By LM — On 5th December, the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) released a joint statement over the current policy change of repealing Section 377 and enacting Article 156 into the Constitution. What we can infer from the Churches’ response is, “Agreed but not Accepted”.
The well-versed response has got both, good and bad taste to it. The Churches are supposedly not bashing or canceling same-sex couples as they used to. However, the statement is not affirming. In fact, there were many snide remarks made.
NCCS wants the government to “remain watchful”
What do they mean when they suggest that the government needs to watch the LGBT community?
“We urge the Government to remain watchful on possible moves to restrict the right of religious groups and individuals to “profess, practice and propagate” our religion (to use the language of Article 15 of our Constitution).”
NCCS
What possible moves are they thinking about? Most of the LGBT community are not interested in going against the church. They just want to lead their own lives. In fact, they are careful not to disrupt religious harmony, especially with the strict laws.
There are also many LGBTQ individuals who are religious themselves, or have partners/friends/loved ones who are. Why would they want to make “such moves”?
NCCS also wants to offer “empathetic help” to LGBT individuals
“We should also continue to show love and offer empathetic help to those with same-sex attractions or who are in homosexual relationships, as a visible sign of God’s love and concern for them.”
NCCS
Maybe they should be more specific about what type of “empathetic help” they plan to offer. It is obvious that the church still thinks that same-sex attraction is a temporary fling or attraction that can be reversed. Such terminologies and careless responses show that they don’t even try to understand.
We can change the law but it doesn’t change the people.
The NCCS response to the repeal is not encouraging and shows how much biases they still have against the LGBT community. They are suggesting that such couples have no right to god’s love unless they repent and break up.
Are Christian couples so weak that the existence of LGBT people will threaten their marriage?
