Tuesday, February 1, 2011

War, of Words.



Wanted to say, Christian Compassion... but, it is up to you to tell me whether it is.

At David's funeral, the Anglican priest who was officiating decided that it was a fitting time to let loose a diatribe against homoseuxuals. He knew lots of us were there. He knew that the man who had been murdered, whose body he had been called to pray for was a self-confessed gay man. And he let loose his diatribe. Christian compassion indeed. The locals did cheer him on.

We were unhappy. We snatched the mic from him, and the police led him away. Where we that unhappy? Well, words have effects. The locals refused to bury David. So, we went ahead and buried him ourselves. We could not countenance such Christian compassion.

Sorry, Christians. Now, to show that I am sorry.

You did hear about the pussy footing of the Archbishop of Cantebury when the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was introduced in the parliament of Uganda, and the Church of Uganda, Anglican, came out in support of this bill?

Well, something happened. David Kato was a nominal anglican. I am given to believe that his dad (now deceased) was a Reverend in the Church. (Which explains the anglican priest at his burial....!) But, Bishop Ssenyonjo was there to correct the hate that was spewed out of the official representative of the church....

Yes, Bishop Ssenyonjo. He kind of represents the other side of the Christian equation. There are those who believe, for show. And those who really believe in the ideals of their religion.

I was talking about the Archbishop of Cantebury.

At about the time of the burial of David Kato, some of the Anglican primates (archbishops) were meeting in Ireland. Archbishop Orombi of Uganda gave it a miss. He cannot sit on the same table as his fellow Primate from the US church. Something to do with the question of homosexuality.....

Bishop Orombi was one of seven Anglican Church leaders who boycotted the Anglican Primates Meeting in Dublin which concluded yesterday, because Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the US Episcopal Church, was attending it.

Anyway, he was not there. Parsing words is for politicians and primates, not me.

The Archbishop of Cantebury came out with a statement. I think, enough is enough in some ways. Even his brother from Uganda needed to be 'reined in', maybe a little, despite the parsing of words!
Here are some of the observations in the Irish Times
He continued that Mr Kato had been “named in this rotten, disgraceful Ugandan publication” – the Rolling Stone newspaper in Kampala – in which “effectively, his murder had been called for.”
It illustrated, he said, that “words have results . . . certainly a lesson all need to learn”.
At the same press conference, in Dublin’s Emmaus Centre, Bishop Bernard Ntahoturi, primate of the Episcopal Church of Burundi, said he deplored “the killing of David as I deplore the killing of any other human being.”
Speaking at Christ Church Cathedral yesterday morning Bishop Jefferts Schori said the primate of Uganda faced “significant challenges”.
She prayed for him and for the soul of David Kato, whose death was a reminder of “the need to treat all human beings with dignity”.
Asked whether precipitous action by the US Episcopal Church had plunged the worldwide Anglican Communion into unnecessary crisis, she said the same-sex issue has been under consideration by the US church “for nearly 50 years”.
Meanwhile a service in Trinity College Dublin was told yesterday that “any church that preaches intolerance is contributing to the very real and deadly consequences of homophobia”.
Canon Giles Goddard, of Inclusive Church England, recalled that David Kato “was bludgeoned to death in his home in Uganda . . . At his funeral, the officiant – who was an Anglican lay reader – ranted against homosexuality.
And at the end of the service the villagers refused to bury his coffin”.
Anglicans, he stated, “need to find a way out of the absurd stalemate we are in over human sexuality”.
He continued that “here we are in Ireland, close to a living example of what’s possible in extremely complicated issues with flexibility and care.
I do not believe that something similar isn’t possible within the Anglican Communion. It’s time to find that way.”

55 other archbishops were not to be outdone. Amongst the things they came out with at the end of their meeting, was this statement on David's death.

THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

A statement on the murder of David Kato by the Primates of the Anglican Communion
following their Primates’ Meeting in Dublin, Ireland, between 24th and 30th January,
2011.

