No place for such prejudices (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

No place for such prejudices

8:36am Wednesday 2nd September 2009 in Columnists By Richard Dunbar

Martin Luther King Jr famously said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.

I am certain that the majority of us in society would choose a caring and compassionate way of life as opposed to one filled with hatred and bigotry that would prevent millions of people living in a way which they felt was comfortable. It is for this reason I was absolutely disgusted and sickened to read the Bishop of Rochester’s comments calling on homosexuals to repent.

Michael Nazir-Ali has sparked outrage by suggesting the Church sticks to traditional values instead of being influenced by “culture and trends”. To suggest that a person’s sexuality is a part of a trend is not only ignorant, but only serves to feed the views of fundamental individuals and extremists in attempting to ratify hateful rhetoric and behaviour. Sexuality is as central to a person’s identity as race, gender or creed. Homophobia is as much a moral and social evil as sexism, racism or any other prejudice which attempts to use religion to justify unjust acts.

It is absurd that the bishop is telling gay people they should repent for something over which they have no control. It would be like asking people to repent for having brown hair or being born in a particular area. That’s how ridiculous his views really are when you listen to what he is saying.

Moreover, his views that an individual’s sexual nature can only be correctly expressed in a heterosexual union through marriage will not only seek to create the schism which has threatened to tear apart the Anglican church for many years now, but simultaneously proves he is being selective in how he uses the Bible. After all, he has not created as much of a fuss about the state of our banking systems or world poverty; things which really do have a detrimental impact on the quality of people’s lives on a daily basis.

Whether you are religious or not, no-one can deny that Christ’s Gospel is about promoting love and understanding, yet the Bishop of Rochester’s prejudices go against this, and it is for this reason he must repent his blatant homophobia. Bradford’s vibrant gay community has recently celebrated its most successful Pride event to further prove that it is in celebrating diversity and promoting understanding that communities can become more cohesive and move forward together.