The Council of Bishops of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God has expressed concerns at the proposed amendments related to marriages and procurement of abortions.
Presiding Bishop, Joshua Banda advised Zambians to reject the proposals as they were a danger to the well-being of young people.
He also said the quality of relationships in marriages had fallen citing recent statistics stating that marriages were threatened by infidelity and adultery, and allowing men to procure more women as wives was not the solution.
He urged Parliamentarians to reject such proposals and they should use their roles to help build the nation.
He said the Church will continue to contribute to making Zambia a Christian Nation and a people that live by Christian principles.
Below is the statement.
ISSUED SATURDAY, 19TH FEBRUARY, 2022 FOR DISSEMINATION ON SUNDAY 20TH FEBRUARY, 2022
PASTORAL GUIDANCE TO ALL PAOGZ CONGREGATIONS ON THE ZAMBIA LAW DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION PROPOSAL TO REPEAL LAWS THAT PROHIBIT ABORTION ON DEMAND AND BIGAMY
Preamble
The Council of Bishops of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Zambia hereby issues the following guidance to all our over 2000 congregations countrywide as a way of providing broad talking points that our Pastors and congregants may feel free to use in engaging their representatives who return to Parliament this week, to discuss among other things, the constitutional amendments proposed by the Zambia Law Development Commission.
Context and Position
The Zambia Law Development Commission proposes to repeal current laws (Section 166 of the Penal Code) that prohibit bigamy and that regulate access to abortion for pregnant women.
The position of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God Zambia (PAOGZ) is that the proposed repeals are unwarranted and should not be supported by the citizenry.
The laws that are in place have enabled the preservation of sanity and moral clarity at all levels of Zambian society.
No protests have ever been mounted against the current prohibitions of polygamy or abortion on demand, because it is widely appreciated that the laws in question have aided successive governments and communities to maintain social order.
There is a broad understanding among all age groups that marriage is most beneficial when it is between one man and one woman.
There is no material disadvantage that has been suffered by any segment of Zambia’s population because of such laws.
Additionally, existing laws are flexible and have permitted customary marriages of polygamous nature, though that form of marriage is not as popular in Zambia as is monogamous marriage.
There also is a common understanding that life is sacrosanct and abortion by choice cannot be accepted.
It is sufficient that existing laws permit abortion under strict controls, such as when the life of both mother and the unborn baby are threatened by a well verified medical condition.
The Zambia Law Development Commission has the standing and leverage to bring to the public eye more critical legal instruments which can help the legislators deal with lacunas in the Constitution.
It is misdirected for the Commission to be more interested in pressing for legislative changes that would serve to open more doors for sexual immorality to thrive in Zambian society.
The proposed changes to the law are a danger to the youth
The PAOGZ warns that such legislative gymnastics can only endanger the youth population which needs sound moral formation, with the help of wholesome laws, as they grow towards adulthood.
UNFPA in their publication, Young People and the Road to 2030, stated in August 2018: “In Zambia, today’s record 4.8 million young people aged 15-35 [36.7 per cent of Zambia’s population] – the largest population of young people in its history – present an enormous opportunity to transform our future.”
We cannot, as a Republic, throw this critical human resource into the precipice of social and spiritual darkness, and turn them into an aimless generation without a sound sense of moral judgment.
The proposed changes to the law only increase dimensions of marital problems
Wholesale permission for polygamous marriage will merely aggravate existent problems afflicting marriages.
Large numbers of monogamous marriages are dysfunctional; how then can increased numbers of polygamous marriages enhance the quality of marital relationships?
In 2021, more than 20,000 marriages were dissolved countrywide with Lusaka, Eastern and Western provinces each recording the highest cases of over 4,000 divorces. A total of 25,851 divorces were entered in registries countrywide in 2020.
Infidelity, adultery, gender-based violence, and poor communication among spouses were cited as being among the major reasons why the affected couples sought divorce.
The average age of those seeking divorce was been 25 and 45 years old. Zambia needs to tackle such problems meaningfully and with clarity, which cannot be realized with added stress which pro-polygamy laws will bring about.
In the meantime, PAOGZ continues close collaboration with brethren in the Body of Christ as well as other stake holders for the greater good of our nation’s future.
In the Lord’s Service, for stronger families in our nation.
Issued by:
Bishop Dr. Joshua HK Banda
Presiding Bishop – Pentecostal Assemblies of God-Zambia (PAOGZ)
President- Pentecostal Assemblies of Africa (PAOA)- Southern Africa Region
The Christian church doesn’t want to face reality, just like the Catholic want to pretend that Fathers and Sisters observe celibacy. Marriage, just like polygamy was ordained by God. A Tonga Adventist would religiously observe the Sabbath but still have more than one wife. There are so many Christians living in harmony in polygamy. One man one wife is a British culture. There are so many single mothers and adults that co-habit in Britain and yet they’ll send to prison for marrying more than 1 wife. It’s their culture but we’re not British. Don’t import British traditions into religion. After all not all Zambians subscribe to these beliefs, don’t impose them on others
Why would someone want women to have more than one spouse? Even men shouldn’t do it. It’s dirty. It promotes diseases. It causes gender based violence. It brings poverty in homes.
