Ugandan Bishop Pleads With American Christians on Anti-Homosexuality (also Rick Warren slapdown)

Christianity Today spoke on the phone with Niringiye about the cultural context of the bill and how he thinks American Christians should respond.

This is not just a Christian response. I can certainly say the objectives of the bill have the total support of most of Uganda, not just Christians, but also Muslims and Roman Catholics. It would not be right to talk about how Christians feel. They're all agreed on the objectives. There will be a difference of opinion on the details of the bill.

The second thing I need to say is that it is important to understand that the section on the death penalty seeks consistency in the law. The law on rape in this country (and I am not stating a position, I'm stating a fact) has a maximum sentence of death, particularly if it is rape of a minor. Therefore, there is the idea that the law that is proposed needs to be [consistent] with other laws on the books.

The second thing to say about the contents of the bill is the argument that in the current law, the definition of sex is a male-and-female relationship. The reason why they are including homosexual rape as sexual assault is because in the current law, sexual assault is defined as male and female, either male assaulting female or female assaulting male. That background of the law is very important to understand.

You all may recall a thread posted with an "encyclical letter" from Rick Warren to the pastors of the Ugandan church.

Here, they responded (the letter is in a PDF file with security to prevent copy and paste, so I transcribed the first couple of paragraphs)

Dear Pastor Rick Warren,

Christmas greetings from the Pastors here in Uganda. We acknowledge receipt of your letter in which you called on us to "speak out" against the proposed "Anti-homosexuality bill 2009" which is currently in the process of being developed in our parliament. This bill has been greatly misrepresented by some homosexualists causing hysteria and we take this opportunity to give you the background, educate you on the major aspects of the law as well as respond to the concerns you raised. Indeed the headlines that say Ugandan law to kill gays, is deliberately misleading. It should really say, Uganda law proposes capital sentence for Men with HIV who rape boys and infect them with HIV/AIDS just as it is for heterosexuals who rape girls. You see, we have many troubling concerns, such as a crisis of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA) who rape and infect young children with HIV/AIDS in a grotesque demonic belief of a "virgin sex cure" as prescribed by satanic witchdoctors. we are harrassed by a massive invasion of rich Europeans and Americans groups who are scorning our traditional African view of marriage and family, bullying and threatening to cut off "aid" if we dont legalise the sins of sodom and Gommorrah! we are troubled by some members western media which is obsessed with homosexuality it Indeed, we are troubled that Christianity in the global North has fallen so much from Gods word that homosexuals and lesbians are being ordained into Bishops as evidenced by the election of Mary Glasspool in your state of California last week! We want to make sure that Africa purposefully avoids the mistakes of the Global North Church and we hope to learn more from our encyclical pastoral dialogue.

Africa101: Homosexuality is illegal, unnatural, ungodly and un-African: In Uganda as most of the global South, homosexuality is an "evil and repugnant sexual act" which simultaneously breaks four established laws. First, the law of nature, which sates that males mate with females; Second the law of our land as already stated in our Penal Code and constitution; thirdly, the law of our faiths as in the Holy Bible for Christians and the Holy Quran for our Moselm friends; Fourthly, the law of our African tribal cultures which haved been handed down to us by our fathers from thousands of years of civilized traditions. While we may have differences of opinions on many issues as in many democratic societies, this is one issue we all agree on. A recent steadman survey demonstrated this that 95% of Ugandans are opposed to homosexuality. Just so you know, the current law on homosexuality (in Uganda Penal Code 145) punishes all forms of "unnatural" sexual activity as an offense liable with up to life in prison. Similarly attempts to commit the same offenses is a felony liable to seven years imprisonment. This law was established by act on sunday 15th June 1950!

Our Historical Struggle:
When you came to Uganda on Thursday, 27 March 2008, and expressed support to the Church of Uganda's boycott of the pro-homosexual church of England, you stated; "The Church of England is wrong, and I support the Church of Uganda". You are further remembered to say, "homosexuality is not a natural way of life and thus 9its) not a human right. we shall not tolerate this aspect at all". (Gay Row-US Pastor supports country on boycott) You were indeed affirming Uganda's Christian's long historical struggle against institutionalized homosexuality. This boycott was not the beginning of the strujggle. In fact on June 3rd 1866, 26 Ugandas new converts to Christianity were martyreed for their stand against a deviant king who had taken to the practice of sodomy. There faith in christ emboldened them to stand against homosexuality, resisting to the "point of shedding blood".

Today we honor them, and June 3rd is a national holiday where millions of Ugandan believers converge to remember and renew their strength. (When faith, state and state inspired homosexuality clash). As you yourself have said, "...the Bible says evil has to be opposed. Evil has to be stopped. The Bible does not say negotiate with evil. It says stop it. Stop evil. (12/2007) Since homosexuality is evil, you cannot possibly be against a law that seeks to stop it unless if you have misunderstood it.

The rest of the letter is also well worth reading.

This boycott was not the beginning of the strujggle. In fact on June 3rd 1866, 26 Ugandas new converts to Christianity were martyreed for their stand against a deviant king who had taken to the practice of sodomy. There faith in christ emboldened them to stand against homosexuality, resisting to the "point of shedding blood".

While I was familiar with the Commemoration of these Martyrs, I had not known that their stance for sexual purity was part of their good confession leading to their baptism of blood.

www.missionstclare.com/english/people/jun3.html

From the linked page:

O God, by whose providence the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church: Grant that we who remember before you the blessed martyrs of Uganda, may, like them, be steadfast in our faith in Jesus Christ, to whom they gave obedience, even unto death, and by their sacrifice brought forth a plentiful harvest; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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