Updated Friday noon
Ekklesia has published Anti-gay bill tests core Christian witness by Savi Hensman.
Religion Dispatches has published Rick Warren Won’t Denounce Proposed Ugandan Anti-Gay Law by Sarah Posner.
Colin Coward has Excerpts from a hearing on the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 with religious leaders and also Some Ugandans categorically oppose Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
The blog article mentioned in the above, by Okello Lucima, is at Buturo, Bahati more dangerous to Uganda than gays and lesbians.
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has condemned the proposed legislation, see IBAHRI Condemns Introduction of Death Penalty for ‘Aggravated Homosexuality’. via AllAfrica.com.
There is an editorial in the Uganda Observer Anti-gay Bill is not helpful.
Update
The Church Times has a report by Pat Ashworth World’s Anglicans urged to condemn Ugandan Bill.
See in the Comments for initial responses from Reform and Anglican Mainstream.
It seems clear that Christian faith motivates those in Uganda who advocate judicial murder for homosexuals. It was the same faith that motivated the Nigerian Anglican Church to help draft another Bill that sought to impose long prison sentences on gay people and those who actively supported gay people’ rights. The same faith that in 2007 motivated the Anglicans of Singapore to ask the government to criminalise lesbianism for the first time and to maintain the harsh penalties against gay men. It is the Christian faith that drives the Roman Catholic Church to oppose outlawing legal discrimination against gays because… Read more »
“It is the Christian faith that inspires some psychiatrists and psychologists to continue advocating “healing” gay people and the Christian faith that drives many into their clutches.”
– Martin Reynolds –
No, Martin, I beg to differ. It is not the Christian FAITH that is the problem here. Rather, it is the Christian RELIGION. Faith is something different – especially for people who believe that Christ came to set people free from their irrational prejudice. “I came that they might have life – abundant life.” Jesus in the Gospel.
The excerpts from the hearing with religious leaders is an eye opener.
Martin Reynolds (are you the Martin Reynolds with the LGCM? I’m assuming you’re not the one with the BNP 😉 ) I’m not sure that it can be said that the Christian faith is what’s driving all this. In many cases, clearly it is. But Christianity is also used as an something to prop up and sanctify homophobia that’s already in place.
Regarding the Rick Warren story: 3% of the Episcopal Church has NOT left to join ACNA. ACNA includes the Reformed Episcopal Church which has existed since the late 1800’s, the CEC and others. They were already private denominations long before ACNA tied them all together. There are no statistics to show where ex-Episcopalians are going to church. The Episcopal Church has lost 226,941 members since 2004, which is 10.4% of it’s entire membership in five years. If those people all went to ACNA, that church would have a quarter of a million people. They have 65,000.
Pray for the person who wrote the editorial in the Uganda Observer. It took guts for someone in that country to speak out against the anti-gay legislation.
The following text has just been posted on the Anglican Mainstream site, which would appear to be a positive development :
“Reports are circulating about proposed ‘anti-homosexual legislation’ in Uganda. Anglican Mainstream UK is in touch with senior church leaders in Uganda to ascertain what lies behind these reports and what should be the appropriate response from Christians in this country.”
And, on the Fulcrum forum, Colin Coward reports: I’m grateful to have received a positive email from Rev Rod Thomas, the Chairman of Reform, saying that as a result of the email, they are now corresponding with the Archbishop of Uganda. and Susan Russell and myself are both in email contact with David Virtue of VirtueOnline who has been in contact with Archbishop Henry Orombi, who is ‘on the road’. David promises that we will hear when he receives a response from the Archbishop to the question we put – “When is he going to start meeting the ‘real’ needs… Read more »
Does the AM response mean that they are going to be in touch with senior Ugandan church leaders so that the Ugandan church leaders can tell them what is the appropriate response from Christians in this country? If so, then I think I can guess what it will say. How about AM getting in touch with some of the LGBT Christians in Uganda and asking THEM what their response should be?
Thank you, Colin, for starting a dialog with David Virtue on this issue. Your question is fantastic! It’ll be very interesting to see how he covers the story. I did a quick survey of his site and saw nothing on Uganda. Surely, there are enough REAL issues among the Ugandan flock without spreading fear, hysteria (and worse?) about a group of powerless people in that country who are part of the flock. Of course, spreading hysteria about non-existent threats is so much easier than grappling with complex difficult issues and all the problems resolving them creates. On this side of… Read more »
“The Bill is contrary to international law, regional law in Africa, the Ugandan Constitution and Uganda High Court rulings.” “The Ugandan Constitution provides for equality, privacy, freedom of speech and freedom from discrimination, and a Uganda High Court decision last December held that these rights apply to all people regardless of their sexuality or gender identity.” – International Bar Association – If, then, the Anglican Church in Uganda proceeds with its continuing condemnation of the LGBT community in Uganda (and elsewhere), aiding and abetting the proposed anti-gay legislation in Uganda, then what recourse does the Anglican Communion have but to… Read more »