In case there was any confusion over the question of where CANA Provincial Primatial Archbishop Nicholas Okoh stands on questions of gender and morality – i.e., what makes for turpitude – the Church of Nigeria’s web site currently offers reportage of an Okoh speech that’ll clear it all right up.
According to Okoh – or at least this is how we’re reading it – much of the blame for the ills of society is to be heaped upon women first, then homosexuals. But mostly women. So there’s that, then.
Women have been called upon to key into the supreme righteous judge of righteous acts in order to please him and make the difference in this rotten society.
The primate of all Nigeria Anglican communion, the Most Rev Nicholas .D. Okoh, made the call at the grand finale of the 12th annual women conference of Abuja Diocese at the All Saints church Wuse.
He said whereas the earthly judge sometimes lack courage like Pilate, and are hypocritical, God is all knowing, he knows all the facts, he does not need any presentation.
The Primate says the first challenge that women face is in the area of marriage, and marital fidelity.
He said their sanctuary headquarters and base is the home hence they must take heed and speak to themselves so as not to lose the self confidence.
It is then that they can be in a unique position to establish a righteous society they are asking for.
According to him women occupy a unique position, in that their daughters are in their hands, they are the books they read, the schools they attend, and later in the years they would be reflecting all they have copied from the mothers in their husband homes.
On homosexuality, Primate Okoh said the fact that it has been approved by some countries in Europe, Latin America and some states in America does not make it a righteous act.
He said homosexual is a rebellion and man has been in rebellion against God. According to him, men of reprobate minds are also pushing up the act of legalizing prostitution, claiming that prostitution is a profession and needs to be legalized so that practitioners can be free.
But the Archbishop was quick to add that there are certain things that may be right before the laws of the land but may not be righteous before God. He quoted profusely from the scriptures to corroborate his stand that prostitution is not right adding that the money of a prostitute is an abomination unto the Lord.
He said for Nigeria to be a righteous society the family must be strong and upright, the family must be a dispensing plant for the children, keep the home safe and stand up for Jesus.
The Primate of all Nigeria who cited the case of Portiphar’s wife in the bible cautioned women against flirting about like a dog, because according to him a lady who flirts is a murderer because he is killing the home and the husband can be eliminated at any time.
Instability in the home he said, is a big challenge to the women because women are the problem of women fighting tooth and nail to unseat themselves, escorting their daughters to Italy and other parts of Europe to practice prostitution.
The head of the Anglican Church in Nigeria says the image of the society must be redeemed, hence the crying for people to repent of their wickedness.
He came down heavily on women and suggestive dressing. He said a good number of women have oversized responsibilities as there is no limit to what they need.
Their need according to the cleric is insatiable because every occasion must have its own dress, shoes, bag adding that they need spiritual rehabilitation. Quoting 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:5 the bishop of Abuja Diocese and Primate said women should dress moderately because the beauty of the woman is more or less an inner thing based on character, decency and conduct not on earrings shoes, necklace, bag and rings.
He opined that no society can develop with these materials adding that the country needs the help of women to build the country.
The Primate said to have a happy society mothers must behave themselves as godly women and take their proper place because righteousness, true character and true life flows from God.
After reading this, I wanted to know what CANA might have ever said about women, so I entered the search term on canaconvocation.org:
Sorry, there are no results that match your search.
There’s plenty on the site, though, including a Women’s Ministry section with a report of women’s ministries in 22 CANA parishes authored by 28 women excited about the work they did in 2010.
So, to those women in specific, we ask: Does Nicholas Okoh speak for you?
Will CANA take pains to dissociate itself from these words? In which case, is it saying this message about women is secondary to the greater evil of same-sex love in marriage?