By Michael Stone | 24 October 2014
Patheos
Gays are under attack in Liberia after many Christian leaders, including Catholic Archbishop Lewis Zeigler of Monrovia, declared Ebola to be a punishment from God for the act of homosexuality.
Earlier this year, “more than 100 Bishops, Pastors, General Overseers, Prophets, Evangelists and other Ministers of the Gospel,” met under the auspices of the Liberian Council of Churches (LCC), to deliberate about the Ebola epidemic.
Ultimately, the Christian leaders unanimously endorsed the following resolution:
“That God is angry with Liberia, and that Ebola is a plague. Liberians have to pray and seek God’s forgiveness over the corruption and immoral acts (such as homosexualism, etc.) that continue to penetrate our society. As Christians, we must repent and seek God’s forgiveness.”
Previously, Archbishop Lewis Zeigler of Monrovia publicly declared the following concerning the Ebola epidemic:
“One of the major transgressions against God for which He may be punishing Liberia is the act of homosexuality.”
LGBT activist Leroy Ponpon told Reuters:
“Since church ministers declared Ebola was a plague sent by God to punish sodomy in Liberia, the violence toward gays has escalated. They’re even asking for the death penalty. We’re living in fear.”
Ebola has infected almost 10,000 people in West Africa since March, killing around half its victims. Liberia is the worst hit country where poverty, corruption and civil war have left a weak health system unable to cope with the exponential spread of the disease.
However, many West Africans continue to believe that Ebola is not a medical disease, but a supernatural curse. The novelty of Ebola, coupled with its rapid death toll in recent months, has created an enabling environment for rumors, misinformation and superstition to spread among West Africans.
An atmosphere the merchants of religious superstition and ignorance like Archbishop Lewis Zeigler and other religious leaders use to promote their own brand of poison.
Reprinted with permission from the author.
Michael Stone is an atheist, an educator, a progressive, a secular humanist, a freethinker, and a freelance writer. He is also the founder of the popular Facebook page, Progressive Secular Humanist Examiner.
Be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook
Golly gee whiz, how come there haven't been any cases on Castro Street in San Francisco?
So all victims of ebola are homosexuals? If not, then why is your god punishing innocents?
The bible is a collection of hatred, bigotry, misogyny, and superstition. I am surprised so many still think there's anything of value in that poor book. If there is any kind of supernaturalbeing out there, it's not any of the versions of the bible(there are many gods there, btw.). Humanity will be more humane when people stop indocrinating their children, and following a book from a period of time when humans were beasts, dumb and stupid.