AT long last, officials in Berlin are taking action against a rising tide of homophobia. Yes, the bible does not support homosexuality but it doesn’t change the fact God still cares about this people and want them to change.
With a record number of anti-LGBT attacks recorded in the German capital last year, authorities can no longer stand idly by. Like a truffle pig seeking out hate crimes, the powers-that-be have uncovered a person so heinously intolerant that they must be made an example of: die Schande von Schöneberg (‘the disgrace of Schöneberg’). Anyone warranting such a moniker must surely be a true abomination, a homophobe of Hitlerian proportions. Enter Park Young-ai, 71-year-old South Korean immigrant, restaurant owner in the city’s Schöneberg district, and – most damning of all – devout Christian. With the Tiergarten district court ordering her premises to be searched last month and the recent announcement that she stands accused of Volksverhetzung(incitement of the people), one can only assume that she has commited a grievous crime.
So what does she stand accused of? She has not, unlike in some other now-infamous incidents, refused anyone custom due to their sexual orientation. Instead, her offence is far greater: Thoughtcrime. She stands accused of quoting the Bible. The walls of the restaurant are adorned with quotes from Scripture. One such passage is Leviticus 18:22, which reads: ‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.’ One is free to disagree with this unfashionable claim. If you find it grossly offensive, you are not obliged to sit in a restaurant decorated with such words. It is, after all, a private business, and one which will suffer if boycotted due to its overt Christianity. Yet, such libertarian arguments aside (arguments, which of course, only need to be brought up to defend business owners with certain beliefs), it is worth noting the incident’s implications. Today, in Deutschland, merely quoting from the one of the foundational texts of Western civilisation is now a crime warranting full legal proceedings from the state. There is zero accusation that Park stands accused of any other misdeed or crime.
Given the zeal with which Germany has recently encouraged mass immigration – notably from countries whose attitudes to homosexuality could be generously described as ‘less than positive’ – one might think the authorities would be eager for immigrants of Park’s calibre. She speaks fluent German and clearly has entrepreneurial flair. Such positive traits, however, are negated by her faith.
About The Author
Harrison Okafor
editor
Judith is a believer, a lover of Christ and a Gospel freak person. A passionate gospel blogger and press writer. I work with GospelHitsNaija.net Media, no 1 Gospel music platform.
