The Bahati bill: Making Zombies out Uganda Pentecostal churches
The Catholic and Anglican churches have changed their positions on the gay bill. They have categorically said that the Bahati bill or Anti-Homosexuality bill, 2009 is incompatible with Christianity. This is not a simple move. This is a direct attack on Pentecostal churches in Uganda. Remember Mr.Bahati, the man behind the bill is a Pentecostal. You, see the catholic and Anglican churches in Uganda are not happy with the rate at which Ugandans are converting to Pentecostalism. The catholic church one time appealed to government to make tough laws for Pentecostal churches. During the recent Inter-religious Council of Uganda (IRC) meeting which Pentecostal pastors like Joseph Serwadda attended, the Pentecostals were fooled into thinking that the Anglicans and Catholics were Pro-Bahati bill. Pentecostal pastors like Pastor Joseph Kiganda, etc were fooled into thinking that supporting the bill is okay.
Church leaders back govt on anti-gay Bill
http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Church_leaders_back_govt_on_anti-gay_Bill_95758.shtml
PASTOR JOSEPH SERWADDA’S BORN AGAIN FAITH FEDERATION JOINS ECUMENISTIC INTER-RELIGIOUS COUNCIL OF UGANDA
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2009/12/now-emerging-church-chickens-come-home.html
Pastor Martin Ssempa Rejects Pastor Rick Warren’s request to Ugandan Pastors to denounce the Anti-Homosexuality Bill
http://www.yesumulungi.com/index.php/commentaries/395-pastor-martin-ssempa-rick-warren-and-ugandas-anti-homosexual-bill.html
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2009/12/pastor-martin-ssempa-rejects-pastor.html
THE CREATION OF AN"ENEMY ABSOLUTE" - BEGINNINGFIRST WITH THE GAYAND LESBIAN COMMUNITY
http://www.antipasministries.com/html/file0000268.htm
AFRICOM Year Two:Seizing The Helm Of Africa
http://www.antipasministries.com/other/article026.htm
In December 2009 I wrote an article in the Monitor news paper in which I exposed the foolishness of Christians supporting the Bahati bill. This article opened the eyes of catholic and Anglican churches. Since it was written by a Mulokole(born again Christian), they had to find a way of reacting. I think they have reacted quite well. Meanwhile the Pentecostals continue to show support for the bill. In fact Bahati was recently welcomed in Pastor Senyonga’s Christian life church. He told the Pentecostal listeners there that he was not going to back down. The support for the bill is indicative of how foolish and undiscerning the Pentecostals are. It has exposed how scripturally illiterate Pentecostal leaders are.
As a Born Again, I consider the ‘Bahati Bill’ Anti-Christian
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/-/806314/831714/-/2we53qz/-/index.html
Grace is not a license to sin: My reaction to Mr. Ronald Balugiire’s criticism of my monitor article
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2010/02/grace-is-not-license-to-sin-my-reaction.html
Uganda's President Museveni Named in a US Christian Cult, The Family
http://www.yesumulungi.com/index.php/apostasy-watch/390-ugandas-president-museveni-named-in-a-us-evangelical-cult-the-family.html
SEE THE DIFFERENT POSTIONS OF THE CATHOLIC AND ANGLICAN CHURCHES
Church leaders back govt on anti-gay Bill
News | December 10, 2009
http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Church_leaders_back_govt_on_anti-gay_Bill_95758.shtml
Risdel Kasasira
Kampala
At least 200 senior religious leaders in Uganda have thrown their weight behind the government backing it not to “yield to pressure” from donor countries that are demanding the withdrawal of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill before Parliament.
Under their umbrella organisation of the Inter-religious Council of Uganda (IRC), the clerics have recommended that the government should think of cutting diplomatic ties with countries that are bent on forcing homosexuality on Ugandans.
The Bill proposes that a person convicted of homosexual in Uganda is liable to life imprisonment.
At their three-day meeting in Entebbe this week, the spiritual leaders came up with several recommendations that are opposed to homosexuals.
“Government should cut ties with donor communities and other groups which support ungodly values such as homosexuality and abortion,” one of the resolutions reads.
Some donor countries including, Canada, UK and Sweden have been pressuring Uganda to discard the proposed law intended to severely punish homosexuals.
Not understood
The Secretary General of IRC, Mr Joshua Kitakule told Daily Monitor that development partners should not interfere in the process of legislation in Uganda.
“Those countries should respect our spiritual values. They shouldn’t interfere,” he said. “All senior religious leaders have been given copies of the Bill to read and educate people in the churches and mosques,” he added. Mr Kitakule said the Bill, which was tabled last month by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati, has not been understood by human rights activists and homosexuals.
“The Bill is ok. But it has been misunderstood. We need to educate people on this proposed law,” he said.
Bishops from the Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, Seventh Day Adventist churches as well as Muslim kadhis agreed to defend the Bill in their centres of worship.
Foreign influence
Speaking at the conference, Mr Bahati dismissed arguments that homosexuality is natural.
“It is a learned behaviour and can be unlearned. You can’t tell me that people are born gays. It is foreign influence that is on work,” he said.