If that is what is law makers have on the table post recent elections the i wasted my vote.
Zambia Catholic bishops emulate USA bishops. Abortion is a sin and polygamy is inhuman treatment of women. I salute Bishop Jushau HK Bannda on this one.
Short of legalizing YOU KNOW WHAT through the back door.
This fraud Joshua Banda has re-invented himself …really laughable…gone are the flamboyant suits.
NOW THE LAWYERS HAVE BECOME CRAZY! DO THEY REALLY KNOW GOD OUR CREATOR? WHOM ARE YOU TRYING TO PLEASE?
PLEASE TAKE YOUR MADNESS ELSEWHERE.
They have failed to fulfil their campaign promises but are vert quick to want to implement gay laws in our nation. We warned you
Mr Christians for Lungu has resurfaced.
This is just the beginning ….We know the end game is to legalise same sex marriages.
Admission of failure by the Pentecostals.
They have failed on the pulpit to convince their own members to seek the path of righteousness . Now they want to use the force of law to punish erring members of their flock.
THE CHURCH SHOULD INSTEAD BE SAYING , PLEASE DON’T SEND THEM TO JAIL . GIVE THEM TO US AND WE SHALL REFORM THEM WITH THE WORD OF GOD.
BUT OUR “MEN OF GOLD” HAVE TOTALLY ABANDONED THEIR ROLES FOR POLITICS.
This is is problem with churches any crook can stand up and represent them like the Pentecostals here. These crooks eat too much taxpayers money with Lazy Lungu. Ask him where the house of prayers building is.
Thank you Bishop, the true men of God are standing up for the Word of God without fear or favour. Polygamy was Zambia’s societies way of life before we embraced Christianity as a nation and adopted according to what the Bible says of one man and one wife marraige unions ……continue
Continued…Our women as a result are empowered in society to expect to the same rights as men as both are equal partners under the law including for property and inhereitence protection under this union. By saying men can marry multiple women what stops the equally empowered women from demanding the same? . . Continued
They are homos………
Continued… So if women are equal to men under the constitution and under a union of one man married to one women why should men have this advantage over them. Women build for years property and an inheritance for their children why should this be diluted by greedy men that want to include other women in this partnership in the guise of polygamy? Continued
Women far outnumber men………..
The results is children growing up not knowing their fathers………..
Let the women share this scarce pool of good men legally
If you as a man doesn’t want more than one wife, so be it……….
But don’t condem the millions of women without husbands to a life of loneliness……
If they are will to share , let them share…..
Continued… This is why it’s a clear ploy by Satanists to usher in homosexually by changing what God ordained as acceptable marriage from the beginning. Because what will stop men demanding the right to marry men and women marrying women if the analogy follows. ?f we claim to be a Christian nation let’s hold to the principles of God as taught by Jesus.
CURSED BE THAT NATION WHOSE GOD IS NOT JEHOVAH AND CURSED BE ANY PERSON WHO DOES CONTRARY TO THE WORD OF GOD. YOU WILL BE CURSED HERE ON EARTH AND THE SECOND WORLD TO COME.
Whether legalized or not, the issue rests on personal values and morals. The state has a duty to enact good laws and the church has responsibility to teach good morals, but ultimately the choice is for the citizenry.
Our forefathers mostly had multiple wife’s as per tradition ………
It is the colonialists who outlawed polygamy , and now prefere homosexuality……..
We dont have to discard every traditional way in favour of the so called Bible………
Gender equality – let the law be fair to both men and women. Allow women also to marry as many men as they like or can……
“When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘Let us pray.’ We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land. ” Desmond Tutu
I’m surprised the womens lobby groups are silent on this. This law would reverse 50 years of work to make women equal to men in society and have the right for 50/50 partnership in property rights, children’s inheritance etc. As it is when irresponsible men die their children outside wedlock that are unknown to the widow expect a share of what she and the man worked for for the recognised children in the marraige. Why should men be inferior to women constitutionally in this matter?
Polygamy is demeaning women, no wonder educated and wealthy women frown on it. Homosexuality is disorganized personality, the unexpected behaviour cannot be blamed on persons involved and therefore should not attract punishment and should not be encouraged( we do not punish mad people and we do not encourage madness) . Butchering unborn babies is unacceptable, evil and it is a sin and should be discouraged.
Before elections i warned that some chaps that some political parties are been funded by homo, gay rights, lesbian groups promised to allow such sat.anic activities in exchange of helping them to win… Zambia if not careful you will be in the hands of s.atan very soon… Consequences of not listening..May Jehovah God fight for this nation…. Psalm 35:1-6
Bishop Joshua Banda…Thank you
For speaking the truth…You are a great man of God.
Zambia is a home to many different religions some of which supports polygamy meaning the legalization will apply to those that practice Polygamy besides marrying two wife is one person’s choice, the question is why are Christians so worried if they are not willing to marry more than one wife and if they are not hypocritical why aren’t they advocating for the government to put a jail sentence on fornication and adultery which the Bible speaks against than refusing to accept polygamy which is Biblical and will provide a lasting solution to minimize prostitution and abortions for fear of having fatherless children by many young ladies. My advise is be real to life.