Monuments are structures erected to commemorate a person, group, or an event whose memory is deemed significant and worthy of preservation. They come in various forms like statues, war memorials, parks, and historical buildings.

Cape Coast,for example, boasts of several monuments such as the Castle used to hold slaves before they were loaded onto ships and sold in the Americas, especially the Caribbean. The “Gate of No Return” at the Castle through which captured slaves, the virile ones, of course, were herded to waiting vessels,was the last stop for these poor souls before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to be sold. The sad history has turned the Cape Coast Castle into a focal point of Pan-Afri­can history, and a venue of cultural and spiritual pilgrimage for Africans from the diaspora who troop in pe­riodically to honour the memory of their ancestors.

There is also the Victoria Park which is said to hold the distinguished honour of being the first official grounds to host association football in Ghana, then known as the Gold Coast, and under British colonial rule. It was named after the British monarch at the time, Queen Victoria,said to have acceded, at least, in part, to a request by some Gold Coast patriots, to be granted access to some lands. As a token of appreciation, they established the park and erected the queen’s bust at the entrance.

One monument whose construc­tion I cannot fathom is that of a huge crab at the city centre.The crusta­cean is the adopted mascot of Cape Coast,and it sits atop a huge platform erected near the London Bridge whose name deceives people until they visit the popular place and realise, to their chagrin, that it is nothing more than a culvert boldly emblazoned with the inscription: London Bridge. Back to the crab. Why that mascot? If you ob­serve crabs in a container displaying their character, you would not recom­mend that anthropoid as a mascot. They all have PhDs.While one tries to climb to the top, another will pull him down. Under that circumstance, none of them makes it to the top.

In, perhaps, the shortest ser­mon He ever preached, Jesus points humanity to one monument whose significance transcends time into eternity. “Remember Lot’s Wife,” He said. What is it about Lot’s wife that we need to know? What has it got to do with all that I have been writing aforehand about monuments? What lesson do we have to take to heart about Lot’s wife?

First, God turned her into a mon­ument in a split second for disobe­dience. A living, walking being was turned into a pillar of salt in a twin­kling of an eye to remind succeeding generations of the abomination of So­dom and Gomorrah, and the punish­ment of those who have the slightest inclination towards those cities and what they represent.

For the sin of homosexuality, God literally rained fire on those cities and destroyed all except Lot, his wife, and three children. As Lot’s family were led out to safety,they were instructed not to look backward towards the doomed metropolis. But Lot’s wife disobeyed that instruc­tion and paid the ultimate price for her action.Remember that she was not even a lesbian. She only showed an inclination towards the doomed cities. Of how much sorer punishment do you think practitioners are worthy?

Did you know that the word “sodomy” originated from the name of that city? From time immemorial, God has been frowning on the prac­tice and has spelt out the penalty for those who brazenly flout His com­mandment.

When Ghanaians feared the Lord in days past, this shameful practice was alien to our culture. Of course, there was “supi,”a form of lesbianism among some girls in some second­ary schools.Men with men doing the abominable was more under wraps in the closet. Now, that has changed. Everything is in the open and surpris­ingly, people who should know better are claiming that everyone has the right to love whoever they want. In accents louder than words, many respected people in academia, poli­tics, media, and the legal profession among others, have lent their support to the aberration with their overt and subtle consent.

But the scriptures unequivocally declare that homosexuality is sin and punishable by eternal damnation. “Or do you not know that the unrigh­teous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practise homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, ESV.

In another passage, it is stated unambiguously: “For this reason, God gave them up to dishonour­able passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done …Romans 1:26-28, ESV. What could be clearer than this?

God says because men do not want to acknowledge His authority, He has given up on them to do what they want. But even then, once a person turns from it, God is more than willing to forgive and pardon.

To those who assault the integrity and trustworthiness of the Bible and argue that the story is just a fable, or a myth, may I submit that the authority, inerrancy, and sufficiency of the Bible is without debate. It is God’s literal words given to men by the inspiration of His Holy Spirit over different periods of time to record for humanity. It is for instruction in righteousness, correction, and reproof. In that respect, the Bible speaks with infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches, including homosexuality. Everything we need to know about God, about life – past, present, future – about eternal salvation and damnation, all these and more are contained in the scriptures.

Such people would do well to know that Jesus was a historical figure who alluded to Lot’s wife as well as the de­struction of Sodom and Gomorrah by lit­eral fire. Besides, any time He makes a reference to an issue whose origin dates back to the Old Testament prophets before He appeared on the earth, He is authenticating the record. In fact, the Bible says if people refuse to believe its submissions, their unbelief would not invalidate the facts.

But why remember Lot’s wife?The Bible has become the focal point of the devil’s constant and relentless assault. Crass falsehood is spreading like wild­fire and causing widespread rejection of the truth of God’s Word, leading to a pervasive deception of the masses by popular culture.

In view of the emerging liberal and non-literal interpretation of the Bible, and its attendant deception of the world, the words of the Lord Jesus Christ become all the more relevant for these ominous days.

The serpent is back in the garden spreading doubts and lies. The first question in the Bible was posed by the devil. When God specifically and explicitly warned Adam and Eve not to eat a particular fruit, the devil came and deceived the woman with a dubious question enquiring, “Has God really said?”He is at it again telling those who want to hear that God does not restrict the gender of their sexual partners to the opposite sex, and that man to man is just right with the Almighty.

Thank God for real men like Honourable Sam George the MP for Ningo/Prampram and the lead sponsor of the proposed anti-gay bill dubbed: The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021.

Let it be trumpeted loud and clear that no amount of name-call­ing and threats emanating from a minority and their international partners can ever intimidate the right-thinking people of Ghana and compel them to condone that evil.

The proponents of that evil agen­da allude to democracy and all its so-called freedoms, but they leave out the fact that under parliamenta­ry democracy, the minority in a vote count accede to the majority. That is the rule, and it will apply in any vote concerning the issue.

Supporters of the LGBTQI are even arguing about rights. How au­dacious for mortal man to talk about rights in the kingdom of the great God who declares forcefully that the earth and all its fulness belong to Him! He is an absolute monarch and has set His rules to govern His kingdom.

To think that God would condone same-sex marriage is an illusion and trance. It is the foulest delu­sion that ever cheated the hopes of men. With submissions impossible to refute, the Bible reduces the argu­ment to an absurdity.It is Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Period!

“For the sin of homosexuality, God literally rained fire on those cities and destroyed all except Lot, his wife, and three children. As Lot’s family were led out to safety,they were instructed not to look backward towards the doomed metropolis. But Lot’s wife disobeyed that instruction and paid the ultimate price for her action. Remember that she was not even a lesbian. She only showed an inclination towards the doomed cities. Of how much sorer punishment do you think practitioners are worthy?”

Contact: teepeejubilee@yahoo. co.uk

By Tony Prempeh