Category: Religion and sexuality

Richard Cohen sends letter to Uganda’s Parliament; opposes Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Richard Cohen sent this letter today to his mailing list.

January 5, 2010

 

Dear Ugandan Legislators,

 

My name is Richard Cohen. I am a psychotherapist, former homosexual, and director of the International Healing Foundation in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. In March 2009, we sent a representative, Caleb Brundidge, to Kampala to share his wonderful story of transformation from homosexual to heterosexual at the Family Life Network conference. The purpose of the conference, as we understood it, was to inform people about the causes and potential healing of unwanted same-sex attraction. We had absolutely no idea that the teachings at the conference would be misused to contribute in any way to the persecution and criminalization of homosexuals as proposed in the Anti-Homosexuality Bill No. 18. If we had had any inkling of such an outcome, we never would have considered participating.

 

Over the past twenty years, as a psychotherapist, I was privileged to help thousands of men and women worldwide find freedom from homosexuality and fulfill their heterosexual dreams. Mr. Brundidge has likewise helped many find freedom from homosexuality. However, I shudder to think that if we had lived in Uganda under this proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill, at a time before we found a way out of homosexuality, your legislation may have resulted in our being executed or incarcerated, as we both lived openly homosexual lives previous to our transformation. That thought is horrifying, and makes this bill very personal to me. I struggled for years with my unwanted same-sex attractions (SSA), but no one knew how to help me. Finally, after many years and tears, I discovered the causes for my same-sex attractions and then deep, lasting, and profound healing occurred in my life. Today I am living my dream, married to my wonderful wife Jae Sook (who hails from Korea) and we have three beautiful children.

 

I strongly believe that Bill No. 18 is extreme, cruel, and counter-productive. No one will benefit if you criminalize people who experience homosexual feelings that they never chose and cannot simply wish away through willpower or prayer alone. We have found that sexual reorientation therapies have been extremely beneficial and effective for those seeking change. However, this bill would frighten all people from seeking the very help they need, and that many want. In such a punitive environment, people like me would be terrified to reach out and ask for the help, love, and support that can bring real change.

 

I understand that a motivating factor behind this proposed legislation is the report of young children and those with disabilities being raped by HIV-infected persons. There is no doubt that this terrible behavior must be stopped. However, I believe that the bill, as written, is too broad in incriminating all persons who experience homosexual feelings and does not take into account heterosexual sexual abuse and the spread of HIV through heterosexual activity. I recommend amending the language in the bill to be more specific regarding consequences for those who abuse and rape minors and disabled people, regardless of their sexual preference. Furthermore, if you truly wish to be pro-active in the issue of homosexuality we recommend: 1) make available in your therapeutic agencies, places of worship, and public institutions opportunities for men and women who experience same-sex attractions to voluntarily receive confidential counseling, and 2) insure the legal protection of former homosexuals. Such an enlightened program would become a beacon of light in the world for true healing and transformation, far better than condemnation and punishment, by providing care, concern, and solution.

 

We at the International Healing Foundation believe in promoting understanding, love, and support for those struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction, and also providing help for their family members and friends. This bill, as written, would punish the very people who are hurting and in need and discourage them from seeking the assistance that could otherwise result in transformation. In fact, it would send them underground, suffering in silence, only generating more pain and sadness.

 

I implore you to rewrite this proposed legislation and remove any criminalization for people who experience homosexual attractions. Rather, please provide counseling and opportunities for change which would be far more beneficial for those in need.

 

Thank you for your kind consideration in this matter.

 

Sincerely,

 

Richard Cohen, M.A.

Director,

International Healing Foundation

It would have been nice for him to simply denounce the bill without the sales pitch.

Thoughts?

Fellowship Foundation’s Bob Hunter speaks about Uganda on the Rachel Maddow Show

Associate of the Fellowship Foundation, Bob Hunter, appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show tonight to discuss the Foundation and then the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Hunter left no doubt that the Fellowship Foundation opposes the bill. I also interviewed Mr. Hunter on Tuesday and will have more to report on that front soon.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

and then part two…

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

In these clips, Mr. Hunter quotes Andrew Young as a member of the Fellowship. Former Democratic congressman, and Ambassador to the UN during the Carter years, Andrew Young can hardly be called a conservative.

I was also able to interview Andrew Young Tuesday evening and will report on that interview soon.

