Slow day.

True, a slow day for me. Much to do, the roll to do it is just not there. Duhhhh.

The day itself is dull and windy. And cold. So cold that I need to put on something warm. Clouds, and the roll of thunder in the distance. Cheer up. This is Uganda. Will not be surprised if it is blazing hot in a couple of hours.

Someone has dared to challenge the Church in Uganda.

Well, as recently as yesterday I was betting with myself that it is impossible. Crude memory, mine. I should have remembered Kevin O’Connor’s article in one Sunday Monitor. But it did not register much with me. Reason? Kevin’s white.

Amazing. (and not so amazing) A racist ting to my thinking.

Oh, well. Its true, guilty as charged. I did not consider that article very significant because the defender was a white man!!!!! Sorry Kevin. You know how it is.

Some excerpts from Kevin's article.

Internal Anglican politics have no interest for me. But what does interest me is that busy Orombi should be worrying so much about what is happening in faraway USA, spending days on something irrelevant for Uganda in Jerusalem, when he should be giving priority to his domestic agenda.

And surely topmost in that agenda is the corruption that is here, there and everywhere in our country. Whether it be the Global Fund, GAVI, junk choppers, Butabika Hospital land, ghost soldiers, ghost teachers, potholes, CHOGM cars, and much, much more – it happens in Uganda. We seem to have just about every form of corruption except ghost ghosts.

But, who knows, perhaps next year there will be a Sebutinde Ghost Ghosts Commission.

Now that someone else has dared to take on the church, I am perking up my head with interest.

Some excerpts.

"But what is this obsession about sex among the Anglicans?

But is life only about homosexuality, and women priests?

However, there is a feeling that humankind is not really bothered by many of the issues that are rocking the Anglican church. They are actually more concerned about things like how and where to get their next meal.

In Zimbabwe, for instance, it’s how and when President Mugabe will leave power that is their major concern, not gayism or women bishops. In Uganda, issues of major concern include President Museveni’s interest to stand as president in the 2011 elections, the LRA war, mile akenda, biting poverty and school fires!

For instance in Uganda where there is chronic corruption, what has the church as proof of their disapproval of what is going on? I thought corruption is a vice that condemned by the Bible (see Thou Shall Not Steal)! Are some sins considered heavier than others? Is homosexuality more of a sin than stealing?

A sin is a sin in God’s eyes? For example, why don’t African church leaders boycott or stop swearing-in of politicians to office, never mind whether such politicians are corrupt or unfaithful to their spouses?

In my view, church leaders should not be selective - they should condemn all vices whether at home otherwise with a passion - they shouldn’t ignore some issues and harp on others. Secondly, why should the Anglican Church face a possible schism over homosexuality and women bishops?

Can’t there be another way out of the impasse, apart from breaking up?"

Brave man, Mr Kalumba.

Aha! Of course he is going to be accused of being gay. One guy amused me. He wrote sometime ago in the New Vision a satirical piece about the need to include gay people in HIV programmes. He was arguing that disease is disease, and we have to fight disease because it is disease. And, as a conclusion, he reminded his audience that he is a married man- that is, on defence against the attack that he is a homo!

Kalumba of course will be attacked. But he is very brave. And you know what, I am no Christian, and, from the theoretical point I say I understand the politics of Orombi and Akinola in the church. But I also wonder, the questions he asks of the church are very pertinent. Why the hell dont other Ugandans ask them?

Why is my sexuality so important with all the other multiplicity of 'sins' that the religious can focus on? Is it because they see me as defenceless?

Clouding thoughts. For a cloudy day.

GayUganda