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Christian leaders oppose Uganda's anti-gay bill
Dec. 08, 2009
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Printer-friendly versionSend to friendPDF versionChristian leaders who are themselves divided over homosexuality have joined forces to oppose a proposed Ugandan law that calls for the death penalty for some homosexual behavior.
"Our Christian faith recognizes violence, harassment and unjust treatment of any human being as a betrayal of Jesus' commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves," reads the statement released Monday (Dec. 7) and signed by dozens of leaders.
"As followers of the teachings of Christ, we must express profound dismay at a bill currently before the Parliament in Uganda."
The bill calls for those convicted of involvement in homosexual acts to be sentenced to life in prison and those convicted of "aggravated homosexuality" to receive the death penalty.
Signatories include Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners; the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Bryan N. Massingale, president of the Catholic Theological Society of America; evangelical activist Brian McLaren; Jim Winkler, general secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society; and Thomas P. Melady, former U.S. ambassador to Uganda and the Vatican.
The joint statement, organized by Faith in Public Life and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, follows a declaration by Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori that "potential impingement on basic human rights" are threatened by the proposed Ugandan legislation.
"...(A)ttempts to export the culture wars of North America to another context represent the very worst of colonial behavior," she said in her Dec. 4 statement. "We deeply lament this reality, and repent of any way in which we have participated in this sin."
Good for these groups. Any
Good for these groups. Any update on the local Catholic Ugandan bishops' silence? I hope they support this statement.
When will OUR bishops speak
When will OUR bishops speak up ?
Notice that not one bishop,
Notice that not one bishop, Catholic or Anglican (excluding Episcopal), Ugandan or non-Ugandan, has signed on.
This bill is clearly over the
This bill is clearly over the top. The death penalty should never be used for something less than the taking a life in an egeregious manner. The law could provide some sanction for homosexual behavior in public but private behavior should be left alone. The same would be true for heterosexual behavior in public. There really should be no unjust discrimination against homosexuals as the CCC states. Further, it is wrong to scapegoat any group. The Africans are trying to do this with gays in terms of AIDS. Admittedly, there is a connection but at this stage of the game, it is mostly by heterosexual transmission that the disease spreads.
And Africa has a real & hidden problem with heterosexual promiscuity. The AIDS crisis has exposed this kind of sinfulness for all the world to see! You can't have 30-40% rates of AIDS infection in any society and then try to blame it all on gays who account for about no more than 3% in any population group.
Interestingly, the Afrikaner people in the south of a continent had a holy man or seer in their religion, the Dutch Reformed Church. About 100 years ago he predicted that the whites in South Africa would lose power to the blacks but then later regain it. Time will tell on that prophecy but this man actually predicted the AIDS crisis in Africa. Not AIDS per se, but a sexual disease which would devestate black Africa. He had a vision of an effeminate black man riding an oxen dispensing this disease all through black Africa. Perhaps the Ugandans have heard of this Afrikaner seer?!
These Ugandan legislators
These Ugandan legislators have drafted this evil bill at the request and bequest of American neocons who are testing in that African country how far down the Hitlerian road they can go with the hope of being able, some day, to produce a similar barbarian law in the U.S.
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