Know what, once upon a time, on this very blog, I used to be pretty bitter, angry on the subject of religion. Especially Christianity.
Hey, I was burnt. I had had it to the neck with un-Christian witness from Christians. The likes of Ssempa, Orombi, Male, and the rest of the ilk. People who believe that I am less that I should be, simply because I am gay.
Once upon a time, I was a Christian. Anglican.
Actually, far as I could find out, it was my paternal grandpa who was the first Christian in my family. So, very new faith, as for most Ugandans. But, he became one of the hard core 'savedees' after the East African revival of the 1940s. My father grew up in that home, and, for him I was a Christian because he gave me his Christian first name.
Yeah, and once, I made the choice of being saved, becoming an evangelical... like my elder brother, who is a pastor.
Well, I became bitter, and embittered, and later enraged by the seeming disconnect between reality and faith as I saw it. Now, I joy in standing on the fence... something which puzzles my bro, but, we all make our decisions. He is trying to woo me back to the safe fold. I am not convinced!
Well, I am also proudly gay. I am a homosexual.
So, living in Uganda, I have listened to the Church, Catholic, Anglican, Evangelical come out and lash at us with all their might, hold rallies, condemn us from the pulpit and pray for our death and destruction. Got to the point that my apathy had turned into a roaring, consuming anger. Against all things Christian.
But, like all hatreds, there have been a few people that have stood up to challenge my hatred. Christians. There is Desmond Tutu, of South Africa, and Christopher Ssenyonjo of Uganda, Bishops in the Anglican church. I find myself very much surprised by their fulsome embrace of what I am. No, I still respectfully decline the request to believe. Guess it is nothing but me responding to love, as opposed to hypocrisy and hate.
I have always followed the people at Exodus International. I am gay. Grew up in an environment when I was constantly bombarded with the wrongness of myself. I am glad I didnt embrace that kind of self deception. But, I do understand them, or, at least I think I do. After all, they are homosexual like I am... even when they deny it. What I don't understand is their apparent desire to hurt others, especially youths who are questioning. I know, it is deeply held convictions... so, maybe I understand. But, I am very glad that they can reverse themselves. Like they did in their support of their board member who came to preach Anti-homosexuality in Uganda. And, like they have done now, acknowledging that the 'Day of Truth' in opposition to the 'Day of Silence' was actually a promotion of hatred. Covert, misguided, and, in truth hurtful.
Sane Christians. Not like the Vatican, (forgive me partner), which fights tooth and nail to uphold doctrine over love....
And, there's Throckmorton. Very interesting guy. Yes, he is one of those sane Christians, for whom ideology doesnt seem to triumph over simple humanity. And he kind of finds that inspiration from the Bible that Ssempa, Orombi and co use to bash me.... hey, that is life!
Guess we are all different. No convenient thinking straight jackets, until we dress ourselves in them.
Take away lesson? Stereotypes, of any kind, never stand the light of examination.
What set me off? Younger bro. He was with me, trying to impress me with his 'nationalism'. Guess I was not impressed...!
gug
5 comments:
Jesus tells the homosexual exactly what He tells me, a straight person. (This is why I agree with Bishop Ssenyonjo; when he says this.) As far as Jesus is concerned, Pr. Ssempa might as well be a coprophagic homo porn star. Pr. Ssempa thinks he is more-righteous than homos, and that is where he is as wrong as the Pharisees, and therefore puts himself outside of Jesus’ righteousness, which He gives to homos and people like me, not because we are good, but because we believe in Him and thereby fulfil the demands of God—just by having faith!
Jesus Christ says that you (GUG) are a sinner, but does not use that as a reason to spit on you, but rather as a reason to pick you up and hug you. He never hugged the stone-hurling Pharisees; but see Zacchæus and the adulteress. Modern people say that if you do it (“it”, here, being homosexuality in your case), then it is okay, and you should like it, and that you should be “proudly gay”. Jesus says you should not be proud of being gay, but that, by having faith in Him, you should be the most-justified person in God’s eyes, regardless of what you do. We despair when we fail to be good by our efforts, and then rely on His.
But it is even safer for homosexuals, because they have evidence of their not-being-holy all the time, and thereby never stand up in self-righteous pomp (Luke 18). The Pharisees like Pr. Ssempa think that they are righteous, and thereby make themselves entirely external to the justification that Jesus gives to people regardless of what they do; because the first condition is to concede that you are not good, and thereby partake of His goodness to your benefit (apart from your own being good—which, indeed, you cannot attain).
A BIGMAN Religiouslike destrutionist is Archbishop Henry Orombi, Anglican Church of Uganda...so good at sneaking around worldwide and cultivating bigots, renegades, thieves and making trouble that he has become a international criminal in the eyes of many, almost as big as Idi Amin Dada albeit Anglican and still alive but spiritually unwell...I look forward to the ¨LGBT War Crimes Tribual¨ which will, no doubt, seperate authentic and really courageous men of the ¨cloth¨ from the threatened, power-hungry despotic accessory to murder at Anglican Communion. Let´s not play pretend when OUR lives are a stake.
@Gug, you say..."Once upon a time, I was a Christian. Anglican."..now you are what? lol...
@The 27th Comrade, you say..."Jesus Christ says that you (GUG) are a sinner, but does not use that as a reason to spit on you, but rather as a reason to pick you up and hug you..."
Jesus is waiting,welcoming and ready to huge them that realize their sin and are turning away from it. Remember the story of the prodigal son...the father welcomed him and gave him a new garment when he realized his mistake and went back home.
And sinners even have higher privileges than them that think have stayed home.
Hi Andy,
thanks dear Christian.
You will be suprised to know that it is because of Christians like you that I find religion repugnant.
No. I dont subscribe to any religion.
And, No, despite your loud derisive laughter, I still find myself a human being.
Funny, isnt it?
You are a very brave man!
take a lot of care, we read you from Mexico!
We are people too
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