Year: 2010

I reported here April 7 that The Call Uganda is planned for May 1, 2010. According to The Call Uganda website, the date has been changed to May 2 but all else seems to be the same.

I am quite concerned that this event could have the same kind of impact that the March,, 2009 anti-gay conference had in Uganda. At that event, Scott Lively told his Ugandan audience that gays were behind Nazi Germany and possibly involved in the Rwandan atrocities. In general the conference reinforced the desire of some religious leaders to persuade the government to create laws which would eliminate homosexuality from the nation. Eventually, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was tabled by David Bahati and Benson Obua.

After months of rallies and protests in Uganda in favor of the bill, nothing much has happened the last month. The bill has not been heard in the appointed committee and one committee member said the bill was useless. Sources in Uganda say the bill could stay bottled up in committee indefinitely unless some event rouses public support.

Enter The Call Uganda.

The website asks, “Can a nation be changed in a day?” On another page of the website, The Call hopes to address:

The heightened political tensions and wrangles in the country, especially as we go towards the 2011 general elections

The increasing level of social evils in our society, some which are threatening our values and lifestyles e.g.

o Witchcraft and human sacrifice

o Homosexuality and increased immorality

o Disasters and the resultant suffering of the people

o The decay of morals and infrastructure of our city Kampala

There are political and religious purposes to The Call. Personal views of homosexuality aside, it is not on par with human sacrifice or disasters. Taking this message of political change through prayer and Christian dedication could be the event that revives the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

I wrote The Call International and The Call Uganda to find out their stance on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. My first email was forwarded by Jo Anna Watson, director of The Call Uganda, to Bishop David Kigande. Bishop Kiganda sent copies of letters sent by the Uganda Joint Christian Counsel to President Obama and Pastor Rick Warren, both in support of the bill. In the email, Jo Anna Watson said she supported the bill with the changes suggested by the pastors task force, although she could not speak for The Call International or The Call US. The changes Watson referred to were included in the letter to Rick Warren:

a. We suggested reduction of the sentence to 20 years instead of the death penalty for the offense of aggravated homosexuality.

b. We suggested the inclusion of regulations in the law to govern provision of counseling and rehabilitation to persons experiencing homosexual temptations. The churches are willing to provide the necessary help for those seeking counseling and rehabilitation.

c. Even with the provision for counseling and rehabilitation in the law, homosexuality should remain a punishable offense to control its spread.

To date, I have heard nothing from the Stacey Campbell or Lou Engle’s office regarding their stance. I hoped that The Call might follow the lead of fellow charismatic leader, Joyce Meyer, and denounce the bill. In any event, the leader on the ground supports the bill and referred me via email to ardent supporter David Kiganda.

Given the inclusion of homosexuality on The Call Uganda’s website, it seems very likely that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill will also be a focus. The silence of The Call outside Uganda is pretty loud and promises to get louder on May 2.

More globally, The Call seeks both political and religious outcomes. I hope to post additional information regarding the organization leading up to the event in Uganda on May 2, and an event in Washington DC on May 1. The May 1 event will be attended by The Call board members, Dutch Sheets and Harry Jackson and features a convergence of the religious right and dominion theology leaders. Stay tuned…

UPDATE: According to Jo Anna Watson, The Call Uganda coordinator, Lou Engle will be in Uganda for the May 2 meeting.

Uganda has heard the sound of the Trumpet and has answered “TheCall” to humble herself before the Lord! Lou Engle and a small team are coming to Uganda for “such a time as this!” We believe the Lord is bringing TheCall to Uganda as a mighty weapon to come against the enemy in these times of crisis in Uganda.

TheCall is a divinely initiated cross-denominational “Solemn Assembly” gathering the people to corporate worship, prayer, fasting and repentance and to return to the Lord with all our hearts.

We believe we can see Uganda changed as the Lord pours out His Spirit and brings refreshing to the broken, destitute and the weary across the land. For more information or to Donate, please see TheCall Uganda website by clicking the link www.thecalluganda.com.

By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI (AP) – 1 hour ago

BEIRUT — A senior Iranian cleric says women who wear immodest clothing and behave promiscuously are to blame for earthquakes.

