A Congress that allows God to be banned from our schools while our schoolscan teach about cults, Hitler and even devil worship is wrong, out of touch,and needs some common sense.'That was from James Traficant, a United States House of Representative member (1999). It's a summary of how the Western world arrived where it is with a generation of citizens that approves of most of what an earlier generation frowned at.It is a fact that wearing anything that was above the knee for a lady was once unthinkable; that was the case even in England's Queen Victoria's era (1837-1901). And there was a time wearing of trousers by women was a taboo until the first and second world wars happened and women were thrust into the workplace. Now there is what was once not publicly acknowledged, socially unacceptable even in the West but which has now become socially-correct - homosexual practice, same-sex marriage.Recently, TV footages showed the horrified look on the faces of many that watched a Nigerian lady demand for her right to same-sex marriage at a hearing conducted by a Committee of the Nigerian House of Representatives. The police fought hard to ensure the lady was not molested by some of those present at the hearing. Over time, various groups across the nation have stated that they were against any law that makes same-sex marriage permissible. The House Committee actually started out on that premise, based on the outcome of a debate on the floor of the full House, that there would be a bill forbidding same-sex marriage in Nigeria.It is important that certain things concerning this matter are set in perspective. Much of the opinions expressed in the public space in the country is that same-sex marriage should not be permitted. Majority of opinions in the US and UK was once like that at one stage in their history. But what has happened since then to make a nation such as the UK threaten to sanction any nation that forbids same-sex marriage that an earlier generation of their own citizens once frowned at' Generation shift. That is a most important factor. And it can happen anywhere, even in Nigeria. How did countries such as the US and UK arrive at the point where present generation discards positions that their progenitors held' The society as a whole plays a role, and the court too. But those who sit in courts are members of the larger society, and they are certainly attuned to the heartbeat of the society.It is granted that every human being has a fundamental right to his orientations, whatever that may be. But such orientations are often curtailed by prevailing values held to be sacrosanct by the majority in each society. There was a generation of Westerners who felt certain practices were a vice, and as such frowned on them. Such positions, especially those on sexual orientation, were often informed by beliefs, and beliefs were largely informed by religion. Now, many of the values that were informed by religion have since been challenged on the basis of rights of each citizen under the law. That led to the situation where, in the late 1950's, the US Supreme Court decided that state-enforced prayers in public schools was unconstitutional. Yet, challenging public prayers in schools was not such a strong issue that had to be settled in court at one stage in the history of that nation.US, for instance, became increasingly a multi-religious society over the years with influx of people who were not just from Western Europe, and who had held to the Christian values in England from where many of the initial migrants moved to the New World. For both the US and the UK, there is the spread of Atheists who say they have no awareness of the existence of God; Agnostics who are undecided about the existence of God, Buddhists who generally have no belief in a personal God; Humanists who have beliefs and practices based on secular considerations; Jews who have their worries as a result of centuries of Christian persecution; as well as many religious liberals who want a separation of the church and the state.There is one thing this shows, an evolving society. And the consequence' The saying that law is made for the people, not the people for the law, has played out. A new generation changed the law based on what it no longer regard as unacceptable. And with changing opinion occasioned by several factors, what was once impermissible has become the fashionable thing such as mass same-sex wedding that was witnessed in the US state of New York recently. Even the US military has drooped most of its prohibitions with regards to homosexual practice.In the light of the above, and while Nigerian lawmakers will definitely dance to the dictate of public opinion and pass a bill that prohibits same-sex marriage, it is important to recognise that with generational shift and a generation not raised on the same values, that the current generation of Nigerians believe in, a law that expressly prohibits what advocates of same-sex marriage see as a matter of right, is not an ultimate bulwark. For it is obvious an earlier generation in the Western world failed to pass on its values rooted in firm religious beliefs, while courts finished the work based on its interpretation what constitutes fundamental rights. So what is the way out here in Nigeria' Passing the same values that the present generation believes in to the coming generation. It is the only way what US Representative James Traficant blasted in his country would not eventually happen here, and the consequence would be the untangling, by a coming generation, of any law that the present generation puts in place. In this, both the Christian and Muslim population in the country that obviously share same views on these issues have a herculean task.Ajibade, a communications consultant, can be reached via tunjioa@yahoo.com
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