Nevada Public Radio covers Canyon Ridge – Uganda connection

At 9:30 am pacific time (12:30pm here), a segment will air on KNPR, Las Vegas regarding the relationship between Canyon Ridge Christian Church and Martin Ssempa. The guest on the show is Derek Washington, President of the Stonewall Democrats of Southern Nevada. A hint of the content is here:

We talk with Democratic activist Derek Washington who thinks the Canyon Ridge congregation is unaware of the extreme positions taken by its missionary partner.

My guess is that Derek Washington is correct that the CRCC congregation is largely unaware of the issues involved. The local media there has for some reason not covered this local connection to an ongoing international news story persisting for about 10 months.

UPDATE: In addition to Derek Washington, the show featured a member of Canyon Ridge, Tyler Egeland who said the membership probably does not know much about the controversy. He also said that Ssempa has close ties to Southern Nevada (I believe his wife’s parents live in Las Vegas) and the church feels a close relationship to Ssempa. Egeland also said that the church’s brand of Christianity is at odds with how Ssempa is conducting his work in Uganda.

Derek Washington believes that the church has been hoodwinked. Washington believes that the people of Canyon Ridge are great people but that they have believed Ssempa’s attestations of good intentions but the leadership. Money is giving to church and then given to someone who advocates death and prison for gays.

Tyler Egeland agrees with Washington that Ssempa needs to apologize and turn away from his prior views.

According to the host of the show, the pastors at CRCC said they would be happy to participate and then backed out.

According to someone on the broadcast, Pastor Odor did mention this issue to the church. I would like to know what he said.

Derek Washington does not want people to leave Canyon Ridge but he wants Canyon Ridge to break ties to Ssempa.

Watch for the audio at the website and give the segment a listen. It is an intriguing show. On balance, I would say that the callers and the ministers of CRCC still do not understand the role that Martin Ssempa has played in this bill. They portray Ssempa as having a change of heart. If he has, he has never said so. He acquiesced to a change from the death penalty to 20 years in rehab for aggravated homosexuality but there is no documentation of any change in views on life in prison for consensual acts. He defended the death penalty to me in emails and on video on his Facebook page. He showed extreme porn about what “homosexuals do in private” when he must know that most homosexuals do not do such things in private.

One other observation. Tyler Egeland said that Canyon Ridge has denounced Ssempa’s extreme rhetoric, but I can find no indication of that. None of the emails I have from the staff indicate they have condemned the porn shows or any of his rhetoric.

UPDATE: As commenter andy pointed out, guest on this show Derek Washington attributed a murder in Uganda to anti-gay rhetoric. This story has turned out to be questionable and at least part of it was a false report. In any event, the murder is under investigation and cannot be attributed to Rev. Ssempa or any specific antigay faction.

12 thoughts on “Nevada Public Radio covers Canyon Ridge – Uganda connection”

    1. Mike – Your pastor has misled your congregation by repeating spin about the bill. Your church should post the bill on your website and then people will see that the issue is not about protecting kids.

      The law in Uganda already covers boys as well as girls.

  1. Andy – According to the Parliamentary Research Service, there is no newly amended bill.

    It may be in the future as some have suggested that the death penalty was inserted as a bargaining chip. However, the targeting of gays is still in the bill and the fact remains that the bill relates to consensual adult relations in addition to redundant planks relating to child victims. Martin Ssempa has for months said that the AHB related to pedophilia only when anyone who can read knows better.

  2. What do you mean by “influence”?

    As far as i understand, Martin is only a pastor and not the author of the bill.

    He only advocates for people to support the bill…. him and other religious leaders have been calling for removal of the death penalty and other harsh clauses.

    If i get the newly amended bill, i will have to put it up.

  3. Andy – According to the Parliamentary Research Service, there is no newly amended bill.

    It may be in the future as some have suggested that the death penalty was inserted as a bargaining chip. However, the targeting of gays is still in the bill and the fact remains that the bill relates to consensual adult relations in addition to redundant planks relating to child victims. Martin Ssempa has for months said that the AHB related to pedophilia only when anyone who can read knows better.

  4. What do you mean by “influence”?

    As far as i understand, Martin is only a pastor and not the author of the bill.

    He only advocates for people to support the bill…. him and other religious leaders have been calling for removal of the death penalty and other harsh clauses.

    If i get the newly amended bill, i will have to put it up.

  5. andy – yes, I will correct that in an update to the post.

    I would like to ask you if you have any influence with Martin Ssempa to ask him to post a copy of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill as he promised he would do in March of this year and then also ask him to publicly correct the misinformation he spread by saying Ugandan law does not protect the boy child.

  6. Professor,

    Now I see the result of your Hoax reports,

    Quoting the words of Derek Washington…

    “ Recently Ugandan Gay activist was beheaded another one is missing”

    And he directly links that to Martin Ssempa! The way you did in your blog “Missing Ugandan Gay man Found Dead” of 5th July 2010.

    Professor, can you openly correct that statement on this blog. Tell the whole public that, the statement is false.

  7. andy – yes, I will correct that in an update to the post.

    I would like to ask you if you have any influence with Martin Ssempa to ask him to post a copy of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill as he promised he would do in March of this year and then also ask him to publicly correct the misinformation he spread by saying Ugandan law does not protect the boy child.

  8. Professor,

    Now I see the result of your Hoax reports,

    Quoting the words of Derek Washington…

    ” Recently Ugandan Gay activist was beheaded another one is missing”

    And he directly links that to Martin Ssempa! The way you did in your blog “Missing Ugandan Gay man Found Dead” of 5th July 2010.

    Professor, can you openly correct that statement on this blog. Tell the whole public that, the statement is false.

    1. Mike – Your pastor has misled your congregation by repeating spin about the bill. Your church should post the bill on your website and then people will see that the issue is not about protecting kids.

      The law in Uganda already covers boys as well as girls.

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