05/09/2019
STATEMENT ON THE PROPOSED SOGIE BILL
CPBC Faith and Order Committee
August 28, 2019
In light of the on-going debates that has divided the nation and many Christians in our country, we, the members of the Faith and Order Committee of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, in pursuance to our faith and conviction and in the exercise of our Constitutional right to freedom of conscience and religion, hereby publish our position on the proposed SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression) Bill for the purpose of declaring to and informing all our member churches and institutions, as well as government leaders, legislators and agencies of our nation that:
We affirm our faith in God who created man in His own image (Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 8) thus, in obedience to God who loves and redeems His people and gave His Son Jesus who died on the cross to save those who believe in him (John 3:16), we have a sacred responsibility to love and respect every individual regardless of race, creed, color, ethnicity and s*xual orientation including those who identify themselves as either le***an, gay, bis*xual, transgender, q***r or inters*x. We affirm that Christ’s Gospel and ministry are inclusive and God seeks to meet human needs without partiality and discrimination.
Consequently, on the basis of the aforementioned faith conviction, we stand against every form of dehumanization, abuse, ostracism, defamation, persecution, bashing or bullying against any person because of what he/ she believes in, and if any of our church members or Christian brethren had deliberately dishonoured or aggrieved members of the LGBTQI+ community, we are deeply sorry and we sincerely ask for forgiveness for such act.
However, following the dictates of our conscience and conviction, we stand against the proposed SOGIE Bill on the following grounds:
1. The SOGIE Bill runs counter to our faith and morals as taught in the scripture. The Bible clearly declares that marriage is a sacred union solely between man and woman (Genesis 2:7) and that same s*x or same gender marriage goes against God’s revealed commands (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, 1 Cor. 6:9-11, Rom. 1:21-28). Pursuant to that conviction, we respectfully but earnestly oppose the passage of the SOGIE Bill.
2. We affirm that the family is born of the intimate communion of life and love founded on the marriage of a man and a woman, and that the SOGIE Bill confuses and distorts our Biblical and Filipino concept and values of personhood, marriage and family where gender and the male and female identity are defined by natural biology; that a man, husband or father is a biological male; and that a woman, wife or mother is a biological female. The passage of the SOGIE BILL that promotes same-gender relationship will put the safety, health and well-being of the family in jeopardy, and if the family is destroyed, grave harm is inflicted on the authentic growth of individuals and society as a whole.
3. The SOGIE Law is unnecessary. There are already existing laws such as the Bill of Rights that protect the rights of every citizen of this country. Legislating SOGIE is privileging/favouring the LGBTQ+ sector while punishing the majority who may not agree with nor support their lifestyle and preferences.
4. The SOGIE Bill violates Article 3, sections 4 and 5 of the Constitution that provides that no law shall be passed abridging or prohibiting the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship. Legislating SOGIE BILL is tantamount to violation of this provision in our constitution and a direct assault to freedom of conscience and religious conviction.
5. SOGIE as inspired by postmodern concept of "non-truth" or relativism is dangerous if legislated because it establishes precedence where truth is subjective and based on a person’s feelings or perspective (example, a biological male who feels she is a woman trapped in a man’s body), and all forms of feelings can possibly overrule truth and reality.
6. The SOGIE Bill will directly or indirectly validate or support LGBTQI+ assumptions and lifestyle reinforced by a faith that claims that God approves same-s*x or same-gender marriage to the detriment of other sectors who do not adhere to it. Equal protection of rights for all in this sense is jeopardized. The passage of SOGIE Bill would violate the equal protection clause of the Constitution because it privileges one sector while seeks to punish those who do not conform to it.
7. The SOGIE Bill, because it allows too much subjectivism, is prone to abuse and will open floodgates to future legislations that will allow feelings and emotions to overrule truth and reality.
On account of all these reasons, we, therefore, earnestly appeal to our Senators and leaders in all levels of government not to pass the SOGIE Bill!!!
God bless the Philippines!
REV. DR. ARMANDO S. KOLE
Chairman, CPBC Faith and Order Committee
REV. JIREH JOHN B. FRANCIA
Member
REV. CRIS AMORSOLO V. SIAN
Member
REV. DR. JERSON B. NARCISO
CPBC General Secretary
