Young people all over the world have been advised to avoid forming close association with gays and lesbians as their lifestyle is ungodly and sure to attract divine retribution.

The advice was one of the highlights at yesterday’s session of the 2012 “Safeguard Your Heart!” District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses holding at Ota, Ogun State, South-West Nigeria.

Delivering the talk “Listen to Those Who Love You From the Heart,” Stephen Olanrewaju told youths who formed the bulk of the audience of 4,186: “If we want to listen to those who love us, we must run away from those who practice homosexuality.”

Quoting from the Bible, which expressly forbids homosexuality in 1 Corinthians 6:9, the speaker told the youths: “You must run away from those who do not follow the Bible’s principles.”

Olanrewaju told the youths that apart from their human parents, their Creator, Jehovah God, is also their parent who loves them and wants the best for them.

“Young ones should listen to their parents,” he said. “If they fail to do so, it can be disastrous. They have to listen because their parents love them. They should also listen to Jehovah because he loves them.”

Known as Ota 2 – being the second in the series – the convention is holding in Yoruba, one of the indigenous Nigerian languages. Last week’s session had been conducted in English, the official language in Africa’s most populous country. It ends today but another Yoruba Language session is scheduled for next weekend at the same venue.

News Express reports that apart from Yoruba, the convention is being held in many other indigenous Nigerian languages in various locations across the country. A convention is to be held almost every weekend at the Ota Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses until to December 7, 2012. Throughout Nigeria there will be 250 conventions in 32 cities.

The convention series described as a “heart examination” begins at 9:20 a.m. all three days. “Admission,” says a statement by the Convention News Department, “is free as conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses are supported entirely by voluntary donations.”

*Photo: Some delegates at the Bookroom to obtain new publications released at the convention at Ota.