Archbishop of York

Ssentamu has weighed in.

Lesse majeste? He is an old boy, you know, a Ugandan... [ha ha ha ha]. I had even forgotten some of his other qualifications. He was Lord Chief Justice in Uganda at the age of 24. That was in the days of Idi Amin Dada, (Conqueror of the British Empire) etc.

Ssentamu at first said he would not speak. I noted that his half brother in Uganda, Pastor Robert Kayanja put him in a difficult position. Because, within the year, Kayanja was accused of Sodomizing boys... by Pastor Ssempa and others in the Pastor Wars.

Seems he has been hard at work, behind the scenes. And, he is still talking. Maybe.

Without parsing words, he comes out with a pretty succicnt analysis of the problem. Without resorting to plain faced lies like his brothers here, who say we have misunderstood the bill which is written in plain English. He puts it in context, and manages not to 'mumble' like Canterbury is supposed to have done, in the initial statements about the Bahati Bill. Good for him.

A transcript of the interview on the BBC is here, at the Changing Attitudes England Blog. And, there is a full article from the BBC website which I would dearly love to lift and drop here. It is very tempting, because there is little less beating about the bush than what he has done. The bill is bad, he acknowledges. And, there are some historical precedents, which have to be acknowledged. But, those do not excuse the language of the bill.

As Canterbury said, It is a wonder that an Anglican can support that bill.

From me in Uganda? Well, they do support the bill. The Anglicans of Uganda.

Here is the article from the BBC.

John Sentamu, who was born in the African country, said anti-homosexual laws being debated were "victimising". ... Dr Sentamu told the BBC the Anglican communion was committed to recognising that gay people were valued by God.

Dr Sentamu told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm opposed to the death sentence. I'm also not happy when you describe people in the kind of language you find in this private member's bill."

He added it seemed not only victimising but also "a diminishment of the individuals concerned".
He also pointed out that the current law in Uganda already had provision to jail gay people for engaging in homosexual acts.
The new bill wants the 14-year limit raised to life imprisonment.
Dr Sentamu said: "Sometimes people have not understood that at the moment the law in Uganda, without this bill, does exactly the same thing."

Hey, thanks bro, for weighing in that decisively. See, it doesnt really hurt... (forgive my irrepressible humour. I have to maintain a sense of, err, balance you see. These are crazy times...)

Just wondering, aka Ssempa, should we expect a missive from the Archbishop of Uganda, Orombi, telling him to take the language back immediately, issuing a biblical apology? I bet you no. It wont happen.
And, here is another twist from His Excellency Museveni.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni will not try to block the bill, his spokesman Tamale Mirundi said Thursday, although he did say the president would attempt to convince his National Resistance Movement Party, which has a majority in parliament, to not support it.
"President Museveni cannot block the anti-gays bill," Mirundi said, saying that if he did so "he will have become a dictator."
Mirundi added that Museveni does not support homosexuality but thinks the bill goes too far.

"He believes that we should not have an extreme position," he said. "We have to consider the position of our foreign partners. For them they don't mind about homosexuality in their countries but here many people don't accept it."

Ha!, I dont think I should comment. Or, maybe...., maybe I should. But, after some thought, (I live in Uganda), I will let it be...
We will wait with bated breath as His Excellency convinces members of his party to change? kill? the 'kill the gay bill.


gug

Irony.....!

Hey,

Just caught up this, that the Archbishop of York, the number 2 in the Church of England is not going to comment on the Anti-Homosexuality bill.

Yeah, the guy was born in Uganda. And, forgive the gentleman, he has some more than veiled interest in what is happening! I mean, remove the fact that he is the number 2 to Canterbury. And, he is Ugandan... by birth. Grew up here. Went into the diaspora during the Amin times.

He is also brother to Pastor Robert Kayanja. Yeah, he is brother to the pastor that Ssempa was accusing of being gay in the Pastor Wars.

Pastor Kayanja is very, very strong. His is 'Rubaga Miracle Cathedral'... and it is a mega church. He has recently opened a TV station in Uganda. Christian. And his ministry spans the earth. Yes, it does. He has good connections with the First Family, and has given of his accumulating wealth, judiciously. I mean, he has been giving to the police. Gifts of appreciation.

Want to know more officially? Visit his site. Robert Kayanja Ministries. And, he is a rugs to riches story. Recently, he caused a lot of envy in Uganda, talking about buying himself a personal jet. For the Lord's Work, of course.

Fast forward to 2009. And, Pastor Ssempa, and a group of other anti-gay pastors start THE crusade. To wipe out homosexuality from Uganda.
They were going very, very strong. Until they started a witch-hunt. First was a Catholic Priest, Father Musaala. I think his reputation and singing career has been effectively destroyed. Oh, the charge of homosexuality in Uganda is impossible to shake.

Father Musaala was small potatoes. He was destroyed. True!

Then, the big guns, emboldened, took aim and started shooting. Straight at Pastor Robert Kayanja. So started the Pastor Wars. And they were very interesting. Cant detail the twists and turns. You will have to read about them here.

End result, the police exhonerated Pastor Kayanja, who continues his ministry. The other pastors are in court, for defamation, and other things.... Yeah, they actually are alleged to have given money to some young men to accuse Kayanja of having been gay.

The same Kayanja who is brother to Archbishop of York Sentamu.

Small world, isnt it?

Ssentamu is known for being outspoken. But, he has declined to wade into this fire....! Have to say I dont envy his position. No comment, is the comment from him!

Brave man.


gug