By Friar. ODONGO Nicholas Weke, OFM Conventual
Human Being! Who is this unbridled creature? Who is this untamed creature? Who is this impossible possibility? As philosophers say, philosophy is all about wonder, Socrates, in his ethics, argues that an unexamined life is not worth living.1 This idea has led me to reflect on myself and the nature of human beings in this present generation. With all the advancements in technology, social life, and thinking, I do ask if it were necessary for human beings to have the intellect, the faculty of reasoning. Imagine a situation where there is neither reasoning nor inventions. Could it be the best word possible? To this, Leibniz confessed that this word is the best possible one because God, though free, is necessitated by His perfection to always give the best.2 If so, why all these immoralities, wars, sufferings, and misunderstandings? Augustine of Hippo, however, brings consolation by asserting that our hearts are restless until they rest in God.3 It means that while in this universe, human beings will continuously struggle to find the perfect happiness which is only in God. Therefore, in God, all our questions, and wonderings are answered.
Presently we live in a very wild and distorted universe. Things have been turned upside down. There are climatic change threats, which were discussed in the previous article, and moral threats, the basis of this article. The most pressing moral threat now is the strong emergence of the LGBTQ community. This ideology has brought with it moral dilemmas that are confusing yet demanding specific stands. The ideology has put off many, especially Christians, who now find almost nothing good in this universe. In trying to answer to LGBTQ community’s demands, the vast majority have been misled even by the authorities whom they trust most. Some even quit their religious practices looking for the best answers
to this pressing issues in the already confused universe. Others have neglected their morality, as they find recourse in the “SUPERMAN” man for himself.4 “SUPERMAN” is where human beings try to explain everything in a way that only benefits an individual’s interest. This entails redefining moral standards distinctly and independent of the existing authorities.
Consequently, some human species rely on the existentialistic mentality that “our essence is never predefined, but we exist to find our essence.”5 This understanding is basically out of over-reliance on the corrupt reasoning of man. Augustine of Hippo puts it that, “sin corrupted the human beings…reason alone cannot reach the absolute truth…we need the Graces of God to restore human nature.”6 To this end, it can be argued that human essence was already predefined to be good, “essence precedes existence,” and to be in union with God. This brings me to the point that, to some extent, human beings (basically Christians) have been manipulated to abandon their faith. It is through this loophole that the ideologies like LGBTQ community, find their roots in human life.
The LGBTIQ community, advocated by some developed countries and so-called human rights activists, has completely confused the world. The LGBTQ community is being promoted secretly in the name of bringing financial support. Developed countries like the USA, in the shadow of unpurified human rights, exploit the undeveloped countries, by demanding them to legalize LGBTQ community association rights in exchange for financial assistance. For example, His Excellency Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda, openly said to Western governments, “…if you can only work with Ugandan government if we allow homosexuality, then stay with your help…live us alone…we can take care of ourselves.”7 What a misfortune! If truly the developed countries aim to uplift the poor countries, why should it be at the expense of alienating their moral standards? This is a new version of capitalism, slavery, and colonialism. It is a system of ruling countries that should be independent to promote selfish ideologies. Aristotle, in his politics
says, we are social beings, we need each other, for only a beast can live in isolation.8 Then, if these developed countries want to promote social culture, collaboration, unity, and peace, why should they put immoral conditions, rather, conditions at all? Mother Teresa understood love as the only gift that even the poorest person can offer freely.9 Love neither has boundaries nor limits nor conditions. Why should the developed countries then sell their love? They use these avenues to manipulate the normal thinking of human beings to believe and accept their immoral ideologies.
Despite the corruption brought in by LGBTQ ideology, every human being has individual and independent intellect, present in every soul. Aristotle, in his ethics, asserts that all human beings are rational beings.10 This is what determines the dignity of every human being. However, even though we have inherent dignity, we have to actualize it by acting in line with the reason not the appetites of the flesh. Rationality helps one to attain the good that is inherent in the physical human person and not the world of form as in the case of Plato. The good is the end goal, the telos, the happiness, and the right functioning of every human being. The appetites of the flesh include sex, war, corruption, and exploitation among others. Sex does not determine a person but the soul, it is not an inherent nature of human beings, but if it must be done, it must be within the limits. The limits, in most theistic religions, include sex between married couples, man and woman, as it was originally instituted at the beginning of human beings: at creation (Genesis 1:28).
