CHRISTIAN denominations in St Vincent and The Grenadines and Dominica have raised their voices in protest against the idea of same sex marriages, following a recent United States Supreme Court decision making such unions legal throughout the country.
The Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies (PAWI) which also has churches in St Lucia said it firmly believed that the recent ruling in the United States Supreme Court “does not and cannot alter or replace the infallible word of God”.
PAWI said the Bible recognized marriage as a holy union between a man and a woman only, and any move to impose a law endorsing same-sex marriage upon a nation, is a move to endanger the belief of the church and violate the law of God.
It added: “Our position as an organization is that we profoundly condemn same-sex marriage, as it diametrically opposes the word of God. We believe that same-sex marriage is against the Divine plan for marriage and its purpose for procreation. Our organization promotes the family unit as a fundamental institution, where a mother and father, nurture children, instill faith, and inculcate moral strengths and spiritual values.
“Thus, legalization of same sex marriage will destabilize the family unit and result in harmful consequences for the society at large.
“We wish to make it clear that our opposition to same-sex marriage is in no way reflective of any kind of resent or hatred for persons who support this ideology, as this will be in stark contradiction to the very word of God which we uphold as the supreme authority governing our lives”.
But PAWI said it continued to affirm its belief in love and respect for all humanity and stands in solidarity with all those who are courageous enough to oppose same-sex marriage within and outside the church.
“As an organization, we commit ourselves to continually teach and endorse marriage between a man and a woman without compromise, as a central principle of our doctrine and practice”, PAWI said.
Meanwhile, the Evangelical Church of the West Indies (ECWI) which has 52 churches across the Eastern Caribbean including St. Lucia, at a meeting in St Vincent last week unanimously adopted a resolution, opposing same sex marriages.
The Church also declared its churches off limits to the conducting of same sex marriages and said it would discipline any of its ministers who defied this position and performed such marriages.
The Church said it believed and adhered to “God’s divine fiat” concerning marriage as being between a man and a woman. That position was stated in a resolution passed at its biennial Regional Council meeting.
The ECWI which also has congregations in New York, Canada and French Guyana said it believed there was a devilish plan and deliberate action to subvert and change God’s declared principles of “a man and a woman” to “two persons”
We know that any such subversion or change is detrimental, destructive and diabolic.
The Church decided that none of its ministers or pastors would perform, encourage or support any such “marriages”, nor would allow its churches to be used for same.
“Further, any of our ministers or pastors who so acts will be disciplined and we will seek to have his marriage licence revoked…”, the Church said in a statement.