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The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Dominica has become aware of the Dominica High Court April 22, 2024 ruling declaring that sections 14 & 16 of the Sexual Offences Act which criminalises homosexual sex, is unconstitutional.<\/p>\n
Seventh-day Adventists believe that sexual intimacy belongs only within the marital relationship of a man and a woman and that any sexual relationship outside of that context is sinful, wrong, and immoral.<\/p>\n
We wish to be unequivocal that the Seventh-day Adventists Church holds that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, are loved by God and the church. We do not condone singling out any group for scorn and derision, let alone abuse. Still, God\u2019s Word that transcends time and culture does not permit a homosexual Lifestyle.<\/p>\n
The implications of the recent ruling of the High Court runs counter to our Biblical and theological understanding. The Court\u2019s decision opens the door, as it has elsewhere, for future legalising of same-sex unions and marriages in Dominica and therefore has potential to put faith-based organisations which share our stance on marriage in a compromising position. Consequently, we foresee a time when religious leaders may be asked to officiate weddings of same-sex couples.<\/p>\n
To perform such marriages, for Seventh-day Adventists, would be untenable.<\/p>\n
We also reaffirm, without hesitation, our long-standing position as expressed in the Church\u2019s Fundamental Beliefs: \u201cMarriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in loving companionship.\u201d The monogamous union in marriage of a man and a woman is the only morally appropriate locus of genital or related intimate sexual expression.<\/p>\n
Further, we have also observed that in some places where this first step has been taken, there follows a movement towards variance in the education system that calls for curriculum amendment and changed organizational practice that would also run counter to the educational philosophy of faith-based schools operated by us and others. While some may argue that this thinking is premature we have chosen to be proactive in our response to what we see is likely future developments surrounding this present decision.<\/p>\n
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