The Liberian Senate Thursday passed into law an anti gay bill seeking to prevent same sex marriage in Liberia.
If concord by the House of Representative, the bill will be forwarded to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for perusal and subsequent signing into law.
The Anti Gay Bill which probates same sex marriage is sponsored by Bong County Senior Senator Jewel Howard Taylor.
According to the Senate's Chairman on Judiciary, Cllr. Joseph Nagbe the anti gay bill is second degree felony under the Liberian law, meaning it is a baliable crime and violators can pay lower fees or face minimum imprisonment.
Sen. Nagbe said should the lower House concord with the Senate and the bill subsequently signed into law by President Sirleaf, the practices of both lesbianism and homosexuality will be capital offense and violators will subjected to the consequences of the law.
The senator warmed that same sex couples visiting the country should abide the laws of Liberia or will bears the full penalty of the law. "If you are gay or lesbian and you having to come here we expect you to behave orderly. That is, stay away from each other until your departure", he added.
For her part, Sen. Taylor praised her colleagues for the level of support shown in ensuring that the bill is passed. She expressed strong anticipation that the members of the House of Representatives will do likewise in the shortest possible time.
The Bong County Senator further indicated that she has sponsored three bills including the bill for the establishment of Assistant Superintendent Post for Fiscal Affairs at the local government level since the sitting of the 53rd Legislature.
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Son of... reading your comments brings a few things to mind, first:
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
and from an open letter to Dr. Laura Schlesinger:
"Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them.
1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?
6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination?
7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?
8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?
9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.
Your adoring fan,
James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia
P.S. It would be a damn shame if we couldn't own a Canadian."
Finally, I find it sad that so much time, effort, and ink are being used debating the topic of gay rights in Liberia while no attention whatsoever is being given to the fact that the Liberian constitution is one of the few left on the planet which actively discriminates on the basis of race:
"Article V, Section 13 of the 1847 Constitution which states: 'The great object of forming these Colonies, being to provide a home for the dispersed and oppressed children of Africa, and to regenerate and enlighten this benighted continent, none but persons of colour shall be eligible to citizenship in this Republic.' The phrasing 'persons of colour' was changed to 'Negroes or persons of Negro descent' in a 1955 revision."
Oh, this Liberia...
Liberian senators who voted for this law are evil, absolutely horrible humans. Criminalizing people's consentual love and relationships?
Why? What possible good would it do to purposefully harm Liberian citizens for such a damn pointless reason?
Being gay is not any more or less immoral than being straight, gay people live ordinary lives not substantially different from straight people.
This law will be remembered as so incredibly obviously wrong, no different from apartheid and racial violence.
Evil? Are you serious? It is homosexuality that is evil. There are many forms of sexual immorality, but homosexuality is the only one on record for being responsible for the divine obliteration of two cities and their inhabitants from the face of the earth: Sodom and Gomorrah! That is why homosexuality is sometimes called sodomy and those who practice it sodomites. The fact that God consumed those two wicked cities with fire underscores how abominable homosexuality is to Jehovah. No people anywhere on this earth should , therefore, encourage it in any way, unless they desire to be cursed. There are degrees of evil that can be committed by humans, and homosexuality is way above the charts compared to heterosexual sins. If you are one of those involved in homosexuality, I counsel you to think again.
1) The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was inhospitality to Angels sent to the city, not homosexuality. There's no reference in Jewish literature linking Sodom and Gomorrah to homosexuality before 150 AD, about 800 years *after* the story was written in Genesis, it has no biblical basis.
2) Sodom and Gomorrah did not literally exist. All of the story elements are allegorical in the original Jewish text. The name "Sodom" translates into "scorched", "Gomorrah" translates into "heap". Sodom was ruled by King Bera, meaning "evil", Gomorrah was ruled by King Birsha, meaning "wicked". Think of it like Burntville ruled by Mr Bad, and Rubbleheap ruled by Mr Wicked. No cities and no human being *ever* had those names, because those names are figurative, not literal. Its no different from Disney naming their characters "Cruella DeVil".
3) In what possible way are gay relationships immoral in a way that straight relationships aren't? There's no explanation, absolutely none how two people in a committed relationship are immoral when they're gay, but the exact same relationship is acceptable when it involves straight people -- what changed? The gender of one of the partners? Ok, well, how does gender affect the morality? It doesn't. Gay people don't harm people to any greater or lesser extent than straight people, they live ordinary lives, their relationships do absolutely no harm to you or anyone you know.
4) If you consciously hurt people in the name of your God, you are evil and your God isn't worth worshipping. You're no better than racists, apartheid, or terrorists setting off bombs for God.
Oh, now I see. We are both on two completely different wavelengths. I hadn't realized that from the beginning. However, I will sign off by leaving you with this: I affirm that my God is REAL and that His word, the Bible, is inerrant and infallible from beginning to end because He Himself only is inerrant and infallible. I further affirm that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah that it relates is not allegorical or fictional in any sense, regardless of "scholarly" representations to the contrary. Accordingly, the characters were as real as the cities in which they lived. Moreover, I unreservedly declare and believe the literal reality of the conflagrational events that occurred in divine judgment upon these twin cities, together with the circumstances that led to them. I openly profess that my God is not only real but also a God of LOVE and COMPASSION , who loves homosexuals but hates homosexuality, just as He loves all other sinners but hates sin. Here, I stand, my friend, wishing and praying that you,too, would stand with me some day . Peace be unto you, and God bless!
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