The divine leaders also decried the increasing power tariffs and environmental degradation in the country.
“Government should reduce electricity tariffs in order to encourage use of clean energy and mobilise people to plant trees,” they resolved.
Anglicans Say No to Gays Bill
http://allafrica.com/stories/201002100445.html
Tabu Butagira, F. Nalubega and Rajab Mukombozi
The monitor, 10 February 2010
The country's Anglicans yesterday added their voice against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Like the Catholics before them, the Church of Uganda officially rejected the Bill.
They proposed that instead of the death penalty for gays who seduce boys - as the Bill put forward by Ndorwa West David Bahati demands - the law should be changed to ensure that vulnerable boys are properly protected.
Archbishop Luke Orombi, in his first public comments on the controversial Bill, however said they do not recognise homosexuality as "a human right".
"The Church of Uganda believes that homosexual practice is incompatible with the Scripture," the prelate said in a statement issued yesterday, citing a resolution of the 1998 Lambeth Conference in Britain.
He added: "At the same time, the Church of Uganda is committed at all levels to offer counseling, healing and prayer for people with homosexual disorientation, especially in our schools and other institutions of learning."
"The Church is a safe place for individuals, who are confused about their sexuality or struggling with sexual brokenness, to seek help and healing. As a Church; we affirm the necessity of appropriate amendments within the existing legislation..."
Mr Bahati, who tabled the Bill last year, yesterday insisted in comments to Christians and pastors fellowshipping at Christian Life Church in Bwaise, a city suburb, that he is not giving up.
"As a Member of Parliament, I have a constitutional right to move a Private Member's Bill and will not be shaken by any external forces because I have the support from within my country," he said, adding: "Many Ugandans are behind me and we have to fight this battle jointly."
However, the latest foray by Church of Uganda, which until last year played host and spiritual home for breakaway conformist American clerics/Anglicans disenchanted over acceptance of homosexuals in the Episcopal Church, deprives MP Bahati of the second biggest bloc after the Catholic Church here earlier raised objections to capital punishment embedded in the Bill.
According to Mr Bahati, the Bill seeks to legitimise marriage only as a union between a man and woman, penalise homosexuals, prohibit and or disown pro-gay treaties and freeze licensing of promoter organisations.
Some provisions of the Bill, including the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality, borderless jurisdiction and criminalisation of counseling of gays, have been criticised both locally and internationally, especially by human rights activists
US President Barack Obama, among other powerful western leaders, last week derided the Bill as "odious", two months after President Museveni urged Parliament to go slow on it due to associated foreign policy sensitivity.
Sanctions plea
Yesterday's statement sent to media houses by Church of Uganda's Communications Director Amanda Onapito, specifically suggests changes to Sections 128-147 that variously touch on sexual-related offences such as indecent assault, homosexuality and defilement to ensure "proportionality" in sanctions.
"The ideal situation would be one where necessary amendment is made to existing legislation to also enumerate other sexual offences such as lesbianism and bestiality," the statement, already endorsed by the House of Bishops, reads in part.
"This would not require a fresh Bill on homosexuality per se but rather an amendment to the existing provisions which would also change the title to something like: The Penal Code Unnatural Offences Amendment Bill."
The Anglican Communion has in recent years stood on the edge of division on the issue of gays in the congregation with liberals backing their accommodation while conservatives detest the practice as "sinful and unbiblical".
Church of Uganda has sided with the conformists, helping organise the 2008 Global Anglican Future Conference in Jerusalem after boycotting the Lambeth Conference in London over Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan William's perceived tolerance of gays.
Meanwhile, a man in Isingiro District in western Uganda was remanded in custody after being accused of sodomising a 13-year-old boy.
The prosecution told the court that the 27-year-old had waylaid the boy as he returned from grazing goats and threatened to stab him before forcing him into sex against "the order of nature".
The magistrate in Mbarara said the evidence in the file was "too scanty to proceed" and he adjourned the hearing.
Church of Uganda’s position on Homosexuality Bill
http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/860122/-/item/1/-/rss7j4z/-/index.html
Rev. Henry Luke Orombi
The undertaking of a comprehensive legislative and literature review of all the laws and literature related to the subject at hand in order to identify the actual gaps in the existing legislations.
Conclusion
As a Church, we affirm the necessity of appropriate amendments within the existing legislation and corresponding Penal Code sections. The Church of Uganda, being a part of the Anglican Communion, reiterates her position on human sexuality and her desire to uphold the pastoral
position of providing love and care for all God’s people caught up in any sin and remaining consistent with Holy Scriptures of the Christian Church.
Catholic bishops oppose gays Bill
By Rodney Muhumuza
Posted Tuesday, January 12 2010 at 00:00
In Summary
The titular head of the Catholic Church in Uganda has weighed in on the proposed anti-homosexuality law, saying he rejects it because it is “at odds with the core values” of Christians.
Kampala
The titular head of the Catholic Church in Uganda has weighed in on the proposed anti-homosexuality law, saying he rejects it because it is “at odds with the core values” of Christians. But while Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Lwanga’s opposition to the 2009 Anti-Homosexuality Bill is based on compassion, the cleric retains the view that homosexuality is immoral and violates God’s will. “The Bible says homosexuality is strictly forbidden,” Dr Lwanga said in a statement made public yesterday.
