{UAH} The Observer - Anti-gay law good, but church needs to do more
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The Observer - Anti-gay law good, but church needs to do more
Sunday, 02 March 2014 20:17
The statistics have not changed much; sixteen women die every day while giving birth.
On the same day, President Museveni, in a manner unprecedented, had invited a cross-section of people to be witnesses as he assented to the anti-gay bill.
As I left the hotel, I met Pastors Joseph Sserwadda and David Kiganda who approached me in a let-somebody-see style.
Indeed victory was written all over their lips and my suspicion was that they had been part of the "clapping audience" as Mr Museveni appended his signature to the bill.
Immediately, the two men of God (never mind that one of them recently divorced his wife and married another woman against all the teachings of the church) demanded to know why the opposition had been "so silent" on the anti-gay bill.
I shot back by asking if our silence on the anti-gay bill was in any way equivalent to the silence of Pentecostal churches on other evils in this country.
Never before in the recent history has anything united Ugandans than the support to the anti-homosexual law. I have a feeling that Ugandans would prefer to deal with non- political offenders.
How I wish we could use just 50 per cent of the energies we have used to fight homos in the fight against corruption; I wish we would undress those who steal public funds the way we have been targeting girls in miniskirts; I wish we would look with scorn on the corrupt the same way we despise homos; I wish religious leaders would be as bold on corruption as they have been on issues of the gays; I wish the NRM caucus would press Museveni on issues of corruption the same way they have done on homos.
Finally, I wish the West would be angry with Museveni about observance of conventional human rights and corruption as they have been on the issue of homos. Then, dear readers, Uganda would be a better country.
I support the law against homosexuality.
But, even at the risk of being labelled a sympathizer of the gay community, I wish to comment on the danger religious leaders face in seeking to enforce the teachings of the Lord through laws made by politicians.
The president, never short of stunts, this time signed the bill in the presence of the media and I swear every stroke of his pen was televised or captured in some manner.
To this, some Pentecostal pastors put their best foot forward and danced the night away in celebration, capping it all up with bull roasting. It was obvious the pastors were celebrating the promise that a sinner(s) would be punished.
At least the traditional religions (Catholicism, Protestantism and Muslims) while welcoming the law, have made it clear that they still have a place for sinners (homosexuals inclusive) who repent. That is what religious tolerance should be about, not judging or condemning a group of people.
Slowly, we have seen the Pentecostal churches, in particular cede away their spiritual mandate to the political leadership of this country. In so doing, the Pentecostal church has been relegated to a compromise position or exposed to the risk of moral indebtedness should the politicians need to use them at a later date.
Little wonder that some of the Pentecostal churches have turned political. Running to politicians (read Caesar) for solutions is a vote of no confidence in these churches and of course God our father. I wonder if it has occurred to the Pentecostal church that the same government to which they are running sanctioned divorce.
It sounds like the Pentecostal church will soon run to the President and Parliament when the faithful refuse to get baptized to seek law that will get them to conform to this and other sacraments.
It is time the Pentecostal church revisited the true creed of its calling, teaching God's people and giving them insights into living in the Kingdom. It has looked on while our leaders meted out violence on the very Ugandans that elected them.
It has looked on as the corrupt thrived and as Parliament passed repulsive legislations. All they have done is organize massive gatherings to pray for some politicians in the ruling government while leaving out those on the opposition.
Before we celebrate, it would be proper if we paid heed to the fact that making a law is one thing and enforcing the same is another. The religious institutions should be able to test the motive of some of these legislations.
A lot remains to be seen as to whether this law will be properly implemented. After all, prostitution is criminal in Uganda but you will surely find many women plying their trade in the yards of police stations.
The author is MP for Mukono municipality
http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30414:-anti-gay-law-good-but-church-needs-to-do-more&catid=37:guest-writers&Itemid=66
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