Thursday 5 November 2009

Some Ugandans categorically oppose Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Okello Lucima, a Ugandan political economist and policy analyst, has written about the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill on his Northern Uganda Messenger Post blog under the headline ‘Uganda parliament tables bill to kill gays and lesbians’:

He writes:
“This [Bill] is not only cavalier violations of human rights, but a dangerous hate campaign and incitement to harm or kill members of the GLBT in Uganda. The people of Uganda, and all people of good will, must not sit and watch while this happens. The sponsors of the bill, their supporters and political leaders- inside and outside parliament- must be identified, isolated and ostracised by the entire civilised world that respect difference and diversity. Most democratising societies have laws that criminalise purveyors of hate and incitement of hatred against a person, persons or communities; and have robust bill of rights that protect citizens and minorities. Uganda should not be an exception.”
http://northernugandapost.blogspot.com/2009/11/uganda-parliament-tables-bill-to-kill.html

There have been a number of conservative reactions to the Changing Attitude/Inclusive Church initiative in inviting Fulcrum, Reform, the Church Society, Anglican Mainstream, the Archbishops of Canterbury, York, Uganda and the bishops of Bristol, Sodor and Man and Winchester to join us in voicing opposition to the Bill.

We have been told that we shouldn’t interfere in the affairs of another Province; that we don’t understand the very different culture of Uganda; that the human rights of LGBT people are either of no significance to God or are far down the scale of human rights and justice; that we are being selective in our use of Lambeth 1.10 and the Windsor Report.

Okello Lucima confounds all of these arguments.

One disputed issue here is whether all human life is sacred and should be protected or whether the salvation of a person’s eternal soul is what matters. Some conservatives (certainly on Stand Firm) believe that any action, including death or incarceration, is permissible against a person at risk of losing their eternal soul. I vehemently beg to differ.

We are ALL sinful. There is no hierarchy of sin. Such hierarchies are determined by one set of people against another. Gay people are not more sinful than straights. Sexual sin is not worse than any other category.

The sanctity of life is paramount. The sections of Lambeth 1.10 and Windsor that address the sanctity of LGBT life are paramount and trump all other elements in the resolution and report. The Communion has a range of opinions about the way in which we express love for one another. We are not in agreement. I’m putting it in an extreme way because the outcome of Anglican deliberations on human sexuality is leading to extreme violations against LGBT Christians, of which the Ugandan legislation is but one example.

Conservatives call LGBT people to order for disobeying God’s rules for human beings about sexual behavior. I in turn would call conservatives to order for disobeying God’s rules about the sanctity of life and the dignity of all human beings. Conservatives corrupt and distort the teaching of the Bible. This results in an inability to see the Ugandan Bill for what it is and instantly condemn it.

We should ALL be in agreement about the sanctity of life and opposed to everything that threatens a person’s life or safety. There can be no compromise about this. Groups working for equality in the Communion for LGBT people have compromised this fundamental truth. We have failed to uphold the highest Christian values on behalf, not only of our supporters, but all who know that under God, the value in there here and now of every individual human is paramount – we are all sacred people.

Reactions to the Uganda bill reveal how dangerously compromised our Communion has become as it consumes time and energy in fighting over the place of LGBT people in church and society.

4 comments:

  1. Thank you Colin, my letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury and Primates of the Anglican Communion about Uganda is on its way.
    Even if it turns out to be a one man protest, I will appear at the Ugandan House in London on Saturday to protest the Anti-gay bill.

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  2. What a brave man. I hope he is somewhere safe!

    Davis, I hope many will join you in London on Saturday. We have visitors, sadly, otherwise I would come up to be with you.

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  3. We have been told that we shouldn’t interfere in the affairs of another Province; that we don’t understand the very different culture of Uganda;¨ CC

    Oh we understand Ugandas Bishop Orombi just fine...who could miss the poaching/fear-hate instigating preaching in the Dioceses of Los Angeles and Georgia? Even the Supreme Court of the United States has denied the clutching ¨outreach¨ of the grabbing followers of St. James, Newport Beach.

    Ask Heterosexual Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo, Retired bishop of West Buganda, Uganda, who was EXCOMMUNICATED by ¨archbishop¨ Orombi after establishing a ministry for gay and lesbian believers in his community of marginalized/persecuted LGBT Anglicans.

    We understand The Anglican Church of Uganda just fine.

    Ask the former members of Integrity Uganda who were shut down, scattered and persecuted by Orombi and his ¨fundraising¨ priest Rev. Erich Kasirye/Uganda who underhandedly
    "solicited" $$$ at a LGBT list (and unfortunately received contributions
    from LGBT members with his compelling lies about being arrested and in terrible trouble for MINISTERING to LGBT Anglicans...all lies).

    We understand the Anglican Church of Uganda just fine.

    Fr. Erich, former Provincial Youth Director, has NOW moved up to bigger and
    better ministry "opportunities" and is NOW offering "ecclesiastical protection" to U.S. Parishes from the Diocese of Namirembe and Bishop Samuel Ssekkadde.

    We understand the Anglican Church of Uganda just fine.

    Meanwhile, the ever-pious/sometimes-present and always unpleasant Archbishop
    Orombi is sturring up potential "business" by preaching to the Anglican World/beyond about the "poisonous efforts
    of the revisionist forces" at The Episcopal Church Province of The Anglican Communion.

    We understand the Anglican Church of Uganda and Archbishop Orombi just fine!

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  4. There were about 10-15 demonstrators outside Uganda House this afternoon, handing out flyers explaining the background to the legislation and encouraging signing up to an online petition. A number of groups were represented including Amnesty International. Two police officers stopped to talk to one of the protestors and allowed the demonstration to continue (the use of whistles and a megaphone might have been thought to be causing a nuisance perhaps?). I did not see any media representation during the hour I was there. I was pleased that I was able to be there and do my bit in a very small way.

    Laurence C.
    (still not worked out how not to post as 'Anonymous')!

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