The Grace Bible Church may not share the anti-homosexual views of Ghanaian-born Bishop Dag Heward-Mills‚ but it defended his right to share them in a sermon.
His comments prompted Idols SA judge Somizi Mhlongo to lash out at churches in the country after he felt “discriminated” against at a service at the church on Sunday.
Heward-Mills described homosexuality as “sinful”‚ “unnatural” and “disgusting”.
Grace Bible Church spokesperson Pastor Ezekiel Mathole defended the sermon‚ saying it offended a lot of people and not just the gay community.
- WATCH: Somizi blasts Grace Bible Church after homosexuality labelled 'disgusting' Idols SA judge Somizi Mhlongo has lashed out at churches in the country after he felt “discriminated” against at a service at Grace Bible Church on Sunday.
“If you listen to the entire sermon‚ the entire sermon was very‚ very provocative‚” he told Radio 702 on Monday morning.
“It provoked and challenged a lot of people‚ it offended many people too.
“It offended people who are liars‚ it offended people who are promiscuous‚ it offended people who are thieves‚ and then it dealt with issues around people with different sexual orientations‚ whether they are male and they have many partners or are homosexual.
“So‚ across the board‚ it didn’t only offend the LGBT community‚ it offended a lot of people."
Mathole said that Grace Bible Church did not agree with discrimination‚ explaining: “I don’t think we promote anybody trampling anybody’s dignity. What was out there‚ in terms of the sermon‚ when Bishop Dag when dealing with the value of the soul‚ he reflected when it comes to homosexuals with a different view to our own‚ which is a view that is out there.”
He said a “healthy society” dealt with these issues openly by discussing them rather than keeping them “secret”.
“For us‚ it is a good response‚ when people are actually saying they don’t like this particular view‚ than it is a view that is held in secret‚ so that don’t like those views can oppose those views.”
This‚ Mathole said‚ would be the only way to overcome “discrimination” and “bigotry”.
– TMG Digital
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