GOP leaders condemn Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill

These GOP leaders wrote a letter to Uganda’s President Museveni.

Five Republican representatives – Chris Smith, Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts, Trent Franks and Anh “Joseph” Cao – have written a letter to Ugandan President Yoweri Mouseveni pressing him to stop pending legislation that would severely criminalize homosexuality and sometimes impose the death penalty for homosexual acts.

In the letter, which you can read in full here, the men say their religious faith requires them to oppose the legislation because it contradicts the “foundational Christian belief in the inherent dignity and worth of all men and women.”

This is a good thing and a possible basis for a Congressional resolution.

4 thoughts on “GOP leaders condemn Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill”

  1. Add the Catholic Church of Uganda to the mix against the Bahati Bill:

    The Catholic Church in Uganda Against Homosexuality bill

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    Written by Dr. Cyrian Kizito Lwanga, Archibishop of Kampala

    Wednesday, 23 December 2009

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    We, the Catholic Bishops of Uganda, appreciate and applaud the Government’s effort to protect the traditional family and its values.

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    The Catholic Church is clear in its teaching on homosexuality. Church teaching remains that homosexual acts are immoral and are violations of divine and natural law. The Bible says that homosexuality is strictly forbidden (Lev. 18:22) “Do Not lie with a man as one lies with a woman, that is detestable”, Further more the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “ Homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law, and under no circumstances can they be approved.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2357)

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    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. Considering the fact that all are called by God to fulfill his Will in their lives and to repent of their sins (Mk1:14-15) “After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Homosexuals have the need of conversion and repentance. They also need support, understanding and love as all strive to be members of the Kingdom of God

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    The recent tabled Anti-Homosexuality Bill does not pass a test of a Christian caring approach to this issue. The targeting of the sinner, not the sin, is the core flaw of the proposed Bill. The introduction of the death penalty and imprisonment for homosexual acts targets people rather than seeking to counsel and to reach out in compassion to those who need conversion, repentance, support and hope. The bible says in Luke 6:36-37 “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.”

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    Further more, the Proposal to prosecute those who fail to disclose information regarding homosexual acts puts at risk of the breach of confidentiality and professional ethics of persons such as Parents, Priests, Counselors, Teachers, Doctors and Leaders, at a time when they offer support and advise for rehabilitation of homosexuals. The proposed Bill does not contain clauses encouraging homosexuals to be rehabilitated. As a 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, “In Mt 9:10-13, while Jesus was at table in his house, many tax Collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus… The Pharisees saw this and said to his Disciples, Why does your Teacher eat with Tax Collectors and sinners? He heard this and said, Those who are well do not need a Physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire Mercy not sacrifice, I did not come to call the Righteous, but sinners.”

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    The criminalizing of such reaching out is at odds with the core values of the Christian faith.

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    Additionally, in our view the proposed Bill is not necessary considering that acts of sodomy are already condemned under section 145 of the penal code.

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    +Cyprian. K. Lwanga

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    ARCHBISHOP OF KAMPALA

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    23rd December 2009

  2. Elisha, suppose you were one of the “unlucky few” who got the short end of the stick and had to battle same-sex attractions. Considering the two great commandments (“Love the Lord your God … and your neighbor as yourself”), how would you want to be loved and treated by your fellow man? Would your worth be in the fact that you were created in the image of God or in your sexuality? Should we all line up to stone you, if you had happened to fall even once?

  3. James 3:9-12

    9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt[a] water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

    Your position would have killing image bearers being fine but cursing them not so much.

    It is not so clear what the significance is of some of those Old Testament stories. Most are descriptions of events and not prescriptions for now. It all may be clear to you but you have to ignore a lot to get your clarity.

  4. “. . . the men say their religious faith requires them to oppose the legislation because it contradicts the “foundational Christian belief in the inherent dignity and worth of all men and women.”

    “Inherent dignity and worth of all men and women”?

    There is no Christian foundational principle that affirms the dignity and worth of all men and women. On the contrary, the Bible makes very clear that we are all made of dust, that we all bear the sin of Adam, that God is free to injure and/or kill us here on Earth for any reason He chooses, and that 99% of us will be tortured for all eternity after death. The gospel or “good news” is that a very few can escape torture by accepting the love of Jesus. The lucky few go to Heaven, where they will praise and worship for all eternity, the God who burned everyone else.

    Here on Earth, God has authorized Biblical massacres, Biblical systematic forced intercourse, Biblical child killing, Biblical slavery, and of course, Biblical punishment of homosexuality that precisely mirrors the unamended Ugandan legislation. That does not exactly align with the “dignity and worth of all men and women.”

    If these men want to oppose the bill, that is their prerogative. But any such objections will not be based on true Christian principles.

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