U.S. Christian leaders slam Uganda’s anti-homosexuality act

[Shallah Kali]

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2009/12/08/u-s-christian-leaders-slam-ugandas-anti-homosexuality-act/

A diverse group of U.S. Christian leaders — who don’t always see eye to eye on same-sex lifestyle issues — have spoken out against a law under consideration in Uganda that could make homosexual behavior punishable by death. You can see the full statement and list of signatories here. http://blog.faithinpubliclife.org/Uganda%20statement%20and%20signers%20final.pdf

snip

The issue is of interest on a range of fronts. In the eyes of some, it would be taken as an indirect example of oil’s poisonous affect on the African body politic – witness the obscene corruption and brutal regime in Equatorial Guinea.

UGANDA-PROTEST/Some human rights activists have also seen the legislation as a sign of the growing influence of conservative U.S. evangelicals in Uganda. They certainly have a large missionary presence on the continent though even among those here in the United States who preach or believe that homosexual relations are a sin, there are few I think who would want to take things so far. (But there are probably a few).

snip

Still, the issue may have a resonance with the Ugandan electorate. Critics have said the the aim of the Ugandan anti-gay legislation is to divert attention from corruption and other political issues ahead of the 2011 national vote. Could it be that Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni is borrowing a page from former Republican electoral mastermind Karl Rove?

[glen123098]

1. Well its good to know the religous right doesn't want to kill homosexuals...

yet.

[glen123098]

2. I take that back the freepers are in full support of it.

Here's a link to one of their threads.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2397562/posts

[NMMNG]

3. Some of them want very much to

They just know they can't get their wishes over here, so they take their hate parade overseas to places like Uganda where they can see their most fervent dreams realized. People like Rick Warren say to Americans "I don't hate gays", then go to Uganda and help create what we're seeing right now.

[liberal_at_heart]

4. They know they have to operate much more discrete over here

That doesn't nesassarily mean they are against it. I don't know how many over here would want homosexuals killed(it's pretty obvious some do because of the violent hate crimes committed against homosexuals) but I would bet there is a fair amount here in the US that would love to make homosexuality a crime and lock people in jail for committing it. We already know that many Christian fundamentalists here in the US would love to put people in jail for having an abortion if they had their way.

[bugfragged]

13. Funny how they always criticize Islam for draconian actions against homosexuals...

...but think it's okay when Christians do it.

[foxfeet]

5. Not soon enough, not loudly enough and not publicly enough.

[gratuitous]

6. Who is moving in that fashion?

Is there a someone dealing with this faster, louder and more publicly? Who meets your standards?

[foxfeet]

7. So far, no Christian leader in the U.S.

Do you have any examples of U.S. Christian leaders who have done so? I'd be happy to learn that someone has actually made a public issue of this.

[Hekate]

8. There's quite a list of signatories if you click the link. What if they called a press conference...

... and nobody came? or if some few came and no one bothered to file the report or publish it on Page 1?

What would you do then?

Hekate

[foxfeet]

9. I read the link. Are you unwilling to consider that mainstream and liberal

Christians could be more emphatic in condemning this genocidal legislation?

[Hekate]

10. Didn't say that. But the only ones who get onto the "news" day after day after day are the RW...

... hellfire and damnation preachers. Thanks to 30 years of "culture wars" the ones with the loudest and shrillest voices are the ones who claim the high ground and get the most exposure.

Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners is a socially liberal evangelical who kept speaking out during the Bush years and got several interviews, especially after he published "God is Not a Republican ... or a Democrat" -- so I do expect (since he signed this document) his views will be published in his print magazine Sojourners, which also is published online. I don't expect him to wade into the muck of FOX noise, but he might show up on Bill Moyers, Rachel Maddow, or even Jon Stewart.

I'm sure there are others. I know Rev Gaddy of Interfaith Alliance is another who will speak publicly.

Hekate

[foxfeet]

11. My apologies-- I was called away or I'd have responded sooner.

I agree with your assessment of the media's continued attention to the RW hellfire and damnation preachers to the exclusion of more liberal, or even more moderate, Christian viewpoints. I am also familiar with Rev. Gaddy-- I am a member of the Interfaith Alliance and have been (on and off) for some years. I still believe that mainstream/liberal Christianity has allowed the RW hellfire/damnation to become the public face of Christianity. That is in part due to the aforementioned problem with the media, but also owes much to inaction or anemic intervention by mainstream/liberal Christians.

[liberal_at_heart]

15. same thing happens when the Muslim fundamentalists hurt people

American Christians demand that Muslim Americans come out in public and denounce Muslim fundamentalist terror attacks. There are many Muslim Americans who are against terror and do come out publicly against it when it happens but all you hear about on the news is how all Muslims are terrorists. I am glad to see there are some Christian leaders who are speaking out against the Ugandan law. It is sad to see other very high profile leaders like Rick Warren refusing to take sides though. He had gained alot of popularity because of his views on the environment, and being "whole life" not just pro-life. He almost came off as a moderate, but if he does not come out against this law I think he may ruin his moderate reputation. Then again, if he does support this law maybe he's not as moderate as many people thought he was.

[applegrove]

12. I hope a worldwide condemnation happens.

[mainer]

14. Gay Ugandans can now be considered political refugees

And they should have every right to apply for US asylum.

Wonder how those US Christian leaders are going to feel about this new wave of immigrants they've just created?

[Touchdown]

16. They're now afraid of the monster they created.

They're doing it to save their own skins, because they know connections will be made to what they have done.

[Toasterlad]

17. How Nice of the Christians To Not Wish Us Dead. Mighty Big of Them.

Refreshing, though; I must admit.

[Forkboy]

18. This is really the only way opinions among the religious will change.

People like yourself surely won't matter to all but a few of the more progressive religious folk, but the opinions of a fellow parishioner or Priest may. I personally doubt that most of those people will ever change, but at least, in this one instance anyways, some religious people are saying enough.

I was having a discussion with my father, who is both religious and gay-friendly, that the church needs to stand up to it's own hateful beliefs under the guise of God's love (he agreed), and this is a small example of what I was telling him. It's nothing more than a tiny step, but any step forward works for me, and I suspect you as well. :toast:

[Toasterlad]

19. If I Truly Believed That the Christian Churches Would Change, I Wouldn't Be a Religious Bigot.

However, being raised catholic, and knowing how the catholic church had to be dragged kicking and screaming to EVERY point of progress along it's 2,000 year existence, and knowing how very much rooted in the dark ages they still remain, I am understandably skeptical about the willingness of christian churches to abandon their irrational hatred.

Those (few) christians who speak up for gay people are the "good christians". All the rest can drop dead of leprosy of the cancer of the face for all I care.

[Forkboy]

20. I wish I could argue with that.

Oh who am I kidding? I don't really. :)