On Youcef Nadarkhani

I was first drawn to this name when several of my friends on Facebook posted a prayer request for this Iranian Christian who had been sentenced to death... and predictably, these requests were from other Christians

AGAIN, the resounding silence of Muslims deafens me!

There are many variations of the story, but the irrefutable and consistent truth is that his faith (or lack of it, depending on your orientation) has a role to play. A man has been judged guilty based on his beliefs, and he has been sentenced to die; either for apostasy  or for defying the authority of the Islamic government by protesting compulsion of Islamic courses for pupils.

I know that an overwhelming majority of Muslims would not support this, so I wonder why they are yet to speak up. It has become a recurring theme, this muted reaction whenever a scandal like this rears its head. Muslims dread to speak against each other and end up appearing complicit.

There is no documentation of any situation where the Prophet of Islam did not exercise restraint when in a position of power, this tyranny by (mostly Arab) zealots has eroded the virtues of Islam, the faith of over 1.3 billion people all over the world.

In too many corners of the world, leaders (and despots) have come to confuse their faith for their convictions  and they further their own ambitions at the expense of the fate of others...

There is no basis in law, Sharia, Fiqh or Sunnah for the execution of this man, apostasy is not a crime against man, it is not for man to declare judgement on His behalf.

The perpetrators of this dastardly act betray me, and all Muslims, and they wrong every human on the surface of the earth by their actions.

I, Kamaldeen Oyebola Agoro denounce in very clear terms their (purported) actions. I find their position incompatible with the tenets of Islam, and I seek to expose them for the filth that they represent, a stain on mankind, a disgrace to humanity, a disservice to The Almighty.

This is one tiny voice, but at least it will count as one.

The Personhood Amendment

In the State of Mississippi, residents are getting ready to vote on the so-called 'Personhood Amendment' to their state laws, which would in effect, expand the definition of 'person' and 'persons' to include all human forms from conception to the point of death.

The aim of this legislation is not to recognize that life begins at conception (which is a religious and scientific fact), rather it is to expand the eligibility of all privileges under the Civil Rights Act and other laws to zygotes, embros and fetuses as well.

This is the latest move by the Pro Lifers...

Now for the requisite disclosures - I am not against abortion, I am not Pro-Choice, I am simply an existentialist.

I believe some decisions cannot be made until we come to them; just as I know that no one, not even Israelis would have ever voted in favor of a ratio of one Israeli to a thousand Palestinians had this been up for ballot six months ago.

There are situations to which we cannot predict our responses...

However, I do not seek to debate the merits or demerits of this issue, I merely wish to outline some of the consequences of such an amendment.

If zygotes, embryos and fetuses become entitled to all civil rights, then by implication;

1. All cases of pregnancy loss would become coroner cases

2. Mothers could be held liable (by the State) for some cases of pregnancy loss [spontaneous abortion due to strenous activity] for instance

3. As assisted fertility clinics woul be unable to dispose of the 'unneeded' embryos from each cycle, they would be forced to fertilize fewer eggs, the yield would thus become poorer and the process more tedious, time consuming and expensive

4. Stem cell researchers would become a sub-species of child molesters

5. Women would be eligible during pregnancy, for child support, as well as tax exemptions and college grants

6. Every legal age restriction would be shortened by 9 months

7. Unborn babies would be entitled to Social Security Numbers, State IDs and travel passports

8. Speaking of travel, the unborn would also be entitled to baggage allowances on flights

9. All hitherto 'legal' medical abortions would require a court order or would otherwise be extra-judicial killings

9b. All cause mortality in the US would swell by 10million annually (the contribution of voluntary abortion)

10. Women would become subjugated to the status of a secondary party for the sake of the unborn

11. Jogging, cycling, dancing, even driving could become 'acts (potentially) detrimental to the well-being of another'

12. Citizenship and Nationality may become more related to place of conception rather than place of birth

13. AND it would become more complicated to have consensual sexual relations with a pregnant woman, as there is another person whose presence (and involvement) must be considered

Please feel to express your opinion(s) on this issue... 

#DeadSerious and sincerely yours,

Oyebola Agoro

One good death... deserves another?

I have refused to watch the video clip of the Aalu mob action; because I have witnessed similar scenes in the past and need no refreshers...

I have also refused to view pictures of the devastation wrought by Boko Haram in various locations in northern Nigeria, and I understand better why videos of 9/11 are so distressing for Americans.

