The Presbyterian Church of Ghana has stated the punishments prescribed in the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 are too lenient.
According to the Church, as Christians, they believe in mercy and forgiveness but stressed they equally believe punishments are meant as deterrents not only for the offender but also for others that may have similar intents.
It noted that the bill, Christened Anti-gay Bill 2021, is essential to control social order and norms and therefore the punishments prescribed must be deterrent enough.
The Presbyterian Church of Ghana took its turn at the 4th public hearing of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 on Thursday, March 10, 2022.
Dr. Rev Benzies Isaac Adu-Okeree, Chairman of the Presby Church Ghana, who addressed the Committee on the memorandum they presented cited clauses 4 and 10 of the Bill and the punishments they prescribed as an example.
He expressed the conviction that any offence committed under the Anti-gay bill should not attract an equivalent jail term of less than three years.
He said, “Mr. Chairman, we find that the need of the law on Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghana Family Values has emerged from the inadequacy of the Criminal Offenses Act 1986, Act 29.”
“This law that is supposed to come out after the Bill has been approved is needed to deter unacceptable behaviours that are injurious to the common good of society.”
The Presby Church, he said, fully supports the Bill because it actualizes the intent of the framers of the 1992 Constitution as there is currently no specific legislation that imposes obligations on persons to promote socio-cultural values in accordance with Article 39 of the Constitution.
According to him, it is taboo in Christianity and in traditional Ghanaian Culture to commit incest, homosexuality and to practice bestiality.
He said, “The Christian values are substantially reflected in Ghanaian cultural values therefore a law prohibiting the activities of the LGBTQI+ is consistent with both Ghanaian culture and Ghanaian values so the law must be intentional and specific.”
Source: Mypublisher24.com