Pastor claims gay sex objections are not hate speech
Pastor Alson Ebanks
(CNS): A well-known local pastor has stated that the objection by Christians to gay sex is not hate speech and has compared the expression of those objections to homosexuality to a parent chastising a child for being badly behaved. In a statement submitted to the press calling on churches in Cayman to stand firm against gay marriage, Pastor Alson Ebanks from the Church of God said that the only morally acceptable sex is that between a man and a woman who are married and everything else was a sin.
Saying nothing else about other heterosexual sin in the bedroom, however, he spelt out his and what he said was the orthodox Christian position and its objections to gay sex as well as gay marriage.
Defending the church’s opposition to same-sex unions, he wrote that the church rejected the practice of “classifying as ‘hate speech’ any objection to a particular behaviour or lifestyle, in particular when the opposition is to the behaviour, and not an attack on the personhood of the practitioners.”
He added, “To illustrate this point, we would use the example of a parent correcting his child: to object to the child’s behaviour on moral grounds is typically not understood to be an action of hate; in fact, it is an action (verbal or otherwise) of love.”
In the statement, which was endorsed by all of the pastors of the various Church of God congregations in the Cayman Islands, the influential pastor, who is one of a number of local church leaders who have been particularly vocal over their objection to same-sex unions and gay marriage but almost silent on most other sex-related transgressions, said no human is free from “sexual challenges” and that “all sexual behaviour has moral implications”. While he suggested that sexuality itself is amoral, he said sexual behaviour is either “appropriate or sinful”.
The pastor wrote, “We affirm, therefore, that morally appropriate sexual behaviour is defined by Scripture as being that sexual intimacy which is practised between an adult man and adult woman who are married to each other.”
In the latest public contribution on gay marriage and rights for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in Cayman following a controversial speech in the Legislative Assembly last month and the legal dependency question surrounding the position of a lawfully married gay couple residing in Cayman, the Church of God has called for solidarity from the church community against gay marriage.
“We maintain solidarity with the orthodox Christian Church, worldwide, and encourage the Church in the Cayman Islands to stand in unity for the protection of the first institution created by God, the nuclear family, while simultaneously demonstrating Christian charity to all persons, even those who vehemently disagree with our positions, or attack our persons because of our Bible-based views,” the pastor stated.
However, the issue is now a legal one that the government will soon need to address. The legal and human rights questions have already been answered in the United States and, more importantly for Cayman, in the European Court of Human Rights. As the local Human Rights Commission awaits a response from government about how it plans to address the question of civil unions for gay couples in Cayman, it appears likely that sooner or later same-sex unions will be legal here, regardless of the position taken by religious institutions.
Category: Local News
I’m not sure why this Pastor is making it about sex. Instead of a hate speech, he’s just making it a creepy opinion about ‘moral’ sex.
Gays and lesbians are dying from suicide or murder. Most of the suicides being children/teenagers and most of the murders being adults, I don’t think they’re fully ‘out’ to be having sex. It takes a lot to fully identify with a sexuality that people (aka Pastor Ebanks) condemn and threaten violence against (aka Anthony Eden).
So the real focus should be this:
Are your biblical views worth more than the lives of gay/lesbian children/teenagers/adults?
In my opinion, a person’s life is more important than any pastor’s negative opinion.
Come on people……do we really need to be discussing this? Live and let live….we’d all be a lot happier.
Let’s all just Marvin Gaye and get it on….. 🙂
Once again I ask: “Has anyone heard for the Premier on this issue?”
Pastor Alson, we’re glad to see you standing up for heterosexual relationships, but why has it taken 3 months? When the US green-lit that abomination (same-sex marriage) back in June, the Minister’s Association should have immediately launched a campaign in opposition of the Human Rights Committee’s plan to force it on us.
You are not our pastor. We do not respect hate, superstition, or ignorance. We are not your children. You do not speak for our God. You are an embarrassment to the next generation of youth.
As with the UK and the U.S.and many other countries, Cayman was established on Christian foundations and established under God. That’s in our constitution. As Chritians it’s one of our principle understandings that we are ALL sinners. None are excluded. When we become Christians we also understand that we do not become incapable of committing sin. That’s not how it works. But we become aware that we have to resist the constant temptation of gossiping, adultery and homosexuality etc. by the way sin is sin and there is nothing in the bible that tells me that one is greater than the other. As Christians we also understand that as a result of us all being sinners I can’t judge others. I know God Loves each and everyone and calls us to greatness and to do better. As a Christian nation established as such from the beginning and as set out in our constitution, it would be illogical for us to change those principles and laws as to how we govern ourselves unless the majority agrees that we are no longer a Chritian nation and we agree to rewrite our constitution. I hope that day never comes. Times have changed but God doesn’t. A Supreme Court justice has gone on record to state that Britain could leave the European human rights laws because there are serious social differences between UK and countries on the continent. As a result England is considering pulling out of the European Court of Human Rights. If they hope to hold on to any of those principles that they hold dear or hope to have any sensible rulings to protect its own citizens, they must do so. I fully understand that the latest challenge to our laws though our constitution, if it went to EU Court, we would probably lose and it would be a another dark day for Cayman. We currently have same sex couples with children running businesses in Cayman. They are not beaten or oppressed and they are foreigners to us. But they are still living amongst us and doing well and not harassed. The current challenge to our laws is an attempt to impose the views and beliefs of a minority that goes contrary to the majority. In challenging our laws they hope to impose the laws of a foreign body over our own laws and constitution and more importantly against our God under which we have been established and as set out in our constitution. It is not right.
