Updated
Matt Thompson has comprehensive coverage of the pending Nigerian legislation at Political Spaghetti.
See his four five (so far) recent posts, One, Two, Three and Four; and now Five.
Passage Imminent III contains a detailed analysis of the Nigerian church’s position on all this, and notes that more than one Muslim legislator is reluctant to proceed.
According to the BBC:
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the umbrella body for Nigerian Christians, called for speedy passage of the law, describing same sex unions as “barbaric and shameful”.
And I saw no mention at all of this matter in the recent Communiqué from the Primates, or in any of the ensuing primatial statements so far.
Here is the most recent United Nations report:UN independent experts oppose proposed Nigerian ban on same-sex relationships.
Whatever else the TEC HoB will say, I do hope it minimally takes a stand on three things: (1)a clear call for all Anglicans worldwide to speak out, against the violations of human rights going on in Nigeria and elsewhere against LGBTQ citizens and maybe adding in some notice of Nigeria’s role as a world center of the underground sex trade, and (2)requesting equal pastoral care and oversight attention to progressive or non-realignment believers in network or realignment dioceses and parishes, and (3)announcing that it encourages the PB and dioceses and councils and meetings to stand firm against all efforts… Read more »
Arriving for breakfast one morning at the White Sands Hotel in Tanzania, and finding Bishop Martyn Minns breakfasting with his CANA/Global South-remnant conspirators, I took the opportunity of asking him if he would contact Canon Tunde, the Communication Officer for the Church of Nigeria, and ask him to cease publishing deliberate lies and falsehoods about Davis Mac-Iyalla, Director of Changing Attitude Nigeria. Bishop Martyn agreed to contact Canon Tunde that day. He didn’t agree to ask him to stop, but I hoped he would. He had met Davis a day or two earlier when Davis met Archbishop Akinola. I wish… Read more »
As the Church of England goes into its synod, remember that this Nigerian Church now claims to be able to dictate terms to you. Not merely to the Americans. To Canterbury — to you. Are you comfortable with that? See: http://allafrica.com/stories/200702221147.html The Nation (Nairobi) NEWS February 23, 2007 Posted to the web February 22, 2007 By Lucas Barasa and Nyabonyi Kazungu Nairobi African Anglican bishops yesterday warned of a split among faithful unless the mother church stopped embracing homosexuality by September 30. Led by Nigeria’s Archbishop Peter Akinola and Kenya’s Benjamin Nzimbi, the bishops said if Canterbury “does not come… Read more »
With some of the problems in this world, the biggest problems are the rats in the wheel who tell you to get out of their way. “We can’t talk to you – we haven’t succeeded in gaining intimidatory control over our enemies. Leave us to take shots, bomb or beat them into submission.” “We can’t talk to you – they are beating our women and hurting our children. So we have to get the big guns out to stop them doing it to us.” “We can’t talk now – we are dealing with aggressive enemies and therefore our aggression is… Read more »
Charlotte, it has long been obvious to anyone with the barest common sense that TEC was, to the Akinolistas and their fellow travelers, just the *first* target. That is why the response of other first world Anglicans–“Maybe if we just sit here quietly they won’t see us and they’ll take it all out on the Americans”–is so shameful. Frankly, I hope that Akinola does take his Brave New Anglicanism to Britain, Canada, Scotland, etc. Let them spend some time on the hotseat for a change. And, if I can dream, I hope that he even tries to carry off a… Read more »
What a short memory the Primates have! In 2005 they declared “The victimization or diminishment of human beings whose affections happen to be ordered towards people of the same sex is anathema to us.” I’ve been wondering why they didn’t revisit this idea and discuss it in Tanzania. But out of this meeting we are faced with what essentially looks like ultimatums against those who–what? Love too much? I remember somebody else who never did any harm, that taught love–love of God and love of neighbor–who was crucified for blasphemy. And the Primates turn their backs on the real suffering… Read more »
Charlotte, re the quote in The Nation (Nairobi), I think it’s a misprint; the writer mistakenly thought that quote was directed against Canterbury when in fact Akinola was referring to TEC. nonetheless, it is a fact that priests in England, Canada, and other countries conduct blessings for same-sex couples. if TEC is forced out, they will be next. drdanfee, it is my hope that even if TEC’s bishops do exactly as the Primates have requested (proclaim a moratorium on same-sex blessings and consents to LGBT bishops, etc) they will also remind the Anglican Communion that they have failed to confront… Read more »
It’s all rather transparent, isn’t it? Patriarchy, misogyny, homophobia, & the minimalization of the needs of women, children and men living/dying with HIV/AIDs are @ the core of the prostyletizing agenda that ++ Peter Akinola, +Martyn Mimms are orchestrating with other leaders of the Global South primates. They are more concerned with the saving of souls and the growth of the Anglican Church of Nigeria than they are with the fact that people are dying in the streets of Lagos and of curable, treatable diseases throughout the rest of the nation and the continent of Africa. Maybe they could some… Read more »
Cheryl wrote “the rats in the wheel”.
We don’t say “rats” in Swedish so it took me a minute to make the connection. We use “ekorre”, ecureuil in French (not sure about the spelling), a small brownish animal jumping about in trees.
Now, this was an image they used at home speaking about the Evil times: the 1930ies and 1940ies.
People ran about like rats in a wheel, not seeing what they did, or who, or what made them do it, nor that they really should be doing something quite different.
I too wish that the 2005 statement about the “victimisation or diminishment of human beings whose affections happen to be ordered towards people of the same sex” being “anathema” had been repeated and applied to the situation in Nigeria.
I note that the condemnation of “irrational fear of homosexuals” from Lambeth 1.10 is repeated but it is not elaborated upon.
Not so long since someone from the conservative vaguely pro-GS end of things was arguing on TA that homosexuality was no bar to ordination as long as the gays remained celibate. As I had thought, Nigeria seems to oppose the ordination of homosexuals per se. What I don’t know is whether the Nigerian take on homosexuality is that there ain’t no such thing as a non-practising gay, or whether the ‘disorder’ of homosexuality is deemed a rebellious and sinful lifestyle in itself (which I’m sure could be argued on scriptural grounds). SO will someone tell me: a) What people like… Read more »
I share your confusion about exactly what the dominant realignment position on queer folks is supposed to be. Taking slow, deep breaths, I have been visiting and posting on StandFirm. I am considered an old troll, one of the kinder posters finally confided to me in reply. Hanging in for a bit reveals that the going position has been quite variously stated. Just Say No is one reply. No queer stuff, please, no way, no shape, no how. This one has at least two main variants. Those who concentrate on no queer folks inside the church, and think that civil… Read more »