“However, the Church equally teaches the Christian message of respect, compassion, and sensitivity. The Church has always asked its followers to hate the sin but to love the sinner… In our view, the proposed [law] is not necessary considering that acts of sodomy are already condemned in the Penal Code.”
The cleric offers a solution that homosexuals normally find unpleasant, too: rehabilitation. “The proposed (law) does not contain clauses encouraging homosexuals to be rehabilitated,” the statement said. “As (the) Catholic Church, we have a mission to reach out to all of the people of God. As Christ showed, no one is beyond God’s mercy and love.”
Still, in a country where homosexuality is taboo and where many preachers have condemned gays, Dr Lwanga’s comments will be seen as unlikely opposition to a piece of legislation that proposes death or life imprisonment for gay people.
Contradictory
Essentially, however, Dr Lwanga’s views run counter to the position of Uganda’s Anglican community, whose leaders have supported the proposed law but opposed the death penalty, and alienate junior priests who have expressed contrary views. In Uganda’s Pentecostal community, where pastors like Martin Ssempa have supported the proposed law in its current shape, homophobia is even more intense.
Mr Bahati, who says he wants to protect traditional family values, denies being in a hate campaign. But critics say he lacks evidence to back the claims that inspired him to propose such a tough law. In his statement, Dr Lwanga criticised the part in Mr Bahati’s proposal that would punish those who fail to report homosexuals to the authorities.
President Museveni has not spoken out on the subject, although a recent report, quoting US officials, said he had assured the Obama White House of his intention to veto the proposed law.
ALSO SEE ARTICLE BY A PROMINENT CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN
Accept and respect gays, says Catholic priest
http://www.monitor.co.ug/LifeStyle/Religion/-/689744/852016/-/jwvn1h/-/index.html
Posted Sunday, January 31 2010 at 00:00
Ndorwa West MP David Bahati’s proposed anti-gay law has given rise to serious discussions on whether it will not be a gross violation of human rights in legalising murder or criminalisation of citizens merely for being who they are. Ethics and Integrity Minister Dr Nsaba Buturo is said to have held multiple press conferences telling reporters that the law has the government’s support. He is further reported to have said bluntly that homosexuals can forget human rights (cf. Daily Monitor, Wednesday December 16).
Whereas religious leaders have been generally less vocal on problems affecting the majority of Ugandans like excessive inequality in the allocation of jobs, excessive misuse of public funds for self enrichment, unjust treatment of some regions and excessive corruption in all government sectors, which have rendered our leadership so rotten that a hyena dead for 10 days smells better; Catholic Church leaders, while not condoning homosexuality, have rendered the new proposed anti-gay law unnecessary. It is too brutal!
Having heard all that, I as a trained Catholic theologian would like to offer some reflection on this controversial topic. Essential to the Christian faith is that the principle source of revelation is the Bible. Biblically, male and female were created for a dual purpose conjugal and procreative for the continuous of the human species. Since homosexuality refers to relations between men or women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction towards persons of the same sex, it renders itself intrinsically disordered. Homosexual activities, while they may claim to be conjugal, fail to fulfill the procreative law and therefore under no circumstances can they be approved.
However, we also believe that God alone has the absolute knowledge of the natural law and so what we may condemn as unnatural may be one of those areas God may wish to show his power over what we regard as the laws of nature. This is why Jesus, on being asked whether the man born blind was a result of his parents’ or own sin, responded that it was done to show God’s supernatural power of healing. In my view, there are a good number of people born in a manner we would call abnormal, like children born with six fingers, Mongoloids or any other part of the body abnormally or unnaturally positioned in a strange way. A young boy born with six fingers was constantly teased by his peers who said “give me six!”
In the same way, every sign of unjust discrimination of homos should be avoided. They must be respected and accepted with compassion and sensitivity. They are all creatures of God! Why they are this way is not for us to ask. I would say this is a preferential will of God which is above human understanding and simply has to be accepted.
As creatures of God, these people have as much right to live as any of us. Their condition should be treated with sympathy and compassion. Therefore our anti-gay bill would constitute unjust discrimination. Unfortunately, some of our religious leaders, especially Anglicans, seem to condemn rather than approach this problem from a Christian perspective of love and sympathy. They have used the Bible as a book containing information which they can refer to, to justify their attack on homosexuals. Picking bits of the Bible to justify one’s point is a wrong approach. Homosexuality is a sin just like adultery, fornication, etc. Why capitalise on it and not adultery?
I know there are those who will emotionally jump to the conclusion that I condone homosexual activities. The Bible is not a textbook. It is understood by interpretation. To quote the Bible does not give credence to the “quoter”. I therefore appeal to our law makers to suspend their motions on this topic and be sympathetic to those who have this disorderedness not because of what they did but because like any other disorderedness, they too may not be blamed. They have as much right to live like any of us who claim to be perfectly created.
— Rev Fr Lawrence Kanyike
Makerere University
