Shameful Silence by DUP Politicians at Stormont on Retrospective Pardons for Sodomites

In the day that thou stoodest on the other side… 
Obadiah verse 11

The Northern Ireland Assembly, on Monday, 28th November 2016, passed a motion, without a vote being necessary, granting a retrospective pardon to sodomites who have been previously convicted of criminal and immoral acts.

This motion to grant a retrospective pardon was brought before the Assembly by the Minister of Justice under a wider motion relating to the British Policing and Crime Bill, which was designed to give legislative consent to a law already passed at Westminster. 

This motion did not pass through the Executive, nor was it put out to any consultation. The tabling of the motion had been hastily agreed to by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister using emergency procedures. 

The reason for no vote taking place was that only one MLA, Mr Jim Allister, declared opposition to the motion. Mr Allister tabled an amendment which would have removed the reference in the motion to retrospective pardons for convicted sodomites and would have left intact the other provisions of the motion. Alas, there was NO ONE to support his motion and therefore it failed to be voted on. 

Furthermore, no other MLA spoke out against the parts of the motion that were designed to give retrospective pardon to sodomites. Some did not even appear on the assembly floor to make their views known on such a vital moral and scriptural issue. They must have been hiding in their offices doing their best to suppress any pangs of conscience!

With no amendments receiving support, the original motion permitting these retrospective pardons was therefore passed by acclamation without the necessity of a recorded vote. 

Shameful behaviour and a moral dereliction of duty

This is shameful behaviour of the worst sort, and as complete a moral dereliction of duty as can be imagined, by those who ought to know better! It is moral cowardice at its worst.

This shameful conduct and moral dereliction of duty is clearly evident when it is noted what the minister who brought this motion to the Assembly had to say about it. Clare Sugden, the Minister of Justice, in an answer to a written question, and also on the floor of the Assembly during the debate, stated that the motion was designed to address: historical wrongs suffered by gay and bisexual men who were criminalised over a long period for something that society regards today as normal sexual activity.

Therefore, those who chose to remain silent and who refused to speak out against this motion, and who registered no opposition, whatsoever, against its passing into law have accepted that sodomy is a normal sexual activity. 

This motion only got to the floor of the assembly because the DUP permitted it to happen. Where was the fabled 'Petition of Concern' to block the motion?

It has been pointed out to me since this article was first published on the Blog that the DUP applied a three line whip on the issue. In other words, this is now party policy and anybody who dares to dissent is subject to party discipline! It is just incredible to think that pardoning sodomites is now DUP party policy.

Acting Contrary to the Word of God

In remaining silent and refusing to speak out against this motion these politicians have acted contrary to the Word of God. For God in His Word states that sodomy is a vile, unnatural, unseemly and defiling sin, which is worthy of divine judgment, cf. Romans 1:26,27,32: For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. …Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Facilitating evil taking place

The Word of God also has something to say about those who permit that which is evil to take place and who say, and who do, nothing to oppose or prevent it. In the book of Obadiah details are given of the persecuting conduct of the enemies of the children of Israel.

A confederacy developed against the children of Israel which brought strangers and foreigners to the borders of the land of Israel and to the gates of Jerusalem. The men behind this evil confederacy carried away captive the children of Israel and ransacked the city of Jerusalem. 

The children of Edom were not directly part of that confederacy but were content to let it happen. They facilitated it by their silence and lack of opposition. They stood by and let it happen. They looked the other way. They later joined in to help themselves to the spoil. 

Shameful

The words of Obadiah's prophecy are directed towards those men of Edom, who in that day of evil are described as standing on the other side. Part of the Lord's rebuke to them was that shame would cover them for their conduct. 

Well, shame ought to cover the face of those politicians in Stormont who remained silent and who showed no dissent to this motion passing. They have stood on the other side. They have stood not on the Lord's side, the side of truth and righteousness, but rather on the side of the sodomite. 

Sodomy still a sin in God's eyes

No motion by any legislative body can erase the fact that God still counts sodomy a sin today, as He has done in the past. God's moral law still remains in force. Earthly pardons bestowed by mere creatures, who rail against their Creator, will never expunge the record of sin before a holy God. 

Only repentance from sin and cleansing in the precious blood of Christ can expunge the record of sin in God's book. It is that cleansing experienced by those guilty of this sin in Corinth that is needed today, cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.