Malawi Faith Groups call for a day of rage against legalization of homosexuality
Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) and Malawi Council of Churches (MCC) have organised a march and prayers on Thursday, July 13 against legalization of homosexuality including same sex marriages — and thus calls upon the rest of the faith groups to join it “in defense of the Family and Human Sexuality”.
The faith groups being invited for participation include Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) and QMAM and other interested groups.
The peaceful march is scheduled to take place in all districts of the country from 09:00hrs-12 noon during which a petition from the faith groups will be presented to the local Government officials at the respective City and Districts Assemblies.
Signed by Rev. Dr. Billy Gama (MCC national executive committee chairperson) and his secretary general, Rev. Alemekezeke Chikondi Phiri; Archbishop Dr. Mark Kambalazaza (EAM national executive committee chairperson) and his general secretary, Rev. Francis Mkandawire calls for all faith groups who value the importance of the family to organize these peaceful marches and prayers in their respective areas.
“As Churches we believe that sexual acts are only permissible between man and woman (married partners),” says the statement.
“Hence, we would like to make it clear that same sex unions are ungodly, unnatural, and culturally unacceptable and a direct perversion of Gods ordained order of family.
“We, therefore, reaffirm our position against the legalization of acts which directly threaten the existence of the family in this country. We urge all Malawians of good will to join in solidarity irrespective of our faiths to stand and protect the family.”
The faith groups were also encouraged to preach and call for intensive prayers and teaching in their Churches on matters of family till July, during which church leaders “should speak from the pulpit messages on the family and read out to congregants the position of the religious bodies on same sex unions in this country”.
“We are convinced that marriage is between two people of the opposite sexes — male and female. Anything contrary to this divine order is unacceptable and does not please God, our creator.
“Malawi cannot afford to take a rebellious path of disobedience to God at a time when we need Him most to heal our nation. Let us all unite and defend our nation from self-destruction.
In May, the Christian mother bodies of EAM, ECM and MCC, demanded that the Constitutional Court of the High Court should not to legalise same sex marriages being promoted by some organizations, emphasising that God ordained marriage to be between male and female (Mark 10:6-8).
At a press conference convened at Grace Bandawe Conference Centre in Blantyre by Archbishop Kambalazaza — alongside Rev. Lackwell Mtima and Rev. Dr. Makata — disclosed that the Constitutional Court of the High Court was to determine whether organizations promoting same sex relationships should be legalized in Malawi.
Rev Dr. Makata maintained that if the court passes the decision that the Government can start registering such organizations, it will mean legalizing same sex relationships in this country.
The Christian mother bodies shared the belief about marriages that it is God who created them for male and female as expounded in Mark 10:6-8 which thus “ordained marriage to be between male and female”.
“Any relationship contrary to the above is unacceptable scripturally and unnatural and therefore a perversion of God’s own Law. God designed that children, as offsprings of a marriage relationship between male and female, be brought up under the care of the mother and father, wherever possible.
“Homosexuality practices do exist in our midst but it is an abnormality. We believe such people require our counselling and support to reform.”
The faith community shared its concerns on legalization of homosexuality that legalizing same sex relationships/marriages will directly infringe on their religious liberties.
“Once legalized, church leaders will be forced to marry same sex couples in our churches even against our own spiritual convictions; as is currently the case where such laws have changed.
“Legalizing same sex marriages would promote the moral decay in our society as our children and young people in schools and colleges, including mission schools, will openly be taught homosexuality as being normal. This is an unacceptable behaviour.
“Homosexuality indirectly threatens the natural family unit which is the hub or core for a strong society. Other definitions of marriages/unions besides male and female is a fallacy and a perversion of natural order.”
They emphasized that “homosexuality is a sin before God”, quoting from the Bible Lev. 18:22, 20:13; 1 Cor. 6:9, Rom. 1:26-32), adding that “whilst God loves sinners just as He loves everybody else created in His image, He hates sin”.
“Legalizing homosexuality is to ‘suspend’ God’s moral code and establishing our own ‘standard’ which is against His divine word. God cannot smile at nations when they choose disobedience. Malawi cannot afford to rebel against God at a time when we are asking the same God to heal our nation as we are faced with several calamities and disasters.”
Thus the Christian mother bodies makes the following appeals:
(a) That the Judiciary should not change this fundamental law without consultation of all Malawians;
(b) The faith community should unite and earnestly pray against legalization and same sex marriages in Malawi. We must sensitize all people of the threat of same sex unions to the natural family and general morality of the country. People must know and stand up to defend the family. Let us use all media outlets and pulpits to bring this awareness;
(c) Our leadership — whether traditional chiefs, Parliamentarians or the Executive — should not give in to the pressure for us as a nation to ‘rebel’ against God by legalizing same sex marriages;
(d) The international community should respect our sovereignty as a nation and not dictate values which are conflicting with our religious and cultural beliefs as a people;
(e) Civil society and human rights group: We are aware that the majority of such individuals in these groups do it for money and not necessarily based on convictions. We therefore urge all groups advocating same sex marriages to seriously reflect on their actions and not be used to cause the nation to sin against God.
The religious bodies strongly weighted in their stand that they are against the legalization of homosexuality, saying they are of the view that this is a fundamental part of the Law of the land, “which if indeed has to be changed, can only be changed by the will of the majority of the citizens of this nation through either a referendum or through the people’s representatives in Parliament”.
“To have three High Court Judges sitting and changing such a fundamental law would be tantamount to an infringement of people’s rights, values and interests. We must all stand together as a nation in solidarity to defend the natural family marriage as established by God.
“We, therefore, call upon all concerned Malawians to seriously pray to God that same sex unions should not be legalized in this country by the Courts.
“Particularly, we call for earnest prayers on the actual day of the case, on Tuesday the 23rd of May 2023 as the case will be heard. Let us meet in our Churches, working places and homes praying to the God of heaven that Malawi shall not depart from Gods divine laws governing our morality. (Prov. 14:34).
When engaged whether they were consulted as stakeholders in this case, Archbishop Kambalazaza said they were only made aware of what was happening through concerned citizens privy to the case at the court.
He also disclosed that one judge assigned to the case recused himself on personal grounds of conflict of interest, adding that several CSOs as well as the Malawi’s Law Society is against this rape of the Constitution.
He stressed that in a democracy, the majority rules and thus appealed to the legislators in the National Assembly to deliberate on this case and bring it to the public for a vote through a national referendum — with Rev Dr. Makata stressing that “God does not bless disorder”.
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