Mullings slams Simpson Miller over buggery law review plan

'No nation that seeks to move away from God's words can succeed'

BY MARK CUMMINGS Editor-at-Large Western Bureau cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com

Saturday, December 24, 2011

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for West Central St James Clive Mullings has blasted Opposition Leader Portia Simpsom Miller for promising to review the country's buggery law, should her party return to power.

Armed with a Bible, a stone-faced Mullings urged scores of Labourites at a mass meeting in Montego Bay's historic Sam Sharpe Square on Thursday night to unite against the repealing of such a law.

"We must understand that for a nation to be blessed, for a nation to grow, we cannot depart from God's words. No nation, no nation that seeks to move away from God's words can succeed," he declared.

Quoting scriptures, Mullings pointed the large gathering to Genesis Chapter 19: verse 24, citing the reason why "the Lord poured down sulphur and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah."

Simpson Miller, in responding to a question raised during the final political debate convened by the Jamaica Debates Commission on Tuesday night, said that should the PNP return to power, she would initiate a review of the buggery law.

She also said that her party would not prevent anyone from becoming a member of her Cabinet based on their sexual orientation.

Recently, several countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have suggested that they might withhold aid to countries that are not doing enough to protect the rights of homosexuals.

But Mullings, an attorney, urged the horn-blowing supporters on Thursday to take a stance, arguing that the United Kingdom's position is contrary to what we have learnt and know under the word of God.

"We are no longer a colony of Britain, so if that's the way they want to go, let them go, but let us not depart from God's word," he argued.

He told the jubilant supporters that next Thursday's general election should not be viewed only as it relates to the creation of jobs.

"We must understand carefully that the choices we make must not be only as it relates to employment, it should also be regarding the moral direction of your country and the future for your children," the JLP candidate argued.

"So Labourites, Jamaicans, when we go out to vote think seriously about the direction of your country. I implore you to understand that while we are here at this point before general election, don't misunderstand what we are facing. It is not just the economy, it is in regard to the future of the country for our children and you must now decide whether you want a nation that will be overtaken by those who have punitive lifestyles or whether you are serious about building our country."

Earlier this week during a mass meeting in Annotto Bay, St Mary, JLP candidate for West Portland Daryl Vaz also criticised the opposition leader for suggesting that a future PNP government will review the buggery law.

Several other speakers, including JLP deputy leader Desmond McKenzie, also blasted Simpson Miller for her stance on the buggery law during Thursday night's meeting.

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COMMENTS (41)

Maude Cooper
12/24/2011

Dave Peart
And to think how many Jamaicans right now who hate gays would line up to go to places like Britton, United States and Canada where 2 men are allowed to kiss, if they heard a raffle for visa was being held. Proving that this is not a religious matter or that not everyone mind going to hell..

Maude Cooper
12/24/2011

I wonder if when disaster strikes in Jamaica and outside countries offer aid if anyone bother to ask if gays contributed……. Fortunately for me my grand children have seen 2 men kissing and they think it is ha-ha funny, but I explain to them that all sorts of people live different lives from us. However , as long as they are happy and not hurting anyone it is their human rights and we should not judge for God is capable of dealing with it.

Norman Lee
12/24/2011

All the Gods has long forgotten Jamaica!
From 1962 by way of the anthem, Jamaicans being asking for guidance and it has not come to pass. Instead we see pastor mixup with criminal; PM acting as lawyer for the wanted and rampant corruption with public money.
Perhaps we should now resort to the "sweat of our brows" - that seems a better prospect to success than praying! Beware of those who come "in the name of God" - they only want your vote! Run them! Think before you vote!

Everton Walker
12/24/2011

Dave, please stop calling them gays, they ave hijacked one of our customary words. They are homosexuals.

Everton Walker
12/24/2011

Adam and Eve we say, not Adam and Steve. It is not ok to say two consenting adults are free to do whatever they want in the confines of their bedroom. I am an adult male and I would not lay with my mother or adult sibling even if they consented, that would be plain nasty. This group wants to push their nastiness down our throats. Child molesters and those in bestiality soon want rights, then murderers will want murder remove from the law books. Where will it end?