We would like to express our support for the statement of The Archbishop of Canterbury in
response to the horrific murder of David Kato in Mukono, Uganda.

We join him in saying that no one should have to live in fear because of the bigotry of others.

We reiterate that ‘the victimisation or diminishment of human beings whose affections
happen to be ordered towards people of the same sex is anathema to us’ (Primates Meeting
2005).

We reaffirm that ‘any demonising of homosexual persons, or their ill treatment, is totally
against Christian charity and basic principles of pastoral care’ (The Windsor Report).

We call on all our people to minister pastorally and sensitively to all irrespective of sexual
orientation and condemn irrational fear of gay people (1998 Lambeth Conference).

Yes, it did go that far. And, they were spitting fire.

The church in Uganda may cozen with hatred, preach it, and throw us out. But, the parent church had something else to say about this.

Now, to this 'Church basher', I am in a dilemma.

Should I continue bashing the church? Clearly, these primates people are Orombi's equal. Did I mention that the Bishop of Mukono is supposed to have come out supporting the homophobic preacher at Kato's funeral? And condemning Bishop Ssenyonjo for daring to show some love to us sinners?

Guess I owe some people an apology.

Or, do I?

I will always remain yours truly,

gug

4 comments:

Gay Nairobi Man said...

I saw the video of the funeral on You-tube and although I don't understand Luganda, I managed to understand what was going on.

Isnt it irony that the same people who brought Christianity to us embrace us and their students hate us?

Leonard said...

I think you need not apologize for your thinking/beliving--the reality of the situation is that there are many wholesome priests and then there are bigots, greedy thieves and politicos that sometimes appear to be ¨relgious¨people--you know all of that already...some folks are more acceptable as leaders and friends than others--I stay as close as I can to people I feel comfortable with and sometimes even admire (in terms of personal character that is revealed by their real actions and not by what they say)--afterall, we all, religious or not, know how to portray ¨good character¨-- some portray it and some have lots of it. Apologizing to ¨Christians¨ because you´ve been offended by Ssempa, Lively, Orombi (and yes even Museveni and Janet) isn´t called for--but not labeling the whole denomination based on the wild plots of the Mufti or the Archbishop would help you see better...there is sooo much bullshit in the U.S.A. (you know that you´ve had some of our less-than sane Evagelical operatives) and in Uganda (Anglican priest Fr. Erych and Patricia Kasirye, formerly of Uganda Integrity, are out and out con artists who operate for +Orombi--makes me wonder about any connection to David Kato as I understand someone was trying to get airplane tickets out of Uganda a few weeks before his death from him--The Kasirye´s tried that same ¨con¨ with me too a few years ago).

No, my thought is to only apologize when you´ve made a mistake regarding your individual real actions or words that are off base-- I certainly have no intention of apologizing to Orombi for all the mischiefmaking he has done--the man is a opportunist and a pompus sneak...I´m afraid, like me, you and everyone else he will have to be accountable for his vile incorrect actions directed against innocents...plain bad judgment on his part.

Karen said...

I think you have been more than fair--and I am Christian. I agree that it is appropriate to apologize only if you have made the mistake. If you discover you have castigated the wrong person then yes. But I have read your blog long enough that I don't think you would need anyone to tell you that. Christians do not deserve an apology because you have clearly pointed out how badly some of them have behaved.

Unknown said...

My husband and I hosted Bishop Christopher during his 2 visits to the USA. We are not Episcopalians but when our gay Episcopalian friends told us about the antigay bills in Uganda, we offered to help. We came to know and love the 79-year-old bishop and were touched by his deep faith in God and his compassion for LGBT people in Uganda. He is setting up educational and vocational training programs that help women widowed by AIDS, children orphaned by AIDS, and people fired from jobs because of their sexual orientation. He spoke twice at the UN and White House about the danger posed by the antigay bill. He is a sincere, gentle man who preaches love and understanding. If ever there was a man of God, Bishop Christopher is that man. May he have great success with his projects and may God bless him and the LGBT people of your beautiful country.

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