Mizo Church to excommunicate homosexuals

The second largest Church in Mizoram has taken a vehement stand in opposing those with homosexual behaviour.

Threatening to excommunicate its members, the Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM) said it would take strong punitive action against its members involved in homosexual activities.

"We have decided to take strong punitive action against members who are involved in homosexuality. The disciplinary actions include ex-communication," the influential BCM said after its General Assembly meeting on Saturday.

BCM is the second largest Protestant body after the Presbyterian Church in Mizoram.

In its guidelines, the BCM called for a ban on homosexuality and termed it 'immoral' just like birth control and abortion which also it unyieldingly opposed.

Last year, Mizo churches mainly the Presbyterian fiercely argued the Delhi High Court order which decriminalised homosexuality by overturning a 149-year-old colonial law.

Terming the behavior as against all religious ethics and culture of Indian society, its churches urged the Central government to come to a thoughtful review of the verdict and uphold Section 377.

Homosexuals comprise only 0.3 per cent of the population, so the right of rest 99.7 per cent to lead a decent and moral life must not be ignored, they said.

Mizo church leaders in fact support a 1909 British order that strictly opposes homosexuality and also punishes chiefs who fail to "report all cases of unnatural offenses" in the state.