Dear Editor,

Unsurprisingly, Reverend Devon Dick of Boulevard Baptist Church is facing an overflow of criticisms after he told his congregants at a recent meeting to get ready to vote on whether their church should offer blessings to people who identify other than heterosexuals, otherwise categorised as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ).

Coincidentally, this news surfaced around the same time the world celebrated International Human Rights Day (November 10).

The public was made aware that before the issue could proceed to a vote, the members blocked it, deeming it unacceptable to be even raised to begin with. Their response and posture align with the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to the Church at Ephesus, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people” (Ephesians 5:3 NIV).

Rev Dick is Jamaican and a senior clergyman, which means that he is fully cognisant that for Jamaicans homosexuality and abortion are among the vilest of sins that people can commit. It is as though they are unforgivable, despite a growing prevalence in their practice.

Understandably, given the high level of so-called morality that exists in Jamaica — often labelled as a Christian country — it will probably take eternity for most people to accept otherness.

Rev Dick exercised bravery by daring to table such a controversial question. But the average churchgoer is unaware that there are many discussions that happen among the ministerial corps of the various church denominations concerning sexuality and sexual orientation, among other pressing matters.

In fact, many ministers are split on these issues. With respect to homosexual tendencies, some consider psychological and emotional factors, while others are strict concerning the letter of the law. Some do not support the lifestyle at all, while others believe that it is not their business what consenting adults do in their bedrooms. The latter group is often chastised, because if these pastors represent God, they should despise the things that God abhors. But God hates sin in general.

The disposition of our people, collectively, will not allow them to accept anything that goes contrary to the nature of God and His natural order of things. Several perception studies have shown that Jamaicans will not trade God’s precepts for that of the kingdom of darkness. In fact, many of them believe that the terrible Category 5 Hurricane Melissa was God’s destruction upon the land due to the high levels of sin — lottery scamming, homosexuality, corruption, and murder — in which Jamaicans are involved.

But is being straight equated with being holy? Both the Old and New Testaments admonish us, “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16). Is the call to holiness the same as the call to heterosexuality?

Holiness is about character, ethics, and spiritual devotion, and not sexual orientation (alone). The
Bible encourages believers to live lives of compassion, justice, faithfulness, and integrity, not to conform to modern categories like ‘straight’ or ‘gay’. Can an LGBTQ person be holy?

In some Christian contexts, heterosexuality has been treated as the primary marker of moral legitimacy. Holiness should not be reduced to sexuality alone. Both straight and gay people have desires and act on them, leading to sin. The Bible teaches that “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4), and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Sometimes in our religiosity and legalism, we focus on what we deem to be the most devious of sins. We speak boldly and loudly about them, but we are hushed about the ones that we struggle with silently.

In the end, Jesus died for all of humanity, that “whoever believes should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Before I am excommunicated for pushing a certain agenda, let me make the disclaimer that I do not speak in support of any particular group, but this is my contribution to broaden the discussion on areas the Church could also discuss.

Oneil Madden

maddenoniel@yahoo.com