Over the past five years of writing Editorials there are only a few I have thought twice about before putting pen to paper … or pressing the keys of the computer keyboard.

This is one, and to use the words from the pastors of the Cayman Ministers Association I “have been constrained” by their latest letter “to use this medium to publically express my grave concerns” by what they have said.

I am going to win no slaps on the back from any of these pastors who many I know personally and are my brothers and sisters in Christ.

However, after much prayer I am going to say they were not wrong in writing about their concerns but they are totally wrong in the presentation and contents of the majority of this letter. Please see iNews Cayman story published June 9 2016 “Cayman Islands pastors oppose LGBT event/Bishop Alan Wilson to speak” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/cayman-islands-pastors-oppose-lgbt-event/

I must also state strongly I am against same sex marriage for reasons stated loud and clear by Jesus Christ. I am also “uncomfortable” by pastors/priests who are “gay”.

I have not attended nor did I want to attend the two-day conference on June 11 and 12 by an entity called “Queering Paradigms” under the sponsorship of Canterbury Christ Church University in the U.K.

Alan Wilson, Bishop of Buckingham, who was scheduled to give a keynote address is no relation to me, nor have I ever met the gentleman.

I have a number of men and women, not only here, but elsewhere who are of the LGBT brethren, and are my friends.

One such member, when I was giving the Sunday message at my church I attend, was openly upset with me when I blasted the modern Christian church for their relaxing stance relating to same sex unions. The person is still unforgiving for my message that he/she took personally. I was upset, too, for giving the person so much pain. Truth often hurts.

Now for the Cayman Ministers and their letter.

The ministers recognize “the rights to freedom of religion, speech, assembly, etc.” GOOD.

Now we come to where I have my “grave concerns”…. I have capitalized certain words to make my point.

The following is taken form the Cayman Ministers letter:

We are concerned that, under the guise of a challenge to a widely demonized concept – “discrimination,” there MAY in fact be planned an ideological and moral attack against the mores, values and traditions of our beloved Cayman Islands ….

While recognizing the rights to freedom of religion, speech, assembly, etc., we view the recently publicized plans as QUITE POSSIBLY the thinnest of veils over a direct attack on the moral, spiritual and social fabric of our islands.

As pastors of Caymanian churches, we are especially saddened that a United Kingdom cleric APPEARS to be selected to undermine the biblical values that faithful local pastors have been striving to commend to our people – especially our vulnerable youth and children.

We must conclude, therefore, that rather than a mere academic exercise, this planned conference IS MOST LIKELY TO BE a strategic attack on the traditional Christian position on morality and family that the majority of Caymanians have held for generations.

So we have a MAY, QUITE POSSIBLY, APPEARS and IS MOST LIKELY TO BE.

Then comes a paragraph I have tried to understand but the meaning of which in the overall content of the letter I cannot grasp:

“While we understand that in academia there must be openness and willingness to explore the difficult issues that confront students in all disciplines, we also feel that a sensitivity to one’s social context and conventions must be exercised by those who guide our institutions.”

It seems like another contender for admission into the Academy of Gobbledegook!

I cannot understand why the Ministers’ Association couldn’t have issued a clear and concise statement saying they are concerned with the staging of “Queering Paradigms” without all the conjectures, maybes, possibilities, etc, and advising some of their members will be in attendance and will report back. They will also be staging there own two day conference on Christian Values under the title LOVE a word that was completely missing from their letter and of which the whole Christian faith is based on.

God loves us all – not just Christians, but also sinners and LGBT!

He will not approve of everything we do but that does not stop Him loving us.

The part in the Minister’s Letter I do agree with is:

“We also note that we have been convinced by developments in the dominant western nations over the past several years that the freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, etc., which we also hold dear, have not been accorded all groups or persons with equity or fairness. In particular, there is clear evidence that those advocating or standing for traditional Christian values have not been given the same rights as those representing opposing or deviating views – in fact, in many cases their rights have been abused.”

However, the pendulum has swung the other way. The LGBT group have been fighting this for years and still do in some countries – even the Caribbean.

I awoke this morning to the horrifying news of the massacre at the Gay Club in Orlando, Florida where at least 50 persons were shot dead by an ISIS sympathizer in the name of religion.

“Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer called today “the most difficult day in the history of Orlando” at news conference this afternoon [12].

Rep. Alan Grayson, of Florida’s 9th District, said during a news conference this morning that the attack was ideologically motivated.

“It’s no coincidence the attack took place where it did and when it did,” he said in reference to the fact that Pulse was a gay nightclub.

George Stephanopoulos of ABC News interviewed Christine Leinonen, the mother of Christopher Leinonen, a young man who went missing inside of the club at the time of the attack.

“Please, let’s all try to get rid of the hatred and the violence,” she said, sobbing.

SOURCE: http://abcnews.go.com/US/multiple-injuries-shooting-orlando-nightclub-police/story?id=39789552

Even more incentive for a Two Day Conference on LOVE.

FOOTNOTE: I have been informed there was no member of the Ministers Association in attendance at the Queering Paradigms conference