By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

CHURCHGOERS should admonish their pastors to focus on issues like providing relief for people affected by the city dump fire - not on the United States’ “benign” policies concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, an activist said yesterday.

Erin Greene’s comments came after The Tribune’s report that several Bahamian pastors, along with scores of their regional counterparts, petitioned US President Donald Trump to revoke any US policy implemented under his predecessor that promotes same-sex marriages in the Caribbean region.

Grace Community Church Pastor Lyall Bethel and Pastor Allen Lee, president of Teleios Theological Training Institute, were among 17 Bahamian ministers and nearly 300 Caribbean church leaders who signed the letter that was sent to President Trump in January.

Among other things, former US President Barack Obama issued a presidential memorandum in 2011 directing federal agencies to ensure that US diplomacy and foreign assistance promoted and protected the human rights of LGBT people.

Under President Obama’s tenure, USAID, a US government agency responsible for delivering international aid and assistance, was also empowered to make the promotion and protection of LGBT people a fully integrated part of its work.

This involved creating a new position: a special envoy for the human rights of LGBT people.

So far, President Trump has retained that envoy, Randy Berry, a gay career foreign service officer who was appointed by President Obama two years ago.

However, there has not been any specific US policy that pressures countries in the region to embrace same-sex marriage.

Ms Greene said yesterday that pastors should therefore focus their attention elsewhere.

“I think it’s obvious to everyone that there are far more important issues for the representatives of the Christian church to be focused on,” she said. “Bahamians should see it as their obligation within their own faith to have continuous dialogue with their pastors and help them focus on issues that are more important to Bahamians at this time. Tell them that perhaps focus on providing services for people suffering from the (landfill) fire, or bring calm and reason to our communities during the election season. Focus on providing opportunities and safe spaces to our young men and other real priority issues like food security. I would respond to their parishioners and tell them to help them refocus on the Christian message right now.”

Another LGBT activist, Alexis D’Marco, said last week that the tone of the pastors was “vitriolic,” and she accused them of wanting the country to become a theocracy.

Pastor Lee knocked these accusations in a letter sent to The Tribune on Saturday, and took issue with being portrayed as homophobic.

He added that the pastors’ position springs from their belief that a “marriage between a man and a woman is best for an ordered society.”

He said their concern is with the same-sex marriage, not individual LGBT people.

Pastor Lee said: “We well understand and respect the response of Ms D’Marco – and we say that with the utmost sincerity – however, we are extremely disappointed in the manner in which she has chosen to express it. She, unfortunately, takes on the same ‘tone’ with what she charges us. Due to the importance of the issue and the hope that perhaps a foundation can be laid for ongoing constructive dialogue, we are compelled to respond in some detail to her remarks . . . and we do so in a spirit of love and genuine concern for the spiritual and sociological welfare of our people.

“As mentioned, Ms D’Marco begins by describing our letter as ‘vitriolic.’ First, if this is so, we humbly apologise on part of all signatories. That was not our intention. We can truly say, in a sincere attempt to follow our Saviour, and as good Bahamian Christian citizens, ‘we love you,’ and believe that, since He died for all people, we are all similarly ‘precious in his sight.’

Pastor Lee added: “ . . .Also, she, as well as most of those who responded to (the initial) article on your website, have inappropriately broadened our focus on same sex marriage to include all those of the LGBTQ community personally. This is an inaccurate, judgmental conclusion. Our concern in the letter is with the issue of same sex marriage, not the individual per se.

“That is also why we avoid name calling or judgmental accusations of individuals. Something that most of the respondents on (The Tribune’s) website unfortunately appear so eager to do, thus diverting our attention away from the issue itself.

“Ms D’Marco also charges us with being homophobic. Again, it amazes me how such unfounded accusations are made by those who hold the contrary view to ours. Name-calling and personal attacks against one’s character are almost automatic. Again, I direct you to the respondents to (the) article on your website. How often, if at all, do you see us ‘take the low road’ and retaliate with such terms as “heterophobic” or “Christian-phobic” against those of who hold a contrary view?”