Copperbelt-based senior clergy Bishop Joseph Kazhila has criticized some sections of the Church that are protesting against homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ rights. The recently held fashion festival called Lusaka-July has sparked debate on homosexuality in Zambia.
Bishop Kazhila, the Life Gospel Fellowship International General Overseer, said issues of homosexuality in Zambia have not reached a stage where also the Church can join some politicians in protesting against the practice.
The ZNBC Board Member said the best way the Church can do is to seek the face of God through prayers for His direction and guidance. He said the Church knows very well that LGBTQ issues are first spiritual in nature before becoming moral and physical.
Bishop Kazhila said the LGBTQ battle need heightened prayers and preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ and not protests.
“Church Protests against LGBTQ? Just wondering if issues have real come to that stage where also the Church can join some politicians in protesting against LGBTQ!I thought the best we should do is first to seek the face of the almighty God through prayers for His direction and guidance.A bible vested Church knows very well that LGBTQ issues are first spiritual in nature before becoming moral and physical, for behind them are evil spirits which entice humans to be stubborn and rebellious against God and his ordained nature.Remember we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities etc.To win this LGBTQ battle we need heightened prayers and preaching the true gospel of the LORD JESUS CHRIST and not protests,” Bishop Kazhila said.
Bishop Kazhila questioned why sections of the Church have resorted to protests against homosexuality.
‘What is therefore causing some sections of the Church to resort to protests?Truth be told! There could probably some sections which in the past decade or so depended and prospered on government handouts and hence are now failing to adapt to the “no more” handouts in the Bally led administration.So that failure to adapt has incensed some Church leadership to resort to misleading, inciting and driving unsuspecting Church members and the public into believing that the HH led government is satanic hence hidenly promoting LGBTQ,” he said.
Bishop Kazhila added that President Hakainde Hichilema and the New Dawn should not be accused of being unconcerned over the issues of homosexuality.
He said the Government does not support homosexuality.
“God and not humans knows our hearts. This government like the past one, as echoed by both former republican president Mr. Edgar C Lungu and the current sitting republican president Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, on several occasions emphatically stated their opposition to LGBTQ.Is LGBTQ practiced at state house or police stations for anyone to allege that they are not proactive? I thought LGBTQ activities are done in our communities where we live. To a large extent it’s community (Church included) which fairly knows those weird characters involved in LGBTQ yet none or few make reports to police for fear or stigma.Do we expect them to be going around in our homes asking if we knew peoples involved in LGBTQ so that they arrest them?My view is that the only time Church should join in protesting is when government takes a position that its now supporting LGBTQ..then we shall all rise to resist it,” Bishop Kazhila said.
He said away from homosexuality Churches should protest against corruption, gassing, witchcraft, devil worship, regionalism and other vices.
“Meanwhile suffice to mention that every government has a peculiar way it governs. The era of handouts to Churches and communities, in as much as they benefitted some people and organisations including some Churches, are possibly forever gone.Handouts to some extent created acrimony and divided the Church for only a few benefitted.Its now time for work and work and work in order to eat. We are all being taught how to catch fish as opposed to being given fish by some benefactors.So Churches protesting may not be up to anything good or godly.Why not also protest against corruption, gassing, witchcraft, devil worship, ethinism, regionalism and other vices?
We should instead be praying and encouraging for the peace, reconciliation and unity of our nation so that it prospers.Zambia shall surely proper as we unite in God for a one Zambia- One Nation,” Bishop Kazhila said.
The Catholic Church has in the recent past spoken against homosexuality in Zambia and the rising cases of sodomy.
Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda recently released a pastoral statement in which he noted increased promotion of gay rights and rising cases of sodomy in zambia in the last one year.
Archbishop Banda said President Hakainde Hichilema and the law enforcement agencies seem to be paying a blind eye to the rising incidents related to homosexuality in Zambia.
The Lusaka Archbishop said homosexuality and promotion of gay rights is slowly taking root in the Zambian society, albeit complacency from the state and the law enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) had repeated that acts of homosexuality are contrary to the natural law and under no circumstances can they be approved.
ZCCB Secretary General Fr. Francis Mukosa last week issued a statement saying tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered as they close the sexual act to the gift of life and do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarily.
Fr. Mukosa said in this regard, the Church is called to provide appropriate assistance and accompaniment to all her erring children, including those with homosexual tendencies, so that they may learn to do what is right before God and men.
Howerve, Church of God Bishop John Mambo opposed suggestions that President Hakainde Hichilema and the law enforcement agencies seem to be paying a blind eye to the rising incidents related to homosexuality in Zambia.