I have long pointed out that the bane of the Nigerian society is the absence of the rule of law, compounded by the lack of social justice...

Confronted by the ugliness that the mob of Aalu has demonstrated, some have pointed out the horrors they have endured for long - their women raped, their homes looted and their men killed in muggings for phones and sundry devices by criminals of similar profile as the butchered men.

In response to why students have delayed in turning out for protests, we are reminded of the reign of terror 'campus cults' inflict on these same students.

On the streets of Lagos, a cantankerous 'okada rider' can decide to ruin the day for any car owner; I am yet to see other drivers stop to offer support.

Take any community in Nigeria, from Victoria Garden City in Lekki to the Garden City of Port Harcourt; when a home is invaded, neighbours would merely shut their own doors and bar their windows onward.

Where does it lead us? Sadly, nowhere. There is no thirst for change.

I see my 'friends' on Facebook demand that justice be done... but really does anyone truly believe that the members of that community would break a sweat to bring the participants of that mob to book?

To the numerous few that questioned the 'innocence' of fellow Northerners who failed to turn in their Boko Haram neighbours; can any of you please explain to me why 'innocent' and 'God-fearing' lookers-on failed to intervene in that outrage?

There is a vindictive streak in us all, that seeks retribution for every wrong, real or imagined that we may have suffered in our past. Many in that crowd could recall some ordeal, experienced or narrated at the hands of robbers, rapists or cultists; so drawing some blood was not an unwelcome idea. It did not matter that those guys were probably not the ones involved in their personal ordeals, it was just enough to imagine it was them.

Similarly, I have interviewed literate, educated, lower middle class residents of Boko Haram inundated areas who said "well, let the others also see that living in this country has become a great burden on some of us". This was his reaction to the menace of terrorism in our nation.

It is easy to determine who and what is right or wrong, especially if you are removed from the experience and episodes. It is infinitely more difficult to state with all certainty however who should be punished or who should be let off.

It is ultimately sad that we have arrived at this sorry pass. And sorrier that there is little hope for redemption. Nigerians have failed Nigeria. I have witnessed lynch mobs in the past; I never stopped any. I have seen okadas terrorize one too many drivers; but never stopped to help. I knew several cultists back in the day; I never turned in any. I have heard conversations about date-related gang rapes; I never reported the culprits.

For these and many other atrocities I have committed, I refuse to watch that video; because I fear that the faces I would see on that mob would be mine...

And for these same reasons, I condemn the mob action, only after acknowledging my contributions, and recognize that when I was in that position, I really did not act much differently.

This is my challenge to all my friends, on Facebook and in life; please examine your own selves and come to terms with the reality you discover... maybe then we may come to realize why the rule of law and social justice is indispensable for any society. We need it to keep our venal desires in check; for if the truth be told, I am as good as the worst of that mob if only as bad as the best. 

And so are you, my friend...

A Pastor, a President and a People... Which way Nigeria? (Part II)

I wish to revisit three widely discussed stories that broke out recently, and I intend to draw a recurring theme that connects all three...

#1 The YouTube link spread faster outside Nigeria, mostly because few had the broadband width to stream video, but the gist eventually caught on... Bishod David Oyedepo was filmed hitting a young female member of his congregation, who had been brought before him for deliverance.

#2  In the aftermath of the Christmas Day Bombings (by the group better known as Boko Haram), President Jonathan made a statement to the effect that 'this too shall pass'.

#3  In response to the announcement by the Petroleum Products Price Regulating Agency (PPPRA) that the subsidy on imported petroleum products had ceased, fuel stations promptly hiked their prices and consumers commenced panic buying.

In the case of the Pastor, so many things were wrong, spiritually, biblically, socially, morally and legally. However, three things struck me 1) It was hard to find any comment or commentary (by Nigerians) that empathized with the girl in the video; how demeaning and traumatic it must have been to be forced out before a crowd numbering in the thousands, labelled a witch. 2) It was personally humiliating to view the second video showing the same Pastor recounting the episode and claiming that the 'witch' came back to apologize to him 3) It was appalling to see too many of my compatriots struggle to explain the man's actions, or exculpate him, or declare him to be answerable only to God (and thus above the laws of the land)

The #2 story merely illustrates that the government of this country is besides itself on the issue of leadership. It is a glaring revelation of the opinion, value and regard with which the presidency holds the citizenry.