Iran is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, and the cleric’s unusual explanation for why the earth shakes follows a prediction by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that a quake is certain to hit Tehran and that many of its 12 million inhabitants should relocate.

“Many women who do not dress modestly … lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes,” Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi was quoted as saying by Iranian media. Sedighi is Tehran’s acting Friday prayer leader.

Women in the Islamic Republic are required by law to cover from head to toe, but many, especially the young, ignore some of the more strict codes and wear tight coats and scarves pulled back that show much of the hair.

“What can we do to avoid being buried under the rubble?” Sedighi asked during a prayer sermon Friday. “There is no other solution but to take refuge in religion and to adapt our lives to Islam’s moral codes.”

Seismologists have warned for at least two decades that it is likely the sprawling capital will be struck by a catastrophic quake in the near future.

Some experts have even suggested Iran should move its capital to a less seismically active location. Tehran straddles scores of fault lines, including one more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) long, though it has not suffered a major quake since 1830.

In 2003, a powerful earthquake hit the southern city of Bam, killing 31,000 people — about a quarter of that city’s population — and destroying its ancient mud-built citadel.

“A divine authority told me to tell the people to make a general repentance. Why? Because calamities threaten us,” Sedighi said.

Referring to the violence that followed last June’s disputed presidential election, he said, “The political earthquake that occurred was a reaction to some of the actions (that took place). And now, if a natural earthquake hits Tehran, no one will be able to confront such a calamity but God’s power, only God’s power. … So let’s not disappoint God.”

The Iranian government and its security forces have been locked in a bloody battle with a large opposition movement that accuses Ahmadinejad of winning last year’s vote by fraud.

Ahmadinejad made his quake prediction two weeks ago but said he could not give an exact date. He acknowledged that he could not order all of Tehran’s 12 million people to evacuate. “But provisions have to be made. … At least 5 million should leave Tehran so it is less crowded,” the president said.

Minister of Welfare and Social Security Sadeq Mahsooli said prayers and pleas for forgiveness were the best “formulas to repel earthquakes.”

“We cannot invent a system that prevents earthquakes, but God has created this system and that is to avoid sins, to pray, to seek forgiveness, pay alms and self-sacrifice,” Mahsooli said.

In other news presaging the apocalypse, Dutch Sheets is calling for a big Joel’s army gathering (Joel 2 Gathering) in Poplar Bluffs, MO for June 14-18, 2010. Called the Wilderness Outcry, the  event is necessary to prevent coming hard times. Sheets says unless we act,

The stock market will go well below where it went a few months back—a crash is coming, and soon. More terrorism and violence will occur in our land, perhaps even war. In my spirit I’ve seen buildings crumbling and cities burning. Devastating natural disasters will take place. In general, hard times will be prevalent. Why is this so? Because we have turned from God and His ways. Consider the true condition of America. This assessment is bleak but accurate.

Now he tells us.

Want to cover your bases? Pack up your promiscuous women and head to Poplar Bluffs.

Friday, I reported that Francis Collins released a strongly worded statement on the website of the National Institute of Health denouncing the Facts About Youth website. The website is a project of the American College of Pediatricians, a small conservative group of health and mental health professionals. For references, here again is the statement:

Statement from NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., in Response to the American College of Pediatricians

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.

Director

April 15, 2010

“It is disturbing for me to see special interest groups distort my scientific observations to make a point against homosexuality.  The American College of Pediatricians pulled language out of context from a book I wrote in 2006 to support an ideology that can cause unnecessary anguish and encourage prejudice. The information they present is misleading and incorrect, and it is particularly troubling that they are distributing it in a way that will confuse school children and their parents.”

 Now consider the way the ACPEDS used his statements to promote “the ideology that can cause unnecessary anguish and encourage prejudice.” Here is the reference to Dr. Collins’ book, The Language of God, in the context created by the ACPEDS:

In dealing with adolescents experiencing same-sex attraction, it is essential to understand there is no scientific evidence that an individual is born “gay” or “transgender.” Instead, the best available research points to multiple factors – primarily social and familial – that predispose children and adolescents to homosexual attraction and/or gender confusion.  It is also critical to understand that these conditions can respond well to therapy.⁵Dr. Francis Collins, former Director of the Genome Project, has stated that while homosexuality may be genetically influenced, it is “… not hardwired by DNA, and that whatever genes are involved represent predispositions, not predeterminations.” He also states [that] “…the prominent role[s] of individual free will choices [has] a profound effect on us.” ⁶

Note the position of Dr. Collins’ statements. They are used as the justification for views which he does not hold but they are placed in such a way that a reader might associate those views with Collins. Just before the Collins’ quote comes two suspicious propositions. First:

the best available research points to multiple factors – primarily social and familial – that predispose children and adolescents to homosexual attraction and/or gender confusion.

