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Malawi Church Leaders to Condemn Homosexual Behavior

   Rev.  Malani  Ntonga  of  the  Church  Foundation  for  Integrity  and
   Democracy   says   the   church   and   the  government  cannot  allow
   homosexuality to take root in Malawi

   James Butty | Washington, DC 18 March 2010
   Same sex couple taken into custody in Blantyre, Malawi

Photo: L. Masina

   Tiwonge  Chimbalanga  and  Steven Monjeza are taken into custody after
   celebrating their engagement (photo by Lameck Masina)

   A  verdict is expected Monday in the trial of a gay couple arrested in
   December for planning Malawiâs first same-sex wedding.

   Homosexuality is illegal in Malawi, but the arrest and imprisonment of
   Steven  Monjeza  and  Tiwonge  Chimbalanga  has  concerned  donors who
   contribute over 80 percent of Malawiâs development budget.

   Meanwhile, Malawi church leaders began a meeting Wednesday in Blantyre
   to understand what they call the phenomenon of same sex partners.

   Reverend   Malani  Ntonga,  chairman  of  the  Church  Foundation  for
   Integrity  and  Democracy, said a communiqué is expected Thursday but
   that  the  general  view during Wednesday's meeting is that the church
   should not allow homosexuality to take root in Malawi.

   âWe  strongly  believe  that  righteousness  exalt  the nation and now
   homosexuality  it  is  an abomination before the eyes of God. Itâs our
   responsibility  as members of the clergy to guide our nation jealously
   with  prayers to make sure that righteousness flows in our nation,â he
   said.

   Reverend  Ntonga  said  that  as  members  of the clergy, they want to
   appeal to the Malawi government to also say no to homosexuality.

AFP Photo

   Malawi  President Bingu wa Mutharika who is also current African Union
   chairman

   âAs  members  of  the  clergy we are saying no to homosexuality and we
   want to appeal as well to the government that they should not tolerate
   or  accept  this  issue  of homosexuality to get roots in our nation,â
   Ntonga said.

   He  said  the anti-gay sentiment in Malawi and elsewhere around Africa
   is supported by passages from the Bible.

   âThe  Book  of  Leviticus,  Chapter  18, is telling us that man is not
   supposed  to  get  married  to another man or they are not supposed to
   have sexual intercourse with another man, which means that, and if you
   continue  to read from that Book of Leviticus, Chapter 18 you will see
   that  God  will  punish  the  nation  which  tolerates  this  type  of
   abomination to take root in that nation,â he said.

   Homosexuality  is illegal in most African countries with the exception
   of South Africa where same sex marriage is legalized.

   A  proposed  anti-homosexuality  legislation  in Uganda has called for
   long  jail  terms  or  death  penalty  in  some  cases  of  homosexual
   intercourse.

   President   Barack  Obama  recently  criticized  the  proposed  Uganda
   legislation as âunconscionableâ.

   Reverend  Ntonga  said  if  donor  nations  want  to  fund Malawi with
   homosexual conditionality, then they should keep their funds.

   âMalawi  is a sovereign state. Of course we are poor and we might need
   their  assistance,  but  let  them assist us with what we want and not
   what they want and at the end of the day it will bring more calamities
   to  our  nation. So as members of the clergy we are saying if they are
   to  fund  us with this evil attached to the funds, let them keep their
   funds,â Ntonga said.

   He  said  heâs  positive  the judge in the trial of Steven Monjeza and
   Tiwonge Chimbalanga would render a fair verdict.

   Reverend  Ntonga  said  the  church  is ready to pray with the two and
   embrace  them  if  they  are  willing  to turn away from their alleged
   homosexual tendency.

   âWe  are  not  actually  against  fighting  those  individuals, but we
   against  the  actual  sin  of homosexuality. But those members who are
   involved  in  that,  we are saying let them come and we will pray with
   them  and counsel them and if they are ready to change their lives, we
   will embrace them as brothers and sisters,â Ntonga said.

   He  reiterated  that God created a man and a woman to marry each other
   and not a man marrying another man or a woman marrying another woman.

   Malawi  President  Bingu  wa  Mutharika is the current chairman of the
   African Union.

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