The following article appeared in The National, a prominent newspaper in Papua, New Guinea. This article was submitted by Pastor Eric Schering.
If we in North America and Europe etc., have learned more than those in countries like New Guinea, than we need to be able to make a good, clear biblical case for the practice of same-sex relationships and marriage. Is that case available?
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Pastor abhors homosexuality
The National, Thursday 2nd August, 2012
By ELLEN TIAMU
A CHURCH pastor is strongly against calls by Dame Carol Kidu for the decriminalisation of homosexuality, saying it is not as widely accepted by Papua New Guineans as she claims. Pastor Peter Ropra described homosexuality as “an absurd, abnormal and immoral practice introduced by western influences.”
“I am disgusted and I totally disagree with Dame Carol calling on the next government to decriminalise homosexuality and to further claim that it is accepted in PNG society and a norm is untrue and absurd to say the least,” he said.
He said it was unheard of in traditional PNG societies for two men to be living together out of love for each other as a man and woman would do, or for two women to be living together out of love for each other.
Ropra said PNG societies had values and principles that governed them and based on those it was common law that a woman, unless handicapped, had to marry for the purpose of procreation and to play her role in society as a woman.
He said it was a disgrace to the family, village, tribe or clan if a man or woman did not marry. “Worst of all is to be seen to have abandoned the natural instincts of being attracted to the opposite sex and instead be attracted to or lust after the same sex,” he said.
“We are a Christian country as enshrined in our Constitution and the basis of our Christian beliefs and morals is founded on the word of God. “This is the rule book that we should always go by, especially when it comes to making laws on the ethics of morality,” Ropra said.