Because of the extremely differing views existing the subject and in the interests of fair reporting surely it should be recognised that the approach being taken in Uganda deserves as much respect as the approach being taken in the UK. Otherwise it sounds like a fundamentalism which never questions whether it may be wrong has taken over reporting such issues in the West..

It should always be remembered that when we claim to be wise we may still be fools!

From Randy Thomas on the Exodus Blog [http://blog.exodusinternational.org/2009/10/19/ugandan-government-poised-to-harshly-prosecute-homosexuals/comment-page-1/#comment-1024]: I asked Don… about his thoughts on what is happening now in Uganda. He responded:

What this David Bahati is introducing does not reflect the Ugandans that I have ministered too. The only place where I have run into this thinking is from some former Russian hardliners and that was only a very small percentage of the participants attending my seminars. After some challenges from me (except for one person) they softened up and came around to a more redemptive position.

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How does Schmierer’s statement compare with what one of his associates in Uganda, Stephen Langa of the Family Life Network, has been doing – after the conference Schmierer attended, for instance [http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Homosexuality_threat_to_Ugandans_activists_83727.shtml]:

Activists against homosexuality in Uganda stormed parliament on Tuesday protesting against the practice and demanded a probe into the practice in the country. The activists who were holding banners denouncing the activity were led by the Family Life Network in conjunction with religious leaders.

The groups led by the Executive Director of Family Life Network, Mr Stephen Langa while handing over their petition to the Deputy Speaker, Ms Rebecca Kadaga said the Parliamentary select committee should also assess the extent of the damage homosexuality has caused to children and Ugandans.

…Mr Langa said the homosexuals under the group Sexual Minorities Uganda spend huge sums of money to recruit University students and those in secondary schools into homosexuality. They did not give details.

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Another Uganda news outlet, UGPulse [http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/news.asp?about=Civil%20society%20petitions%20Parliament%20over%20homosexuality%20vice&ID=9749], reported that Deputy Speaker Kadaga “promised to push for the amendment of Article 31 of the Constitution which prohibits homosexual marriages. Langa had earlier noted that the article prohibits gay marriages but not the actions.”The Daily Monitor’s article indicates that the group explained that they wanted the proposed amendment to be broadened to “openly prohibit homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality and other related practices.”

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Then there was the time Langa sponsored a press conference in which another allegedly “former gay activist” Paul Kagaba accused a very popular Catholic priest and gospel singer, Fr. Anthony Musaala, of being gay.

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The blogger GayUganda is has reported that Stephen Langa, the director of Family Life Network, spoke on Ugandan FM radio stations advocating the arrests of Ugandan LGBT leaders. [http://gayuganda.blogspot.com/2009/03/anti-gay-agenda.html]

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Now how is it that these actions by Langa are not supportive of Bahati’s bill on homosexuality? Schmierer certainly didn’t “soften up” Langa and get him to “come around.”

… … …

I apologize to any person who may have gotten that impression that my words were Eddy’s. I did not intend to use punctuation to make it seem as though Eddy was saying something that I was saying.

I apologize for my sloppiness in my use of quotations. Here is what Eddy said:

A statement from EXODUS, if not thoughtfully and prayerfully constructed, could get EXODUS dismissed as just another agent of corruption closing any doors to having any impact in the future.

The following are MY words — not a quote from Eddy — but using some of his sentence structure and word choice to make MY point:

The failure or refusal by Exodus to issue an official statement condemning the Ugandand legisation could get EXODUS dismissed as just another agent of anti-gay corruption closing any doors to having any impact in the future — Michael Bussee

I am grateful Exodus took the risk.

You took 17 very recent words of mine, in the order that I wrote them, with the punctuation I used….then you put them inside quotation marks. Quotation marks indicate that you are quoting something already said. Except you added words I didn’t use and didn’t intend to use that were not part of what I was saying and, in fact, changed the essence of what I was saying…I was speaking more globally.

That’s something that’s not proper by rules of the English language. (Read up on the rules for using quotation marks.) It’s unfair; it’s impolite; it’s misleading; it’s a waste of my time…I take my time when I post and I carefully consider my words. Having you follow me, respond to what I’ve said and then slightly alter my words while pretending it’s a quote…that’s an offense, especially in the sticky conversations we have here.

I note that you offered an explanation; I’ll continue to wait for the apology.