Unfortunately, from what is happening now in the universe, it is clear that we no longer use our intellect, but we are ruled by appetites. We have allowed our appetites for sex to overrule our morals. We no longer morally think of sex as a conjugal right between married man and woman, a gift from God, given to human beings for procreations (Genesis 1:28), but as a tool for pleasure and enjoyment outside intended lawful marriage. This is the reason behind the increase of prostitutes, the LGBTQ community, and pedophilia, among others. We have become Sophists, skeptical of the objective moral truth, not because it
cannot be reached, but because we think it is limiting us. We have become Epicureans of our time, who only think of pleasure, and indulgence as the order of the day. We have watered down human dignity beyond recognition.
As stated in the creation story, human beings were created in the image and likeness of God, and superior to all other animals (Genesis 1:27). Among all the creatures, human beings occupy the highest position in the order of creation and knowing. This gives human beings the highest dignity which is inherent in their being: it is unalienable. Consequently, according to the 1948 Declaration of Human Rights, it is out of recognition of human dignity that human rights are developed. Human rights can be defined as a set of guiding principles concerned with equality and fairness. They recognize human freedom to make choices about life and to develop potential human beings. They are about living a life free from fear, harassment, or discrimination.11 LGBTQ association neither promotes the well-being of human beings nor does it promote life. It goes against the main aim of human beings’ creation leading to discrimination in society hence undermining human dignity. For example, most African societies, like Luos in Kenya, consider anyone promoting or involved in LGBTQ acts an outcast. LGBTQ association, therefore, is a selfish desire, an absurdity and it renders human life meaningless.
According to Albert Camus, absurdity and meaninglessness of life is a situation where human needs conflict with the universal natural course.12 It is where human beings desire what the world cannot naturally offer, like recognition of gay marriages. This leads human beings to subjectively justify ideologies like the LGBTQ association, which in their view is one of the cores of existence, in trying to give meaning to life. It is a system of trying to eliminate conflict in life, forgetting that it is an ineliminable suffering. Arthur Schopenhauer puts it that, “this unquenchable desire is a natural state that can never be satisfied.”13 To this end, it is clear that the problem is not the universe per se, but the human condition of life. Unsatisfiable human life conditions have made human beings so
disguising, and immoral. This is where I partially agree with Hegel, referring to all human species not only African, that we are irrational, untamed, and brutal.
It would be unfair not to mention that those who, as some scientific research theorize, naturally belong to the LGBTQ community deserve dignity as all other human beings with disabilities. Their value as human beings should be respected, without discrimination, and any sort of segregation. They are respected, valued, and accepted because they did not choose to be so, but they were forced by circumstances beyond their control. However, they should also respect themselves by not provoking debates of conflict of interests. The human rights activists who advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ community should not use this chance as an advantage to spread immorality. They should not advocate for the rights of a small group of people as they interfere and disregard the rights of a larger group of people. LGBTQ community being accepted and recognized as human beings should not open avenues for manipulating people who do not have such disability. Everyone’s rights in any circumstance, should not be interfered with. Note that, yes, LGBTQ is a disability because it is against the normal functioning of a normal human being. According to the theories of some scientists, it can be out of natural genes or brain disorders, though it is very rare.14
Finally, Eco-Feminists argue that patriarchal societies will exploit resources without regard for long-term consequences the same way they exploit women.15 Drawing from this understanding, human beings exploit their bodies without proper reasoning the same way they exploit the environment without fear or shame. Remember, we can only give what we have and not what we don’t have. Human beings have lost moral responsibility. They try by all means to kill the “god” of morality. They go as much as try to kill the Supreme God too in their consciousness. This is why many have lost faith, hope, and trust in life. The vast majority are waiting for confused immoral people to give them the essence (meaning)
of their existence. Do we know we are a child of God and God loves us and that He will never abandon us? It is never too late to rethink, to follow in the graces of God, and to change our ways. Let us find fulfillment in God for He tells us, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Mt. 5:6). And again, “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10 NIV). Remember, every time you fight against morality, you unconsciously promote it: “Faith in reverse gear.”