The #3 story is the most significant of all. It portrays in real terms the Nigerian response to adversity, despoliation and economic enslavement. When I ran the possible outcomes of the fuel subsidy issue using Game Theory modelling, the first potential flash-point was the response of the immediate actors to the policy change. These actors include the product marketers, the transporters and the fuel station managers. Any of these groups (or all in unison) could have refused to play ball (after-all, they were well served by the status quo), but alas, the temptation of the short-term gains was too alluring.
Had fuel stations declined to discharge fuel at that landing cost, the ground swell of support would have been spontaneous and civil disobedience would have followed naturally and peacefully. Rather, what we have is the 'business as usual' 'dog-eat-dog' rat race. Outlet owners making a killing, black marketeers swinging into action and mass transit operators cashing in at the peak travel period for returning holiday travelers.

This leaves me convinced that had Mohamed Bouazizi been a Nigerian and pulled his stunt on the streets of a Nigerian city, the news would have been that his push-cart laden with vegetables was looted... by citizen by-standers.
Once again, I have glossed over several significant events in recent history; the Inaugural bomb blasts, Indepence Day non-celebration, Sallah Day Bombings, NDLEA (The State) Vs. Baba Suwe, Lekki Toll Protests, Supreme Court Ruling and the Christmas Day Bombings, again this is because these events were highly predictable to me and I was not caught unaware. Moreover, they are merely incremental incidents in an evolving drama.

If anything has changed since I typed the first part of these series, it is the emergence of a sinister subversive plot to rape this country. This was heralded by the emergence of GEJ as president, although his 'victory' merely presented a chance for the directors of this moving theater. For the umpteenth time, I will say again that the statement that by 2015, Nigeria will be a failed state was not just an Intelligence Analysis Report, it is a Plan in Action. There are a lot of parties; individual, corporate and state that will benefit enormously from civil strife and turmoil in Nigeria, and we the People have presented them with a golden opportunity and ample motivation to take advantage of it.

Several friends who have engaged in discussions with me have urged me to speak up, believing that something can be done in the nick of time. We have a Messiah Complex as Nigerians. Recall Bishop Oyedepo, revisit the 'Ordained President'. Yet we do not trust God enough to provide for everybody's need, thus the dog-eat-dog conundrum. The plot against the Nigerian society is masterfully crafted and powered by greed. We do not have a chance to stop it. It shall run its course. What can be done is to deflect the impact, mitigate the effect on the hapless citizen and this is what I strive to achieve. It is very instructive that just six days ago I was cautioning (highly sentimental) Christians against posturings of inter-religious conflicts! Now with the fuel subsidy removal, we have all been dealt a common blow and Nigerians (for now at least) see themselves as they truly are - hapless pawns!
Yet, does it mean that the Boko Haram threat is over? No.
Did the Niger Delta militancy end?
Do we know the date UMY died?
Did Turai really deny the VP access to the C-in-C?
Did GEJ truly win a landslide victory?
Is BH truly affiliated with Al-Qaeda?
What does Al-Qaeda want with Nigeria?
Shouldn't Saudi Arabia be the prime target for the Islamic Republic?
What is the real landing cost of PMS?

How did we go from this Boko Haram?

To this Boko Haram?

These are some of the questions that stare us in the face but we refuse to answer. Questions whose answers will serve to define us as a people and provide us with a common identity, unified purpose and aligned goal. 

Here a couple more...

"Do you know who you are talking to?"
 What do you see; a 'Big man' or an abused girl?

Face of a bully. Do you agree (not)?

Did you vote for Goodluck, but not PDP?

Strange bedfellows? Did they truly forget their differences?
And (did they truly) sacrifice their reputations for the sake of our nation?





 Until, we square up and answer these questions collectively, Nigerian shall be easy prey for exploitation, and she is ripe for the picking...

The succeeding paragraph was written 8 months ago, (and is) still valid and true till tomorrow! [The single thread that connects the UMY saga to the current outbreak of violence is not the involvement of the ethnic North, but our penchant for disregard of the law and due process. Demonstrated first in high office and manifested later in the streets.]