And second:

It is also critical to understand that these conditions can respond well to therapy.

First, it is important to note that when Collins speaks of free will choices in his book, he is not referring to homosexuality specifically. In his book, he discusses genetics and intelligence and antisocial behavior among other traits. By referring to free will, he was not saying in his book that people can choose to change homosexual attraction by means of therapy.  

The statements from Collins about genetic factors predisposing a person to homosexuality and the general importance of free will seem to be placed in such a way as to parallel the ACPEDS’ views that family and social factors are “primary” and the view that the “conditions can respond well to therapy.” Now, these two views are highly speculative. Family and social factors have only weak relationships to homosexuality with little evidence that homosexual attraction can be erased via therapy.

The causative factors related to homosexuality are not clear but lack of an strong genetic association does not lead to the conclusion that any of the factors are alterable. Collins stated as much to Exgaywatch and me in September, 2008:

The evidence we have at present strongly supports the proposition that there are hereditary factors in male homosexuality — the observation that an identical twin of a male homosexual has approximately a 20% likelihood of also being gay points to this conclusion, since that is 10 times the population incidence. But the fact that the answer is not 100% also suggests that other factors besides DNA must be involved. That certainly doesn’t imply, however, that those other undefined factors are inherently alterable. (emphasis mine)

The consensus now is that pre-natal factors are not a complete explanation for homosexuality. Other factors may be involved. However, we cannot assume that those factors, whatever they are, are preventable or once set, alterable. Even if, for some people, the attractions may be alterable, no one can predict to what degree or what experiences might be potent. The ACPEDS could note that many religious people choose to live in contrast to their desires but they should not spin things to paint an incomplete, and therefore, misleading picture. At this point, I believe they would do well to take this cue from Francis Collins that the website is misleading and take it down.

As noted here at length, the American College of Pediatricians new website Facts About Youth falls far short of achieving the stated goals of being up-to-date and non-religious. The website also distorts the words of Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health Director. In a statement dated yesterday, he commented about the distortion on the NIH website:

Statement from NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., in Response to the American College of Pediatricians

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.

Director

April 15, 2010

“It is disturbing for me to see special interest groups distort my scientific observations to make a point against homosexuality.  The American College of Pediatricians pulled language out of context from a book I wrote in 2006 to support an ideology that can cause unnecessary anguish and encourage prejudice. The information they present is misleading and incorrect, and it is particularly troubling that they are distributing it in a way that will confuse school children and their parents.”

Read my earlier comments on this matter when NARTH first distorted the views of Dr. Collins.

According to this HealthLeadersMedia story, the ACP is contemplating a response:

A spokeswoman for the ACP said today the Gainesville, FL-based physician organization was made aware of Collins’ statement, and would issue a public statement after Benton attempts to speak with Collins.

ht:HealthLeadersMedia

Today is the Day of Silence, where students attempt to remain silent for parts of the school day to bring attention to anti-gay bullying. This year has been much quieter than the first two years for the supportive Golden Rule Pledge. I am aware of students in a dozen or so communities who planned to pass out GRP cards, either while joining in the silence or indenpendently of it.

I have looked in on the Day of Silence twitter account a couple of times and this retweet caught my eye:

Today has been awful. Verbal and physical bullying. This is why we do this.

This pains me. I wish she had written that some kids were pledging the Golden Rule and standing up to the bullies. Maybe next time?

I have posted this song before but it seems fitting again. After the vid/song, check out the few news articles which mention the Golden Rule Pledge.

Charisma covered the GRP as part of a story on the Day of Truth, the walkout, and the Day of Silence. Christian Post took a similar line in this story.

Here is a link to a Crosswalk.com article I wrote a year ago, called “That’s So Gay” – The deadly consequences of bullying.