A Seventh-day Adventist preacher, Joshua Maponga, has come under fire after referring to homosexual conduct as “animalistic behavior.” A fellow church member, identified in the story as “Simayi”, has taken Maponga to court, apparently unaware of Paul’s counsel against suing fellow church members (1 Corinthians 6:1).
The Zimbabwean-born Maponga has been hauled before the courts in South Africa, where he is based, over a video-recorded sermon that touched on the topic of homosexuality. The Port Elizabeth Magistrate s Court, sitting as the Equality Court, on 19 November will hear the charge that Maponga engaged in “homophobic hate speech.”
In the video, filmed at the KwaMangxaki church in Port Elizabeth, Maponga refers to the Bible and talks about the lustfulness of the Gentiles.
"In Chapter One Romans we learn about homosexuality – we learn about animalistic behaviors," he says.
"In one sentence, when human beings are left to themselves without God, they reduce themselves to the level below the animals Maponga then appears to compare homosexuality to two dogs that are playing together, two male dogs."
Simayi, who calls himself a human rights activist, told us that when he listened to the clip, he was uncomfortable with how Maponga addressed the issue of human sexuality, believing that it was demeaning to gay people. “As much as we go to the same church,” he added, “I do not agree with the sentiments of the sermon.”
Simayi claims that, after he lodged the complaint, he was harassed and bullied by members of the church in an attempt to convince him to withdraw the case. Simayi has refused to do so and Has criticized those who are more concerned about the reputation of the church than “equality and justice.”
Source: Bulawayo 24 News
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The “Equality Courts” of South Africa should probably ban the Bible. It is the Bible which taught us that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality: “Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.” Jude 1:7
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