitions. It is imperatively important to know that all of us who are not in favour of the same-sex partnership should not condemn them but rather we must have concern for them in order to let them understand what our forefathers prohibit. They must be brought to the right track of universal truth (religious belief).

Let's take a look at four Biblical passages which refer to the homosexual question negatively:

A. The story of Sodom and Gomorah
(Genesis 19: 1-13). Genesis 13:13; 18:21 clearly recorded that the wickedness of the men of Sodom is so great and grievous. The abominable sin and the immoral act were exceedingly apparent before God. The men of Sodom and Gomorah told Lot to bring out the two Angels in order to satisfy the unnatural lust (physical intercourse with same­sex). But their attempt was unsuccessful. Here according to the story God determined to investigate it and in the end overthrew these cities and their entire plain including those living in the cities because of their homosexuality. The very similar story of Gibiah is found in Judges 19:22

B. The Leviticus texts (18:22; 20:13) which explicitly prohibit "lying with a man as one lies with a woman." The penalty is death.

C. In Romans 1:18-32, the apostle Paul portrayed of decadent pagan society in his day.

D. Paul, in reference to homosexual practice is listed in 1 Corin. 6:9 - 10 and 1 Timothy 1:8­11. For instance, saint Paul, the apostle of Christ Jesus in against the sinful act as he wrote in the Bible, "Do you know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor prostitute nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

The ugly list of sins which Paul affirms to be incompatible with the kingdom of God is again recorded in Romans 1:26-33. "Because of this God gave them over to shameful lusts even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones in the same way men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts witlil other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."

Conclusion

Biblically and historically homosexuality was considered sinful and criminal. But this has been advocated by some as a preferred way of life to provide the highest form of loving relationships.

Homosexual activity has been prescribed by law. This began to change in western countries like UK, and USA. British Parliament in 1967 decriminalised same-sex sexual relations. And it is worth mentioning that in our country too, that is to say Delhi High Court has been in favour of legalising the same-sex partnership to live as husband and wife. Following this, gay right movement became more public.

At the same time public attitude toward homosexual behaviour has been compromised and seemed to be quite silent on this trend. We are living in the post-modern era. The truth that pre­modern people upheld had been replaced by many facets of truths.

Truth is objective according to Bible and for pre-modern Christian community. God is truth. And the truth is one but this inevitable belief is done away by the post-modern people because they believe that truth is subjective which means truth can be created.