Gays will go to hell, cardinal says

This music video from Italy says about itself:

For the first time in Italy, reggae music takes a stance against homophobia. Luciano and The Jah Messenjah Band came out in support of gay rights and the 2009 national LGBT Gay Pride to be held in Genova, Italy on 27 June 2009. The concert took place on the international day against homophobia (17 May) drawing a crowd of 3-500 revellers. Special guest: Carrol Thompson.

From Italian news agency ANSA:

‘Gays won’t go to heaven’

Your heaven is ‘unjust’, gays tell cardinal

02 December, 16:35

Rome, December 2 – Gays and transsexuals won’t go to heaven, a top Roman Catholic cardinal said Wednesday.

“Transsexuals and gays will never enter the heavenly kingdom,” said Javier Lozano Barragan, until recently the Vatican’s ‘health minister’.

“It’s not me who says so, it’s St Paul,” he said, referring to the saint credited with forging the early Church.

St Paul (5 BC-67 AD) wrote many epistles (letters) to the rapidly spreading early Christian community.

In one of them, to the Romans, he said about unbelievers: ”God gave them up to degrading passions. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error”.

Barragan, who still holds positions on various Church bodies, added that people were not born gay but became so.

…

Barragan’s remarks drew a prompt reaction from the Italian gay association Arcigay, which said “yes, it’s true, we won’t ever get into your heaven, which is a murky and unjust place”.

This reminds me of the native American opponent of the Spanish conquistadores’ invasion of Cuba, who, just before being burned alive, given the choice between converting to Christianity and hell, said that he did not want to go heaven if the Spanish invaders would be there as well.

It added that Barragan’s statement came in the wake of a spate of attacks on gays and “a media campaign against the dignity of transsexual persons,” referring to unflattering portraits of prostitutes involved in a Rome sex scandal. In its teachings, the Catholic Church describes homosexuality as a “disorder” which bars active gays from taking part in the Church.

The Vatican sparked polemics last December when it opposed a proposed United Nations declaration to decriminalise homosexuality in the world.

But in July the Holy See said it agreed that homosexuality should be decriminalised and backed the Council of Europe’s plans to prepare a measure on the issue.

At least 86 countries ban gays and many others approve their torture and imprisonment.

U.S. Ties to Ugandan Anti-Gay Bill: here.

Castro takes responsibility for Cuba persecuting gays: here.