This penchant disregard of the law and due process has denied us a system for social justice. The absence of social justice has laid bare our social fabric. There are no safety nets; the President, fearful of domestic terrorists now cowers under a rock, tired of an oil cabal, has dumped the full burden on the People. The People, fearful for their little lives, call on God for protection. Greedy for their lot in life, readily trample on others for little gain. The petrol marketer has raised pump prices so that the bus conductor can charge more and the meat seller double while the shoe shiner increases his prices.
So we buy less fuel and 'lap' more, eat less meat and walk farther. When will the madness stop?

Address to the Joint Session

The President of the Senate
The Speaker of the House
Members of the Executive and the Judiciary
Ladies and Gentlemen:

This is a most historic occasion, sentient of the times we are in, it is a unique and unprecedented event, and I am truly humbled to be standing at this podium to (and I will say this out loud for the benefit of myself) briefly address a Joint Session of the US Congress.

I will provide some background which I believe will benefit the target audience of my message. I am a new immigrant to the United States, having been here for less than two years. Like many in my situation, I have spent my youth in another clime, a different culture, different people, and different prospects. Like all, I have chosen freely to cast my lot with the promise of this nation, a country for all people world over. The American Dream is vivid and persuasive enough to attract highly talented and motivated people from far across the globe; it is also a beacon for many in several dark corners the world over. This American Dream rewards industry and enterprise and dedication. It negates the old doctrine that status was a birthright, and that the poor could have it no different. The American Dream that draws tens of thousands of legal migrants annually gives the assurance that there are no glass ceilings, nor trip ladders.

Today, from my vantage viewpoint as a fresh immigrant, I can see with clarity that the current debt situation leaves me instantly poorer (by $46,000) than I was upon leaving the shores of my native country. To compound things, the current posturing of the political and power blocs also rob us of all hope, threatening to turn the American Dream into a pipe dream.
One side seeks to conserve and preserve the wealth of the nation in the hands of the privileged; the other remains content to give handouts to the poor, but offer no prospect of self-empowerment.

In the last couple of weeks, we the People have been inundated, courtesy of the media, with reports of the US debt crisis, the debt ceiling of the US Government, the need for a congressional vote to raise this limit and the implications of a US
Government default on its major instruments of debt.

We have also heard the arguments from both sides, and we are gladdened that both sides agree that the ceiling needs to be raised, that government spending needs to be curtailed and the debt profile must be revisited to create a more sustainable trajectory. We are however mortified to learn of how radically different, and mutually exclusive the thoughts of the two sides are on how to carry out this common agenda.

Our esteemed leaders, perhaps, we need a few reminders at this juncture. That leadership is the ability to identify and correct a problem before it becomes a disaster. In contrast to the tenets of this adage, what we have witnessed in recent times is our leaders governing through crises and artificially created cliff-hanger scenarios, specifically to milk every incident for all possible political capital.

Perhaps our esteemed leaders need to be reminded of the plight and conditions of the majority of Americans – the very people they purport to represent, that the multitudes of employed and unemployed need social security, Medicaid, Medicare as well as the Affordable Care Act. And that the Investors and Business owners want tax breaks, subsidies and sundry benefits. That everyone in both groups, making these different demands on government, wants the same goals, ultimately – to live freely in the pursuit of happiness.

Perhaps the Honourable members of the US Congress need to be reminded that what we have is a representative government in which the bicameral legislature best reflects the composition of the Union. That no county district or constituency is either pure red or pure blue. That no congressman has ever been returned by 100%, thus to purport to stand only for the party line and to eschew all forms of compromise as this present House is wont to do is a disservice to the nation and an affront on representative government.

The United States needs to live up to its name; the political parties need to keep in mind that the real power belongs to the people, not interest groups.
It is at a sad juncture that we find ourselves today, where the world watches in amazement as the top two elected officers from both parties deliver their different spins on the same issue with surreal animation and affectations. It is probably one of the most humbling moments in the history of the Union when the joint session of the representatives of the greatest nation on earth suffers the preaching of an obscure immigrant from a third world nation.

Yet, it is from such moments that this Union re-invents itself and charts a whole new course for humanity. It is this resilience that has favoured the US in the past, we call upon it again for the task ahead, it is by no means easy, but it has to be done.

As I have unduly been granted this privilege to speak to this assembly, I see no reasons why I should not conclude with these admonitions from a my very sincere heart;

To the majority of the citizens of this country, many of whom are trapped in the rat-race so deviously crafted by the corporations, and have chosen to remain unconcerned; I say rise up

To the rich, who feel protected from the predictable financial upheaval (in the event of a default) by their accumulated wealth; I say, wise up

To You, the Representatives of the people, leaders of the Free World; I say man up

This is not simply about standing for what is just, and what is right, it is about doing what needs to be done, and doing it, just right.

