S377A

*This may be one of my strongest post so far in this blog.

Recently, there had been a lot of hooha about the penal code S377A. In case people dun know what is it about, I quote to you here:

"377A. Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years."

So what's the issue?

People have been appealing online to ask the government to repeal this piece of penal code. And it's all about 'equal rights'... or is it?

I have to clarify at this point that I'm not against homosexuals, as a Christian, it is Christ's command that I do my best not to condemn them. But it is His command that I condemn sins, and homosexuality is a sin. Why? And I quote from the best selling book of all time:

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
- Romans 1:18-32

From here, we know that homosexuality is wrong. And we do know that in all cultures, homosexuality is an unnatural relationship between same sex. But that does not constitute as the only reason why I oppose the repealing of S377A.

Another reason is also that the argument that S377A is unconstitutional and undemocratic is fundamentally flawed. It all boils down to the silent majority. Although people have been making noises to repeal S377A, what makes you think that the majority actually wants the government to repeal S377A. And if so, when the repeal got its way, isn't that an undemocratic act, since the majority had not been heard whether they want the repealing of S377A? If this is the case, what gives the repealers the right to talk all about equal rights and democracy and constitution? And NTU has actually researched to reach the conclusion that majority of the Singapore wants to keep the penal code. Hence, I would say that the request for repeal is more of an unconstitutional and undemocratic act to Singaporeans than the decision to keep it.

One argument that I have seen in this case is also that the homosexual community is growing in Singapore, and that Singapore should follow international trends and whatever craps and nonsense you have on that online petition. Again, the argument is fundamentally flawed. The basis of this entire saga is whether which decision is right and which decision is wrong. Ultimately, which is the right thing to do? Perhaps let me go down to the consequences of repealing first. If repealed, the fact remains that we will began to see an increasing number of homosexuals performing their acts in public (not sexual one). Another fact remains that it is common knowledge that Singaporean kids learn from what they see, and Singaporean parents tend to be a bit bad on educating their kids. I see that repeal would mean that our next generation be exposed to a set of wrong behaviours and values. So is repealing the penal code the right thing to do? The answer is obviously no. The fact that homosexual community is growing despite the code is a sign that it will grow even more if the code is being repealed. It has serious moral implication to our society. Furthermore, the fact, that the community is increasing, doesn't make it right to repeal the penal code. Just like, the fact that more countries are repealing such code of similar nature, it doesn't mean that we have to compromise on our moral values and repeal the code.

Let me make one point clear. The code by itself does not condemn homosexuals but it does condemn homosexuality. I am not condemning the homosexuals but making a point against what they do.