Ugandan Gay Witch Hunt

Andrew Brown from the Guardian has reported on a shocking and terrifiying bill before the Ugnadan government which would turn even discussing homosexuality into a crime. As he writes:

'A bill currently before the Ugandan parliament (pdf) proposes seven year prison sentences for discussing homosexuality; life imprisonment for homosexual acts; and death for a second offence. Sober observers believe it will be passed. The Anglican church in Uganda appears to support it, and the Church of England in this country is absolutely silent. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Winchester solemnly denounce violence in the Congo, where they have no influence at all, but on Uganda they maintain a resolute post-colonial silence.'

'This is a witch craze, pure and simple. It takes the perfectly genuine prejudices of the ignorant, inflames them, and enshrines them in law. I do not expect any bishop of the Church of England to have the courage to speak against it. Give them a hundred years, though, and they will turn up at a memorial service to weep for the victims.'

I just posted on Rowan Williams' speaking out against the violence in the Congo, but it is shocking to read this is going on. Perhaps the most important things Brown highlights is the connections between these more conservative (some, like this, extremists) Christians in some African countries and those in the US. I believe there is a type of romanticisim of Christianity in Africa, South America and China, where conservative American Christians, seeing their political influence wanning see support and encouragement and even justification for their positions towards homosexuality from these more conservative churches which are growing in the developing world. Indeed, the report by Political Research Associates, called Globalizing the Culture Wars, highlights this trend: 'U.S. social conservatives, who are in the minority in mainline churches, depend on African religious leaders to legitimize their positions as their growing numbers makes African Christians more influential globally.'

The Church should be at the forefront of speaking out against discrimination and violence against people because of their sexual orientation.