Dee Miles
12/24/2011

Mr. Mullings, when you pray, pray for tolerance and love for those who are different. The Bible teaches love not hatred, discrimination or injustice. He that is without sin let him cast the first stone, You guys embrace criminals and corruption, but have problem with people who are different. Why?

Jus Irie
12/24/2011

Norway enjoys the highest quality of life in the world, combined with the lowest murder rate. Church attendance is less than 40 percent and they do not persecute gays. Are they suffering God's terrible wrath? Live and let live man.

Jus Irie
12/24/2011

So Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates in the world and corruption in rampant. Now this man waving Bible like the warmongering republicans in the US? Was your party doing goods will when you were protecting mass murderer Dudus last year. The hypocrisy is sickening.

Dave Peart
12/24/2011

For those Jamaica who want to allow this gay lifestyle in Jamaica : if you took your children to Devon House and they saw two men kissing, how would you explain this to your children ? We need to follow the teachings of the bible.

ray ray
12/24/2011

Is this an election for a Bishop or the PM?
One thing Jamaicans need to get clear: there is a separation of church and state, and if there isn't one (real or perceived), it must be emphasized. This is not to say that MP's can't have religious leanings, but their job is to represent the people who are Christians (many), but also atheists, agnostics, and those who practice other religions. Consequently, Christian laws cannot be supreme. Laws must protect the "many" so we live as "one people."

Romario Wright
12/24/2011

@ticky ticky fish..the bible said pork should not be eaten, men are dominate over women,. women should not whistle, stone women who cheat on their husbands, though shall not lie, thou shall not commit fornication, yet we do them everyday..People use bible only when it suit dem...Plus these same so called morals we holding onto where given to use by our WHITE slave masters from Europe, who today are talking about tolerance and acceptance. We need and intellectual evolution in this country

Wa Tch
12/24/2011

Mr. Mullings did you quote this to the JLP Councillor from SW. St. Andrew who it was reported was charged for buggery? Did you quote Scripture to Bruce Golding when you supported him in the Manatt Phelps fiasco? What about Dwight and Dorothy? Did you quote
Proverbs 12:22 - Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.
Come on man stop and think. You politicians cannot back-track when you publicly go on record as bigots. It will come back to haunt you!

Romario Wright
12/24/2011

Clive Clive Clive...i expected better from you...then again you are a lawyer(liar) who defend murders and thieves( these same groups the bible condems) but you have the nerve going in front a stage bashing a group of ppl..Point of information Clive, societies with little influence of religion tend to prosper more than societies that are highly religious,,you of all people should know that!!! bunch of hypocrites smh.. the individual ought to be free to do as he wishes unless he harms others.

Ray Stennett
12/24/2011

Judge Between Right & Wrong
Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Listen friends, we live in a culture that has inverted values. Biblical values are viewed as Puritanical, narrow and unrealistic. Fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, abortion, euthanasia are acceptable, politically correct and considered as viable options. One Bible teacher put it --
"Those who practice sin depict those who practice righteousness as biased, intolerant bigots. In the face of such ethical relativism, we must defend and live out the moral absolutes mandated by God. We must resist the pressures of Hollywood and Madison Avenue to accept life as a situation comedy, full of sexual lust and devoid of moral accountability. We must ethically evaluate the media which impacts our lives, relationships, families and churches."
In fact, as 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, we must "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" get rid of the rest! We must judge between right and wrong and choose right!

Maude Cooper
12/24/2011

It is this same bible slinging hypocritical behaviour that cause me to stop going to church to worship, considering that I was brought up in the church, but only after a close family friend and a married Pastor no less almost raped me. I am sorry that Mrs. Simpson-Miller in her infinite wisdom that all men are created equally and leaving judgement into the hands of God has to be taking so much heat for this. Hopefully she will understand that sometimes all it takes is a gutsy person to tread the high road even if it is not a popular one. And if in the end it proves unfavourable for her, then she started something that I have no doubt will come to pass and will put her in a class with the likes of Rosa Parks and far above the cut of her cowardly foes. How come with all the problems Jamaica is faced with including; unemployment, hunger, crime and punishment yet being gay or straight is the biggest campaign topic? Precedence/priority has gone haywire.

