A few days ago, Manny Pacquiao, world champion boxer made a statement about gay marriage during a TV interview that animals were better than gay people “because they can distinguish male from female”.
His comments caused outrage around the world, causing Nike to drop him as an ambassador, with the sports company referring to Pacquaio’s comments as “abhorrent.”
Firstly, I can’t even imagine why the Paq-man would have a problem with homosexuality when his much-hyped fight with Mayweather was nothing but a hug-fest, but I digress…
Anyway, back to the story. Pacquiao apologised stating that he did not have a problem with the LGBT community but still stood firm against gay marriage. So far, so “Na you know”
He went to bed and that Old Testament hatred grabbed him by the bollocks though. Because Manny woke up the next day and said #SorryNotSorry.
Yesterday, a Bible quote appeared on his Instagram account, reading: “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” Leviticus 20:13.
Local Filipino media captured a screenshot of the image before it was deleted but Mr Pacquiao – still wearing his Nike sports gear – insisted the row had not affected him.
“I’m happy. I’m always happy because God is with me,” he said.
Ugh. There is nothing worse than inciting hatred, violence or exclusivism in the name of God. Every war that has ever been fought in the name of God has happened because someone thought God told him to do it. All you get is hatred, violence, senseless killings and heartbreak. Stop it.
Seriously, why are people so caught up on this homosexuality issue? Why are there people who do not know a lot of verses in the Bible know the entire story of Sodom and Gomorrah or know all the verses relating to homosexuality? Why is it so important to you – a non-gay person – to deny people of their rights? How does it affect your daily bread?
Are you gay? If no, then marry a member of the opposite sex. If yes, then marry a member of the same sex. How can this be such a hardship for some people to deal with?
I guess what I’m trying to say is: as e take consine you?!
What upsets me the most is picking verses at random. I guess Pacquiao didn’t feel the urge to make Instagram posts about any of the following:
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 – “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
Leviticus 24:16 – Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
Exodus 31:15 – Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.
So let’s see here. That covers all of you who are to be found in beer parlours, those of us who take that extra piece of chicken, those of you who sex up on a Sunday (that IS work if you’re doing it right!), and those of you who shout “Jesus! Jesus!!” when the…ummm…Spirit takes hold.
My point is: stop using the word of God to justify your small, myopic mind. Just because you hug beat people up for a living doesn’t mean you should incite others to violence too. There is already enough hatred in the world. Here is a novel approach: why not try peace and consider minding your business? You never know, you just might enjoy it.