Thank you for your time,
God bless us all,
God bless the United States of America.


(This speech is to be delivered by this presumptuous author to an imagined Joint Session of the US Congress on the eve of the very unlikely event of a default on the US Government’s debt obligations)

Which way, Nigeria?

Nigeria and Nigerians have in the last twelve months witnessed a series of events; ranging from the mundane, to the absurd, barbaric and cataclysmic. From the disappearance of a sitting president to his eventual demise, succession travails, build up to national elections and the on-going post-election violence.

These were events that I followed closely, and freely commented upon via different social media. This essay is a follow up of the same theme I have been emphasizing throughout my writings, it is also in response to several misconceptions and misinterpretations that are gaining currency at the moment.

Where we are today as a Nation was predictable and avoidable.
When UMY disappeared in Novemeber 2009, without following the due process of power transfer, very few spoke up, too many were tolerant of this abuse of office by the Executive branch. When it became all to apparent that he had become incapacitated as the C-in-C, the statutory bodies also failed to respond in the manner stipulated by law. The public was stirred into action; but action was more akin spectators at a theatrical comedy than of aggrieved citizens.
On the eventual announcement of the president's demise, the lines were blurred even further. It was widely reported that the wife of the president and a few others had hijacked the apparatus of state, denied the VP access to his boss and vicariously held the entire nation hostage. Yet, this was never addressed nor investigated. Worse still, Nigerians never demanded an explanation, nor did we seek closure.

In the build up to the elections, I stated on several occasions that we failed the primary challenge in re-writing the destiny of our nation- which was to identify, promote and sponsor worthy candidates. Every other thing that followed was and still is an exercise in futility, as far as changing the status quo is concerned. I urged my friends and colleagues not to lose sleep over any candidate, that none could deliver any meaningful change.
Alas, the enthusiasm was intoxicating, the fervor too strong, everybody (well nearly) caught the fever, and all of a sudden, the hopes and aspirations of tens of millions coalesced into a palpable pulse, and the hope solidified, and Nigerians... believed, that it could happen.

When voting was deferred on the first day of the elections, I proclaimed loudly that such could only happen in Nigeria, when in the absence of a disaster or wide-scale emergency, polling could be called off while voters and electoral officers where already at polling booths, and after some ballots had been casted.
Alas, Nigerians were quick (too quick) to come to the defense of the Electoral Commission. I opined that the excuses given were lame, that even if the contractors failed to supply materials, there ought to have been a back up plan in place, I strongly suggested, that perhaps, once again, Nigerians were being kept in the dark about the real events that would shape their future and collective destinies... too few listened or took heed.

The aftermath of the Presidential elections is just too sad to narrate. The results are glaring, anybody could be a target; Emirs, politicos, businesses, Christians, NYSC members, non-Northerners; everybody. Wanton, senseless, destruction of lives and property.

Emotions are high, the disgust and outrage palpable. The loss is incalculable, the survivors and families of victims inconsolable. It is tempting to describe the violence as the culmination of everything bad and evil about Nigeria, but sadly, it isn't. This is just another manifestation of the sorry state of our nation.

The single thread that connects the UMY saga to the current outbreak of violence is not the involvement of the ethnic North, but our penchant for disregard of the law and due process. Demonstrated first in high office and manifested later in the streets.

At the moment however, we prefer to deny this inconvenient truth. Folks from the south are more willing to denounce the 'northern muslims' and the 'almahjiris' rather than own up to our collective faults and errors, as a society, and as a nation.

The present situation was predictable and thus avoidable.
Predictable because over the years, there have been intermittent outbreaks of violence in several parts of the country with the same results- the victims are left to lick their wounds or retaliate, but the perpetrators are never found, investigated nor brought to book.
This culture of tolerance has encouraged the nurturing of violence as a social tool; for self-determination and emancipation in the Niger-Delta to self-expression and popular protest in the North.

I stopped short of warning of post-election civil unrests for two reasons; firstly, I was of the opinion that it was obvious enough, secondly, I did not wish to be liable for creating or planting the idea into the minds of all too willing people.
It was obvious because most people expected some form of rigging or the other, which is the reason for party agents at polling centers. And surely, electoral rigging was sure to leave large sections of the public, cheated and disenfranchised.
Avoidable because these causes are far from natural causes.