Wharf Dawg
12/24/2011

lol @ Reverend Mullings and his selective righteousness. Hmmmm How about murder Rev? Rape? Alcohol abuse? Drug running? Gun running? Thievery?? Oh and how about LIES!!!!

Shane Williams
12/24/2011

hypocrites

Clive Mortley
12/24/2011

Clive Mullings, the bible you quoted from also said Jousha command the sun to stand still, that is a myth and the Isreali Army invaded the enemy city and kill men, women and children. I am suggesting to you that God never sanction the slaughtering of children, the sun never stand and hence that verse of the bible that is often quoted as it relates to killing homosexual is also a myth, a figment imagination of a twisted mind.

tickyticky fish
12/24/2011

Leviticus 18:22 " You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." Also Leviticus 18:1-30.

jenn longmore
12/24/2011

The Jamaican electorate, both PNP and JLP supporters should return the JLP and their horrible set of masqueraders to the dung heap where they belong for feeding us their hateful and divisive rhetoric. It is unforgivable in this day and age that they continue to use opinions about a persons sexual orientation to divide the country. PM Holness proved his unfitness, Vaz showed how filthy he is and now Mullings spreads ignorance. SHAME. ON JLP. Get rid of them Jamaica...

Nejeeper KNG
12/24/2011

Gay people and gay supporters do you know how much pain you all have cause countless children and their families? Just remember if your parents were attracted to the same sex and chose to live this non-reproductive lifestyle; none of you would be here reeking this havoc on humanity. Some of you are adopting children; big mistake I pity those children. Your lifestyle is a plague from the Devil aim to disrupt the natural order of life; but no weapon that form against righteousness shall prosper.

Nejeeper KNG
12/24/2011

To strongly oppose homosexuality is to be accused of being a bigot. Righteousness means to love everyone however a righteous person can love someone and hate their sinful acts. When you take in consideration the destruction that this lifestyle have cause countless children from the Catholic Church to the regular molesters. The world should declare a day for those affected; countless children have lost their God given innocence because of these opponents to the natural order of life.

Rush Pope
12/24/2011

God's word also says that we should not lie, steal, covet, commit adultery and these politicians of both stripes have made the word of God invalid because of their tradition. Where was Mullings on JDIP, Spy Plave, Carpet etc.. Aren't those actions moving away from God's words too? Blessed hypocrisy!!

tickyticky fish
12/24/2011

2 Chronicles 2:13-15 "when I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land .Now My eyes will open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place."

PL BOGLE
12/24/2011

Observer, this election won't be decided on Gay Rights, it is the Economy!!!...The party who the People believed that have their best interest at heart, and the party that will stand up for the plight of the poor and fight poverty, and better managed the economy in the interest of all, not just for the rich! Will win the election come the Dec 29.

tickyticky fish
12/24/2011

When I remember Sodom and Gomorrah.

Marlon St. Aubyn
12/24/2011

I can't believe a call for tolerance would engender the promotion of so much bigotry by the JLP. I believe the best candiate should be chosen to serve regardless of sexual orientation.
I recall the Bible condemning "bearing false witness" but Mr. Mullings has nothing to say about Golding, Robinson, Nelson et al who have been less than careful with the truth.
I have never voted PNP in my life but JLP must come better than this. There are more pressing issues in the country than this nonsense!

Linval Campbell
12/24/2011

Mr Mullings is being unfair here to the Jamaica people,Mrs Simpson-Miller did not say he would change anything ,she said she would REVIEW then ask the candidates go to their constituencies and have a concience vote,we must he honest and stop acting on the ignorance of some of our Jamaican people.Explain to them what "REVIEW" means and stop brainwashing the people.If after the concience vote the votes are against, then that will be the end of the matter.

Peter Lawrence
12/24/2011

PNP liberals have certainly misjudged public sentiments on the bugger issue. People are under seige from violent crime, robberies, cost of living, threat of IMF austerity, food on table , etc and Portia Miller finds it neccessary to advocate Buggery Law review???? No one is aganist human rights for gays at this point. They are against the possibility of cxollapse of social structure re public nuptials of buggers and lesbians and divorce of these in courts using their taxes. Portia lose this one

Dan smith
12/24/2011

I am not a fan of the JLP/PNP but any party thinking of going down that road cannot get my vote why not think of some other law eg, dual citizen so that people in the dispora can sit in parliment, Oh people from up north want to tell us how to live, Have anyone ever been to the village in new york then you will know what they want to force on us as a people.

pat green
12/24/2011

Let me see if I get you right Clive Mullings is slamming Portia over review of buggery law?

