Updated again Wednesday morning
IPS has RIGHTS-UGANDA: “You Cannot Tell Me You Will Kill Me Because I’m Gay”. This includes quotes from Canon Aaron Mwesigye Kafundizeki, the Church of Uganda provincial secretary:
“It is an important law, but the provision related to the death penalty may prevent this law from being passed, because death should not be accepted as a punishment. Therefore propose another form of punishment instead of death.”
Kafundizeki said pushing for extra territorial jurisdiction would be counter-productive.
“The Church of Uganda is saying we need to limit ourselves to the Ugandan territory, instead of extra territorial jurisdiction, because the Ugandan constitution is very clear on protocols and ratifications. Going beyond the borders will be counter-productive,” he says.
Compare this with the CofU official statement here.
Warren Throckmorton has written at Crosswalk Adding D to ABC: How a Proposed Ban on Homosexuality in Uganda Will Undo AIDS Progress.
Box Turtle Bulletin has further reports:
Uganda’s “Kill Gays” bill is “Providing Leadership to the World”
More American Evangelical Ties To Uganda’s Anti-Gay Politicians
The “Biblical” Worldwide Anglican Communion
Changing Attitude has further reports from “Gug”, a gay Ugandan, here, and here, and also here.
LGCM has issued a press release, Lesbian and Gay Christians speak out against Uganda’s proposed “Anti-Homosexuality” Bill.
Cif belief has published Unite to condemn homophobic laws by Davis Mac-Iyalla.
An open letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury and primates of the Anglican Communion on Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill
To the Archbishop of Canterbury and primates of the Anglican Communion,
I am writing to you to call on the Church of England and the wider Anglican community to condemn Uganda’s proposed anti-homosexuality bill, which will make gay relations between disabled people and those under 18 a capital offence. “Carnal knowledge against the order of nature” – as homosexuality is termed in Ugandan law – is already punishable with life imprisonment. However, if passed, the new bill will widen the scope, including promoting homosexuality, aiding and abetting homosexuality and keeping a house “for purposes of homosexuality”. This means that the relatives and friends of gay couples could face execution if they allow them to stay in their homes…
Warren Throckmorton has a further posting, The future is now, part two – Ugandan want ad.
There are other African countries who changed their constitution to criminalise their nationals who enter into same sex marriages abroad. Even foreign nationals in same sex marriages are committing a serious offence if they enter some African countries.
The absolutely worst thing about this horror is that those proposing it are blind to what they are doing. Will be some rude awakening on Judgement Day!
I think it’s time for the Episcopal Church to leave the Anglican Communion and join the Lutheran World Federation. TEC could work with the Lutherans and Methodists to create a worldwide Mainline Communion that allows the Gospel to be preached everywhere. I think TEC is more like the Swedish Lutheran Church than any church in the Anglican Communion.
The worst part, in my opinion, is that Archbishop Orombi tells falsehoods, fails to apologize when proven WRONG (or gives no basis for his slander) and goes onward like he knows what he´s doing as he brutalizes and abuses Anglicans in Uganda and beyond. Big manlike actions or simply just another little pumped up blowhard and hate-mongering opportunist trying to gain on whatever it is he thinks he MUST HAVE.
“It is with joy we see that everyone is interested in what Uganda is doing, and it is an opportunity for Uganda to provide leadership where it matters most. So we are here to see a piece of legislation that will not only define what the country stands for, but actually provide leadership around the world,” he says.” – – Ethics & Integrity Minister, Uganda – This, no doubt, can be accounted the very same sort of ‘Ethics and Integrity’ practised by supporters of the Bill – Archbishop Orombi and the Bishops Council of the Anglican Church of Uganda. If… Read more »
Yes, this is totally abhorrent, of course it is.
In difficult times people look for minorities to blame, and it seems that in Africa, that minority has become LGBT people. It is disgusting.
But we in the west have also turned minorities into scape goats, and I fear we still do it.
Let us condemn this outrageous proposed law. Let us always be on our guard against the vilification of any group in our own country.
Silence update :
I have just spoken to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Press Officer who informed me “I don’t know where we stand on this. Nothing has been said at the moment”.
Crickets, crickets…
++Rowan simply doesn’t care. He’s a disgrace and I’m ashamed to be in communion with him.
“”I don’t know where we stand on this. Nothing has been said at the moment”
Certainly knew where he stood when he sold Jeffrey John down the pike and disinvited +Robinson from Lambeth (not to mention disallowing him to say communion in the C of E).
His silence is deafening. We have a saying in the states: chickens–t.
Ashpenaz is absolutely right. If Lambeth Palace “doesn’t know where they stand” on the Ugandan bill, and the Church of England is willing to repudiate the Porvoo agreement between itself and the Lutheran Church of Sweden, then we in TEC have no further business with the Church of England or the Anglican Communion. We do have business with ELCA, the Methodists worldwide, and the Church of Sweden, and with any others who may choose to join us. Together we will uphold the tolerant, reasonable, mainline version of Christianity that is the true Anglican tradition. However, I think we should sign… Read more »
“Ashpenaz is absolutely right. If Lambeth Palace “doesn’t know where they stand” on the Ugandan bill…”
Oh? Does this mean that our Presiding Bishop *has* decided where she and ECUSA stand? I didn’t think that Lambeth was alone in its silence…
I’d say, “I don’t know where we stand on this,” about something so morally repugnant to any halfway decent human being tells us *exactly* where Lambeth stands on it. It won’t do a bit of good, I know, but I’m going to contact both Her Majesty and Prime Minister Brown – surely someone can do something about this absolute disaster of an ABC. I’m going to beg, frankly, that they at least try to steer him into doing the right thing and curb his obvious and poisonous hatred of all things to do with the United States. There is, for… Read more »
Rowan Williams has been accused of being silent and of not caring. I am pleased to tell you all that I have received a letter on this subject from him in response to mine. The contents of the letter are not for publication, but I was encouraged.
Nonsense.
Send the letters.
Get Rowan out, if you possibly can. He’s a hypocrite and a complete failure as man and cleric.