Ssempa (Counter-) Offensive

• 
  

Or should I say the Uganda Christian churches are starting on a counter offensive to calls that the bill is un-Christian.

I like the way they do it.

First, they choose Ssempa as the spokesperson. Big mistake. Very....! Watch this space.

And then, they play the old, old, old card. We are a different culture. We are Africans.

And then, they try to explain it all to the bemused 'un-Africans'. Huh, you may doubt that they are speaking the same language, English, when you read the missives.
I know I am not English, or white. Of course I am different. But, it is very easy to cloak that difference behind the mask of, 'I am so different that you cant understand me.' Of course, I do that very thing all the time, even on this blog. I am glad I do it less often than I used to. Frankly speaking, we are human beings that can understand one another, if we give ourselves the chance to understand our underlying prejudices. I mean, I understand me, then I understand you, and I will be able to understand almost everything that you do. The gospel according to gug. Or philosophy, or whatever.

So, our esteemed leaders always play the card, this is a different situation. Dont mess with us, you dont understand it.
That is why we in Uganda are pushing for the vileness of the bill here, saying it is 'unAfrican' to be homosexual. And of course, we are beautiful, unadultered savages. Dont mess with our morals. All in the name of the Sacred Bible of course. The same book which we share, that makes us Christians.

And, that is the problem. Are Christian values universal? Does Christian love includes love of the homosexual? Is it the lip service love of Ssempa and Co, or the active, inclusive thing that it is somewhere else? Are Christians supposed to hate homosexuals? I think Ssempa says that they are supposed to.

Ssempa's reply to Rick Warren is here. It is long, it is convoluted, and stands up to the need to hate homosexuals as central to being Biblical Christians. Well, I am a gay pervert, who cannot understand the words of English that I write. I havent understood the bill. How can I understand Ssempa's letter. It is here of course. Read it yourself, so that you are not confused by this sinner's input.

The bill has been misunderstood. Says Ssempa. And, he explains the tremendous misunderstandings that the bill has. You see, we understand the English language in a different way. So, when we write the Anti-Homosexual Bill like this. Yes, this is the text of the bill. You dont understand it. Because, you read it in that English, and for us we understand it in this way.

Speaking the same language? Sure? Not confused?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Well, I am not a Christian. No. I am not. But, I will say something that both sides, the Christians in the west and the Christians in Uganda will understand.

Pharisees.

That statement. Those arguments from Ssempa and co are phariseecal. New word, coined by me, rooted in that chapter of Mark in the Bible where Jesus rails at the Pharisees.

Pharisees.

I dont have to expand on that. Take the chapter, verse by verse, and you will find correlates in the Ssempa letter to Rick Warren.
I like some of the things that Ssempa tells Rick Warren he has not understood in the very clear text of the bill. Hey, I am linking to the bill the last time here. It is here. No more will I link to it in this post. If you understand English, then read it. I am going to explain to you the meaning of those English words to us in Uganda, as per Ssempa. Tighten your seat belt. Screw your eyes tight. Concentrate. Then, maybe you will understand me. Ok?

We dont want to kill homosexuals. I know in the bill it says we shall kill them when they have sex when they are HIV positive, when their partners are disabled, or under 18. Or, when they have homosexual sex and are caught more than once. But no. This is not a kill the gay bill. That is a lie. Understood?

For the places where we want to kill the homosexuals, we are justified. Yes, we are justified. Because of 'virgin rape' cases to cure HIV, the fact that this law is their in another form for girls, (PS, Lawyer Sylvia Tamale says it also applies to boys), but that law don is very, very wrong. And so are you, of course.

It is homosexualists, (like gug) who are confusing you. (Hope you are unconfused, okay?)

Our troubling concerns include those people who are threatening to cut off aid if we kill our homosexuals. Imagine! They have to give us this aid. It is our right to kill our homosexuals. We are harassed by massive invasions of rich American and European homosexuals... Gosh!

Now, a lecture in African 101. (I am not kidding. Read the letter yourself) Homosexuality is illegal, ungodly, un-natural, and un-African. It goes against the 4 established laws. First the Law of nature. (Male mates with Female) I swear, I am not lying.
Second, the Law of our land. (already penalised. Up to life imprisonment. But, not tough enough....!)
Third, the Law of our faiths (so help unbelievers and non believers like gug)
Fourth, the Law of our tribal cultures...

Bullshit!!!!!


Hey, I am not Christian. This is my blog. I am allowed, it is my right, to say something is stupid and a lie when it is a lie. So help my gods!


The letter is 3 closely written pages of rant. Too much to comment on all.

Uganda has had a historical fight against homosexuality. It started with the Christian martyrs, (err, the Christian religion came, found homosexuality here in Uganda and then the converts started saying that it was evil. Doesnt that prove something else about the 'un-African' claim? but, this is Pastor Ssempa. Logic doesnt stand in the way of reasoning)


Rick Warren supported Uganda's historical fight, (uh. He turns against his friend. Typical Martin indeed!)


You want to know what really the law is about? Here are the reasons for the law, very well articulated.

• The UN trying to force homosexuality down our throat. (bullshit!)
  
  
• European and American homosexuals recruiting in Africa. (I am not kidding you)
  
  
• Equal protection for the 'boy child' who is not protected under the current laws. (poppycock!)
  
  
• As for the mandantory reporting, why, you also have it in Carlifornia (America, you be kidding me!)

Then, there are the recommendations. Dont know all of them, but, they include

• Forced conversion therapy. If the doctors are unwilling, why, church and mosque will do it. Anyone outsourcing it to Uganda, hey?
• Less harsher sentence for aggravated homosexuality. 20 years in prison

And, Ssempa ends with a warning to the Global North. You are splitting the Church apart with your opposition to this law.

You are not anti-homosexual enough, Pastor Rick Warren.

Wow. It is a rant that you better read in the first hand, and discover how much I have mistaken my words. Of course, dont take my word for it. The real letter from Pastor Ssempa is here, again!

I did say that it was a church offensive, or counter offensive.

Another Bishop of the church of Uganda gives veiled and unveiled warnings to the decandent West about interfering in the bill and law making of Uganda. Here. And, Christianity today kind of writes an article with both things together... You know what I mean and dont mean, dont you?

I like English. It is so flexibly inflexible!

I wish you a very good day. But, for your unconfusion after my long post, go read Pastor Martin Ssempa's letter to Rick Warren.

gug