Only the preamble to the constitution reference Christian nation. Any lawyer worth his salt knows that the preamble has no legal significance. The Constitution itself does not mention Christianity! That I am afraid is the law of the land.
Yes you are correct that it is in the preamble, twice, but it also appears in part 1 of the constitution, section 1 relating to rights, freedoms and responsibilities. I don’t entirely agree with your statement that the preamble has no legal significance. In fact where you do have a written constitution in other common wealth countries the courts will look to the preamble for clues to interpret the meaning of statutes. So the reference to Christianity is certainly not irrelevant in our constitution but quite the opposite.
Wow so because its in the constitution it must be true. Its like the rest of the people here who call themselves Christian but have been remarried multiple times and go to Miami so their church friends don’t see them.
actually if you go back to the initial statement at 8:16, Christians commit and will commit sin. They are human. That doesn’t change simply by becoming a Christian. All people sin. We have to move on from there. If something is viewed as wrong by the principles that bind the majority and is set out in our constitution and laws, then a vocal minority are wrong to try to alter all, including our understanding and belief of what marriage is, to suit their wishes and desires. please don’t distort the facts just to try to win an argument.
ECHR trumps the Constitution.
The Constitution implements the ECHR. The FCO said so.
I have commented that we will probably lose if this goes to the ECHR. It will be a dark day as you will have a minority view overriding the majority. This cannot be right. As I also mention, I wish Britain the very best at getting out of the ECHR as they too have realised that this system as it stands now is unfair to its own views and values and to its own citizens.
And God’s Word trumps all others!
Any evidence for this “God”?
Fellow Caymanian,
I appreciate your attempt to create an aura of positivity without inducing any hateful thoughts merely because of your views. The truth is cayman wasn’t established based on religious beliefs. We were colonized by the British who enslaved the aboriginal west Indians. In those times one could only pray that it would stop, but what did was a change of laws.
It would be hypocritical to think that one can pick and choose what laws should be allowed and not allowed based on your religious beliefs. If that was the case I could assure you that if all tobacco and alcohol was prohibited, Cayman would be a better place. So why think that you can discriminate against homosexuals? Not giving them equal rights is discrimination should you think you are not.
You say that we cannot judge others because that’s God job, but you are doing it. Treating someone different because of their sexual orientation is an act of judgment. So please will you just clarify why you are against equal rights? your arguments are frivolous and are not supported by accurate statements.
What is happening in the UK, not England, has to do with political influences. The reason why they want to pull out is because they want their supreme court ruling on their cases, not Strasburg. Either way, if Cayman doesn’t amend the law, surely that dark day will come in shame, embarrassment and wasted millions of dollars.
The current challenge that you believe we so face is not the ‘imposition’ of homosexuality, it is the lack of recognition for equality. You do realize that amending the law is not going to make people change their sexual orientation?
People. People. Can we all just calm down, acknowledge that I am the winner of this (to use local techy parlance) blog and move on to the next?
And for those who worry about these things, I hereby prophesy that, before the moon wanes, some ecclesiastical type will offer a fresh condemnation and we can start all over again.
Finally, did everyone notice yesterday that the real Pope Frank doesn’t need a jetway when he alights from his heavenly transport? So if stairs are good enough for him they should be good enough for our obese American tourists.
Can see you’re hung up about the Pope it seems. He has a lot of important things to say to America. Woe to America! She is a place that loves to kill the unborn child, and the first to endorse the gay lifestyle as good. The leader of nations and highest in divorces, family break-ups, adultery, crime, and sodomy. The U.K. is her sister.
you are one sick poster! Get help.
Without those tourists, you would be sitting in a thatch hut eating a mango 3 meals a day.
I like mango
Thatch huts are lovely.
Everybody keep calm and do not feed the troll.
So, the Pastor may make a case for why his church would encourage congregation members not to engage in gay sex and why his church would not conduct a gay marriage. However he does not seem to make any case as to why his church’s views legitimately lead to the state preventing gay men to marry.
pastor Al has responded intelligently as any educated clergy should.
It is not confined to members of his congregation. The message goes out to all and sundry. You are not compelled to heed but he is obligated to give it.
You neglect gay women in your post.. it is the entire LGBTQI community that wants these rights and I don’t just mean those of visas.
Omg am I saying that there are gay Caymanians, why yes, yes I am some of whom have gone overseas to wed.
Christianity is for those that believe it, not the entire nation. I for one am an agnostic who borders on atheist.
…drama…yawn…