Stefanus Nashama
Following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling compelling the Namibian government to recognize same-sex marriages that are certified in jurisdictions outside the country, seven retired Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Namibia (ELCIN) have written a letter to President Hage Geingob, requesting him to intervene and exercise his powers to enable the Supreme Court to revert its ruling.
The retired Bishops, Kleopas Dumeni, Apollos Kaulinge, Tomas Shivute, Johannes Sindano, Josefat Shanghala, Veikko Munyika and Shekutaamba Nambala said in an open letter that the government should order the Supreme Court to reverse its ruling on recognizing same-sex marriages and called for a national referendum for the citizens to raise their voices on the matter.
The bishops who are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCIN), the largest church in Namibia, said the ruling infringes the Namibian Constitution, traditions, and cultural norms.
They also said it infringes upon God’s commandment of marriages between men and women as stated in the Holy Bible in Genesis 2:18-24, marriage ethics, natural laws of creation, and Christian principles.
“Such ruling shows the flow of the obnoxious smell of the westerners’ same-sex marriages agenda into Namibia society, a nation so far with strong moral ethos bound together by the natural beauty of creation, Christianity, and government,” the Bishops further further stated in the letter.
They also indicated that such a ruling will give birth to hatred and obvious tension between the church and state in Namibia.
Recognition of same-sex marriages is a gradual move of the Europeans’ snowballing agenda to diminish the Namibian and African populations, allowing same-sex couples to settle in the country is against Christian ethos and traditions, the Bishops wrote.
They said the government should lead by the example of the Founding President, Sam Nujoma, who during his tenure, never allowed or entertained homosexualism in the country.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah Mushunina who was previously involved in homosexuality with a male church pastor urged all Namibians to come together and fight against same-sex marriage and homosexuality in the country. Mushunina was speaking at the anti-gay and same-sex marriage meeting held over the past weekend at Ondangwa.
He recently made headlines after he publicly exposed a Pastor who he claimed he had sexual relations with.
“The Supreme Court is the highest law institution in the country, yet it is the one that recognizes same-sex marriage which is completely wrong,” he said.
