Anthony L. Hall is a descendant of the Turks & Caicos Islands, international lawyer and political consultant - headquartered in Washington DC - who publishes his own Internet Weblog at www.theipinionsjournal.com offering commentaries on current events from a Caribbean perspective

My Daddy (as an ordained deacon) was a doctrinaire preacher man. And I grew up in a patriarchal family that followed strict adherence to the tenets of Protestantism. Yet, at about aged 12, I developed an acute case of apostasy that inspired me to question much of the religious dogma that was being taught (at home and in Church) as the word of God. Indeed, I was sufficiently precocious - perhaps even anointed - that whenever my parents and Church elders attempted to dismiss my queries as “the work of the devil”, I never hesitated to counter: “No, it’s the work of the Lord because Jesus did the same when he was 12….”

Let me hasten to clarify that I share this personal story not because I’m so proud of being a constant irritant on my Daddy’s religious conscience; instead, I share it because I believe it’s important to disclose my Christian bona fides before challenging the CMA on this very controversial issue: I may not be a deacon or a pastor but I’m blessed with absolute conviction that my reading of the Bible is just as valid as theirs.

With that, I pray CMA spokesman, Pastor Steve Blair, can appreciate the informed exception I take to his association’s use of specious moral reasoning to justify its opposition to this cruise. After all, the pastor reportedly insists that:

“I do have a problem with a gay cruise coming, and I also have a problem with adultery and things like that….”

This purported statement of principle, however, is fraught with unsustainable implications. For example:

Implicit is the wholly untenable and inherently prejudiced notion that a gay cruise - no matter how law-abiding and orderly - is as much a sin as the commission of adultery. Moreover, the other six cruise ships scheduled to drop anchor in Grand Cayman today are carrying adulterers, fornicators and, no doubt, their own contingent of gays; yet Pastor Blair and the CMA do not appear to have a problem with these ships disembarking.

But it does not take much thought to arrive at the CMA’s base motivation for targeting the gay cruise for quarantine. Indeed, CMA Chairman Pastor Al Ebanks claims that:

“…as a society we have a responsibility to our citizens to promote certain behaviours and to not promote certain others.”

This, of course, is true. But by not censuring cruise ships filled with adulterers, drunkards and other practitioners of iniquity, the pastor is implicitly promoting their “behaviours” as acceptable. It is undeniable, however, that as a society, Caymanians (like all Caribbean natives) have a proud history of welcoming people inclined to all kinds of unsavoury behaviour. Indeed, what would be the state of our tourist economies if we did not? All we ask is that they comport their behaviour to the requirements of our laws.

Therefore, it is abundantly clear that CMA pastors are promoting a cause that not only makes them liable to charges of hypocrisy; but one that also threatens the livelihood of all Caymanians. (And trust me, if their protest gains any traction, it won’t be long before 24/7 news channels in North America and Europe are branding Grand Cayman as more Osama’s Taliban Island in the Caribbean than one of Condé Nast’s most favoured tourist destinations.)

So much for the CMA’s attempt to execute its (secular) responsibility to the citizens of Grand Cayman!

But anyone remotely acquainted with Christian dogma knows that these CMA pastors are proselytizing their Pharisaic belief that gay people (without regard to any unseemly public display of affection) are an abomination unto God. Indeed, no matter how fervently they express that hackneyed refuge of religious scoundrels - “we condemn the sin, not the sinner” – it is self-evident that it’s the “sinner” they condemn when it comes to homosexuality.

But I challenge them (especially Pastor Ken Love who claims “…the bible speaks out against it”) to cite a scripture that condemns gay people (or gay-themed cruises). Because, for any justification they have to infer in this regard, I can cite biblical scriptures that explicitly condemn adultery, lying tongues, sowing discord and a host of other sins that are abominations unto the Lord; but none that condemns homosexuality.

Yet, implicit in the hell, fire and brimstone warnings that some pastors spew when they sermonize about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, is the misleading suggestion that these biblical “cities of the plain” were populated only by a bunch of marauding, promiscuous and orgiastic gay men. The Bible is unambiguous, however, about the fact that these cities were destroyed because people (men, women and children) “gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion” like rape, incest, adultery, “onanism” (masturbation) and other “sinful” acts that are more associated with heterosexual than homosexual behaviour.

So much for the CMA’s morally indefensible edict to cast stones at gay people but not at truly abominable sinners!

Notwithstanding my challenge, I am as respectful of the religious role clergymen like Pastors Blair and Ebanks play in our society as I was of the religious role my Daddy played in my family. But just as I did not accept the moral inconsistencies in his teachings, I do not (and nor should any Caymanian) accept them in the protestations of CMA pastors.

Finally, I am disappointed that Pastor Ebanks would attempt to disguise what smacks of rank homophobia where he’s quoted making the utterly fatuous assertion that:

“…if there was a ship full of people coming promoting themselves as tourists then he does not believe there would be a problem with it.”

After all, are gay men by any other name not still gay?

Moreover, does anyone believe this pastor can defend jeopardizing the wholesome reputation and resurgent economy of the Cayman Islands just because he does not like the name a tour group is using to promote its Caribbean cruise (which, mind you, will only stop in Grand Cayman for a few hours today)? Indeed, would he really deem it acceptable if these same 3,200 men were coming on shore as part of the of “The Largest Men-Only Back to Nature Cruise” (as the all-male Christian group “Promise Keepers” might well promote one of their familiar retreats)?

Alas, as a matter of law, religion and common sense, the CMA’s protest is utterly without merit. And, I applaud the Cayman government and loyal opposition for ignoring their demagogic posturing on this issue.

NOTE: I feel constrained to assert that I take exception to the CMA’s protest not only in the interest of (Presbyterian) social justice but also because my personal morality compels me to. I’m enough a student of history and religion to know that white pastors used specious religious reasoning to keep blacks out of schools, churches, neighbourhoods and other places of public accommodation - just as CMA pastors are now doing to keep gays out of Grand Cayman. And, what is particularly insidious about this CMA protest is that they are casting aspersions on gays as immoral, perverted and degenerate exhibitionists; whereas, in fact, gay tourists are inclined to show the same level of respect for the rule of law and local social norms as their heterosexual counterparts!

Therefore, as this cruise visits other ports of call in our region, I pray that local guardians of morality and social order show more regard for biblical teachings than CMA pastors have demonstrated. After all, their protest clearly ignores the lesson Jesus taught us by embracing the woman who was about to be stoned to death simply because religious elders deemed her a woman of ill-repute….

ENDNOTE: Under the circumstances, I would be remiss if I did not admonish the few gays who might feel inclined to make a public spectacle of themselves - just as unruly, randy and drunk heterosexuals do during their spring break pilgrimages to our shores: Please do not assume that flagrant exhibitionism that might be the norm back home will be just as acceptable throughout our islands. Show respect not only for our laws but also for our local customs and values which, notwithstanding the fulminations of the CMA, disposes us to welcome all of God’s children to our island paradise regardless of their race, religion or sexual orientation.