Month: December 2009

Abortion language troubles both sides: Nelson clears way for vote on health care

I’ve not been following this because I believe the health care bill will be decided by a conference committee meeting in a smoke filled room. But today Senator Ben Nelson became the 60th vote to move the ball down the court.

Did Nelson use abortion? I don’t know but I found this statement in the Washington Post troubling:

Nelson also secured favors for his home state and to benefit different factions of the health-insurance industry.

The health bill is pretty unpopular and may lead to a 2010 shift in the Congress. I guess I should say, I hope it does.

AFP: Ugandan President Museveni opposes the Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Well this is a noteworthy development:

WASHINGTON — The United States said Friday it is urging the Ugandan leadership to block a bill calling for draconian measures against homosexuals, warning it would be a setback in fighting AIDS.

Johnnie Carson, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, told reporters that he has urged President Yoweri Museveni twice since October “to do everything he can to stop this particular legislation.”

Carson, who earlier briefed groups representing gays, lesbians and transgender individuals about the situation, noted that the Ugandan president has the power to veto any legislation.

The top US diplomat for African affairs said the bill, if passed, would not only violate human rights, it would also “undermine the fight” against HIV and AIDS by stigmatizing homosexual acts.

He added that it is premature for US government to consider withdrawing aid from Uganda because Museveni himself said he does not support the legislation and the battle is not yet lost. (emphasis mine)

Let’s wait and see…

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill – Full text with commentary

In October, 2009, David Bahati and Benson Obua introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in the Ugandan Parliament. Supporters of the bill have claimed publicly that the bill is designed to provide consequences for molestation of boys in the same way Ugandan law does for offenses against girls. Yesterday, Martin Ssempa said to the Christianity Today that the bill should be described as follows:

Uganda law proposes capital sentence for Men with HIV who rape boys and infect them with HIV/AIDS just as it is for heterosexuals who rape girls.

He claims that the bill has been distorted by “homosexualists.” To allow readers to evaluate those claims, the full text of the bill is here. Also available is the scanned version from the Uganda Gazette which is the official version currently under debate. I add comments about the effect of the bill and where appropriate discuss Martin Ssempa’s claims made to Christianity Today.

THE ANTI HOMOSEXUALITY BILL, 2009.

MEMORADUM

1.1. The principle

The object of this Bill is to establish a comprehensive consolidated legislation to protect the traditional family by prohibiting (i) any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex; and (ii) the promotion or recognition of such sexual relations in public institutions and other places through or with the support of any Government entity in Uganda or any non governmental organization inside or outside the country.

This Bill aims at strengthening the nation’s capacity lo deal with emerging internal and external threats threats to the traditional heterosexual family.

This legislation further recognizes the fact that same sex attraction is not an innate and immutable characteristic.

The Bill further aims at providing a comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect the cherished culture of the people of Uganda, legal, religious, and traditional family values of the people of Uganda against the attempts of sexual rights activists seeking to impose their values of sexual promiscuity on the people of Uganda.

There is also need to protect the children and youths of Uganda who are made vulnerable to sexual abuse and deviation as a result of cultural changes, uncensored information technologies, parentless child developmental settings, and increasing attempts by homosexuals to raise children in homosexual relationships through adoption, foster care, or otherwise.

When the supporters of the bill declare that the purpose of the bill is to protect “the boy child” in the same that the law protects “the girl child,” they overlook the opening section which states the purpose. The law intends to eliminate homosexuality from Uganda via practice or speech intended to support homosexuals.

2.1. Defects in existing law.

This proposed legislation is designed to fill the gaps in the provisions of other laws in Uganda e.g. the Penal Code Act Cap. 120. The Penal Code Act (Cap 120) has no comprehensive provision catering for anti homosexuality. It focuses on unnatural offences under section 145 and lacks provisions for penalizing the procurement, promoting, disseminating literature and other pantographic materials concerning the offences of homosexuality hence the need for legislation to provide for charging, investigating, prosecuting, convicting and sentencing of offenders.

This legislation comes to complement and supplement the provisions of the Constitution of Uganda and the Penal Code Act Cap 120 by not only criminalizing same sex marriages but also same-sex sexual acts and other related acts.

3.0. The objectives of the Bill

The objectives of the Bill are to: Continue reading “Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill – Full text with commentary”

Second reading of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill slated for February 2010

According to the BBC, the second reading of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is slated for February, 2010. There was a report yesterday that it would be debate today. And while there might be some discussion on the bill in the Parliament, I heard this morning from a Ugandan MP that the second reading would not be conducted today.

If the BBC report is correct, then the second reading of the bill will take place during the same month as the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. This is significant because bill sponsor David Bahati is an associate of the Fellowship Foundation who convenes the NPB. Bill supporter, Ethics and Integrity Minister, Nsaba Buturo, and Ugandan President Museveni are involved in the group as well. Buturo told me yesterday that he was not yet sure about his attendance.  

Jeff Sharlet reported here on Wednesday that the Fellowship Foundation has condemned the bill as have most of the US Senators and Congressmen associated with the group. I feel certain that the Fellowship does not want their signature event to be overshadowed by protests about Uganda. However, the event almost certainly will be if the Fellowship invites Ugandan Fellowship associates to attend. Jeff Sharlet reported here in his guest post that those invitations have not been delivered. One can imagine several scenarios which will have the nation’s attention on this issue instead of prayer.

Christianity Today report: Ugandan Bishop tells American Christians to be quiet

Christianity Today just now came out with an article and interview series which examines the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

One interview is with the Church of Uganda assistant bishop of Kampala, David Zac Niringiye. In the interview, he says to American Christians, in essence, be quiet:

When Western Christians talk about Ugandan legislation, does that create tension?

I would say to Western Christian leaders, Don’t make public pronouncements about legislation in Uganda. If you have relationships, speak to those relationships. Talk to them privately. Ask them, what do you understand this to mean? Do not make any public pronouncements. Any time a Westerner makes a pronouncement in Africa, it seems to imply we don’t know what we want. Trust us, engage with us. Don’t begin to preach at us. I engage with you, I talk with you, and I leave it to you.

All I can say is that such an approach has been applied and is still being applied. I have been in dialogue with several of the pastors in Uganda who favor the bill and I suspect I will continue to be. However, the assistant bishop does not seem to understand that what they do in Uganda has an impact on Christianity as a whole everywhere. In my view, this bill is a significant black eye on the church as a whole and is a stumbling block to the gospel. We must speak or violate our conscience and compromise our witness. I am ready to listen but that goes both ways.

The article by Sarah Pulliam Bailey covers lots of ground and includes interviews with Martin Ssempa and Scott Lively. Ssempa replies to Rick Warren directly and Lively accuses critics of racism (!?).

Ssempa says the bill is to be modified as follows:

Ssempa wrote that the Uganda Joint Christian Council task force will support the bill with the amendments, including a less harsh sentence of 20 years instead of the death penalty for pedophilia or “aggravated homosexuality.” The task force also recommends that counseling and rehabilitation be offered to offenders and victims.

The rehabilitation clause will be a real test of the coalition formed to oppose the bill here. I do not favor any such clause as it still is a violation of free exercise of conscience and based on a false premise that behavioral counseling has been shown to be effect under conditions of coercion. I was glad to see Alan Chambers, Exodus President, come on the Facebook group recently and forcefully assert that Exodus does not support forced treatment.

There is much more to unpack here and it is time to turn it over to readers to do just that.