• Gender
• South Africa

ShareThis

Average rating

 

 

 

 

 

(0 votes)

Rate this: ---Excellent!Great!GoodQuite goodNot so great

• Login to post comments

SOUTH AFRICA: The Glorious Light Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in Pretoria has slammed the Ugandan Anti Homosexual Bill in a public letter to the High Commissioner of Uganda in South Africa on 16 November.

A member congregation of Metropolitan Community Churches, Glorious Light said the bill is a gross violation of human rights since it does not afford people the opportunity to live out the gift of their sexuality with dignity and responsibility.

“The continued persecution of homosexual people in Uganda is unacceptable, the inclusion of the death penalty in the bill can only be motivated by hatred and we feel that the advocacy behind this Bill by the Christian Church of Uganda is reprehensible”, Rev.Janine Preesman, senior pastor of Glorious Light MCC said in a statement.    

Despite the letter stating that every human being is created in the image of God, loved by God and that sexuality and sexual orientation is a gift from God, the Church of Uganda has reiterated its position on homosexuality which was adopted during the Lambeth Conference of Bishops in 1998 which stated, “homosexual practice is incompatible with scripture and is immoral and should not be promoted, supported, or condoned in any way as an “alternative lifestyle.”

Anglican Church leader Bishop Stanley Ntagali of Masindi-Kitara diocese also said “We want to state categorically that homosexuality is unacceptable.”

Meanwhile lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) activists in Uganda argue that there is evidence to suggest that support for the bill has come from extreme-right Christians in the United States of America who are working through allied churches and parliamentarians in Uganda.

In a shocking twist of events, Exodus International, which earlier this year supported Family Life Network’s anti gay campaign, stating that homosexuality can be cured, has also written a letter to the president of Uganda opposing the bill.

In this letter Exodus International, which specialises on homosexual recovery counseling, said while it does not believe homosexual behavior is what God intended for individuals, the “deprivation of life and liberty [through the bill]” is not an appropriate or helpful response to this issue.

It added “if homosexual behavior and knowledge of such behavior is criminalised and prosecuted, as proposed in this bill, church and ministry leaders will be unable to assist hurting men, women and youth who might otherwise seek help in addressing this personal issue.”

However, Rev. Canon Aaron Mwesigye Kafundizeki, from the Church of Uganda said in a statement that the Church of Uganda is still studying the proposed Anti Homosexuality Bill and therefore does not yet have an official position.

“The church however upholds the sanctity of life and cannot support the death penalty”, he added.
Commenting on the Bill Rev. Paul Mokgethi – Heath of Hope and Unity Metropolitan Community Church in South Africa said “it is an act of homophobia, I disagree with using religion to suppress people.”

Glorious Light MCC is an affiliate of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches and all MCC churches around the world. It has a focused outreach to Gay and Lesbian people and works to integrate sexuality and spirituality.

Article: by Simangele Mzizi (Behind The Mask Intern)