This essay is not going to be a review of the state of our affairs however, I intend it to illuminate a possible pathway out of the doldrums, to a new and prosperous nation.
This will be explored through a series of articles on this blog, but I want to leave room for discussion. We need a collaborative effort, we need to exchange ideas and rub minds. I realize that I have a tendency to gloss over recent events, largely because I had long anticipated them. I acknowledge however that others are devastated, and have not, or cannot yet move beyond it. I also expect others to hold a different opinion, view or perspective.
I encourage everyone tagged to air their views, I will appreciate it a lot. It would serve a common good, and possibly lead to a re-birth of our nation-state.

Thank you

(To be continued...)

The Gay Question

Earlier it was California's Proposition 8 getting quashed, then it was Tyler Clementi, a college freshman who committed suicide after his roommate filmed him having sex and broadcast it on the web, then it was the church group protesting at the funeral of a gay soldier, next it was the Bronx attacks and last night, a NY Gubernatorial candidate (I need to quote here) said; "My children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family. And I don't want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option. It isn't"

Needless to say the uproar that has greeted these events have been resounding, and there have been condemnations from various quarters as well.
This has led me to re-evaluate my own position on the gay issue, to identify my prejudices, if any, bias, support and the sources and justifications for these positions.

Having spent my first 30 years in Nigeria, it comes as no surprise that I do not know any LGBT, well at least any that is 'out of the closet' so to speak. Thus I have no personal experience to bring to bear on this issue.

On self-examination however, I realized that my most perceptible emotions towards and about gays were negative - off the cuff, I felt it was unnatural, aberrant, unhealthy, dysfunctional.
When I probed further, I found out that these definitions only applied to their sexuality, that is, I personally wouldn't mind meeting with, working with or making friends with a gay person. I have always believed that a man's private deeds are no concern of mine.

Next I endeavored to determine the source of my prejudice, this wasn't hard, both my native African culture and religious teaching as a Muslim take a dim view of homosexuality.

Since my recent immigration to the US, I have had to come to terms with the American Way, which simply put: states that it is the individual, not the State or any social or religious group, that will determine the requirements for life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

The American society accepts all manner of people and faith and creed and race and sexual orientation.

Yes (some of) the people are religious but the State will not favor one religion over the other. Thus what may have been outlawed by faith can be lawful in the eyes of the State. This has been taken by people to mean that the State is Anti-religion, and many have defended it arguing that not supporting religious views is not tantamount to being against religion.

I believe that the USA is anti-religion. Just as being Christian is anti-Islam and being Muslim is anti-Christianity because no faith is truly egalitarian and tolerant. Each claims not just superiority of knowledge, but monopoly of the truth. Not to support or promote any faith is to stand in the way of that faith.

Back to the Gay issue, it is noteworthy that virtually every faith demeans the practice of homosexuality, and yet the practice can be found in every culture, ethnicity and race. It is also rather remarkable that these religious teachings aligned with the prevailing social dogma at the times the religions were established.

This is a recurring theme with world religions where along with the gospel of the One True God, the dominant belief systems have also been codified and taught alongside the real message. Thus Judaism, Christianity and Islam are patriarchal while the Far Eastern and Asian faiths predominantly are animistic.

I believe that homophobia is of man, not from God. For in the Eyes of God, all sinners have the potential for redemption. Had fornication and adultery been an uncommon aberrant behavior it would have been as successfully vilified by religious leaders.
My premise is based on three simple facts. That sexual orientation is biologically determined. That aberrations are statistically inevitable and that God does not make mistakes.

The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were not just 'sodomy and bestiality' as pop culture would have us believe. In Ezekiel 16: 48-50 (God said) of Sodom (and the four cities): "She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me."

The cardinal sins are acts of voluntary will initiated by a perverted mind, not oddities of nature.

In view of the above, I will never discriminate against any LGBT, however this does not mean I subscribe to all of their agitations.

For instance, I vehemently oppose the adoption of children by Gay (male) couples, but I have no such reservations for lesbians who conceive through artificial techniques. About Gay Marriage? My position is that the US law errs in adopting the religious definition of marriage, or better put, in adopting the religious term rather than the more legalistic term; 'civil union'.

This is my opinion, my position, my stance...

Thank you.