Chuck Emanuel
12/24/2011

It is very difficult to take these lackeys seriously with their selective "moral" outrage. In other words they wiggled, waffled, and wavered when it came to taking a stand against corruption in Governance under their noses, murderers, extortioners, rapists, narco-terrorists, gun-runners, contract killers, and criminal aiders and abettors. Where was Mr Mullings' bible hiding since the Cuban light-bulb vigilance ?. Heal thyself Mr Mullings !. In God we TRUST,all others cash.

0o k
12/24/2011

In the 18 years of running Jamaica into the ground and even as many gays were killed and beaten, the Comrades Governments refused to consider the repeal of this law.
Comrade Simpson Miller was asked about Mr. Golding's statement [on Gays not being included in his Cabinet] and immediately turn the answer into a question of repealing the Buggery Law?
News Flash Homosexuals are not banned in Jamaica and I am pretty sure no one is going into their bedrooms to see what they are doing.

Hugh Maxwell
12/24/2011

As the says that no nation that moves away from "God" will succeed. I agree. But having a country with no homosexuals,does not mean that we are godly. The countries that are more tolerant to same sex, are more orderly, streets are cleaner, less murder rate, send aid to us, more respect for human life, we run to there universities to study, and the list goes on and on.If we so godly since independence, why it takes so long to realise a certain degree of success to us in JA with so many churches?

Hugh Maxwell
12/24/2011

The latest polls scaring Mr. Mullings. I thought they'd let the people decide without influence. I want to ask Mullings, that what if a mulitnational agency from 'foreign' want to invest in JA to bring thousand of jobs but the head is homosexual. What would JA do? We take so much money and aid from the these countries who many of these men are known homosexual in govt. Mulling is trying to capitalize on the homophobic nature of JA..stupes. I dont rate that Mullings.Thats a poor shot.

Jakan 2011
12/24/2011

I don't know what Portia was thinking

Karen Blight
12/24/2011

Mr Mullings seem to forget that the law was not created by Jamaican but was imposed on us by the British. If God is punishing a country today, wouldn't Jamaica be a prime example. Maybe he is punishing us for the way we treat homosexuals. The murdering of our population and the rape and killing of our children could be akin to the killing of the Egyptian first born. If this is such a sin, why is there no criminalizing of female homosexuality in Jamaica? With people like Mr Mullings leading us, then we have no hope. I do not understand why black think they can be good Christian when Leviticus clearly stated that homosexual was a sin; which we accept. Then he went on to state that people bit big, flat noses would never go to heaven.
The Bible quite clearly teaches that these retards and quite repulsive in the eyes of God. Here is what Leviticus says about it.
21:16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
21:17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
21:18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,
21:19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
21:20 Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;
21:21 No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.
21:22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
21:23 Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, and thuse desecrate my sanctuary

Robert Gray
12/24/2011

Why don't we also make fornication as well as adultery illegal.? I am sure not many people will agree with that. Some people like Mr.Mullings are just hypocrites. This is called selected morality, choosing what you think is moral in your eyes. I don't care what one does in his or her bedroom. At the end of the day, each person will stand before God in the Judgement and give an account of their deeds in life. BTW, Buggery can also occur between male and female.

Frederick Bolageer
12/24/2011

Good to see we are the moral equivalent of Iran

J A M
12/24/2011

As an attorney at law, I am sure Mr Mullings have come across people who are gay in Jamaica. Did Mr Mullings take up his bible and speak when his Government corruptly tried to prevent the extradition of one of their own. Did Mr Mullings take up his bible and speak when the MPs in his party blatantly lied to the people of this country. Did Mr. Mullings take up his bible and speak on the corruption involved with the JDIP program. Has he spoken on the blatant vote buying.

12/24/2011

All the politicians seem to become so Godly all of a sudden? Don't "Play" with the Almighty....you all were warned>.....

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Mullings slams Simpson Miller over buggery law review plan