WAIT Training breaks ties with Martin Ssempa over Anti-Homosexuality Bill

This just in. WAIT Training, the abstinence education group has broken ties with Uganda’s Martin Ssempa.

Here is the statement from their website:

WAIT Training does not affiliate, endorse, associate or partner with anyone seeking to hurt or wound others. Our goals are to impart skills to help ALL individuals have healthy relationships, to LIVE WELL,  LOVE WELL and if they choose, to MARRY WELL.

Recent developments in Uganda and around the world associated with Martin Ssempa have caused us to sever all former associations with him.

We have requested he remove all wording on his web site that references our organization. If there are any questions about this, please call Joneen Mackenzie RN, President / Founder of WAIT Training at 720 488 8888 ext 201.

Developing…

I spoke earlier this evening with Joneen Mackenzie, Founder and President of WAIT Training about their connections to Martin Ssempa. Ms. Mackenzie tried to help Dr. Ssempa by helping put him in touch with people who helped with his website and believed he was focused on helping people with HIV. She told me that she was “shocked that he would endorse hurting anyone.” Learning of Ssempa’s support for the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, she said, ” I don’t want to be associated with that. I have to get any association with him and that bill away from me. Our desire is to dissociate ourselves from him.”

Ms. Mackenize told me that she has asked Ssempa to remove all references to WAIT Training from www.martinssempa.org. Currently, WAIT Training is listed as a group who will book speaking engagements for Ssempa. Ms. Mackenzie said that her group had only booked one such event. Now, they want to sever ties completely as Ssempa’s current advocacy is contrary to their mission and values.

Ssempa has yet to remove the references to WAIT Training from the site.

Disciple Nations Alliance clarifies position on Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill

On December 14, I posted about a possible link to the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill: Disciple Nations Alliance.  Stephen Langa is the African affiliate of the DNA and has been for about 10 years. I asked the DNA leadership for their view of the Uganda bill and they posted the following comment on that blog post as well as sent it to me via email. Here is their full comment (also published on their blog).

The Disciple Nations Alliance has appeared in the news recently in relationship to our friend Stephen Langa and his involvement with Uganda’s Anti Homosexuality Bill, 2009.  We first heard of this bill when a reporter contacted us to gain our opinion on the bill last Friday (December 11). We have since obtained a copy of the bill and are now examining it.

We have been friends with Stephen for nearly ten years. We have tremendous respect for him, and for what we know of his work to strengthen families in Uganda.  Stephen is an elder at Watoto Church in Kampala, which we consider to be a model for other churches in its care for thousands of Ugandan children orphaned by HIV AIDS.  Watoto Church ministers to hundreds, if not thousands of people who are dying of AIDS and their surviving family members. It has been actively involved in AIDs education, encouraging young men and women to act in morally responsibly ways in order to avoid the ravages of sexually transmitted diseases. Seeing the profound devastation of families in Uganda, they are actively working to strengthen families.  

The Disciple Nations Alliance is a network of individuals and organizations in over 60 countries who share a common vision to see the global Church rise to her full potential as God’s agent for the healing, blessing and transformation of the nations. We share a common set of core beliefs and operating principles (see www.disciplenations.org/about).  While we have affiliates around the world, there are no legal or organizational ties between them; including Family Life Ministries and Transforming Nations Alliance that Stephen helps lead. Stephen’s opinions are his own. The governance and decision making of the Ugandan organizations he leads are independent of the Disciple Nations Alliance.

We believe that people who engage in same gender sexual activities are image bearers of God possessing profound, inherent and equal dignity. They have a God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As human beings, they are to be treated with love and respect. Like all people, they are sinners and can be saved by the death of Christ on the cross.

Churches have a responsibility to love and engage with those who have chosen to live a homosexual life in the same way they would reach out and engage with any other person. The church is to call its members to personal and public purity, and to govern their lives in ways that comport with biblical standards of ethical behavior. Such internal self-government creates the framework for free nations. The church is also called to serve as the conscience of the nation by humbly, lovingly and prophetically addressing the wounds and moral failings of their society.

The state has a different, yet compatible role. It exists to defend and protect the life, liberty, and property of its citizens. Its principle role is to suppress external evil such as murder, theft, and rape. It does this largely by creating and administering just laws and maintaining an active military.

With this in mind, we do not believe that engaging in consensual homosexual acts in the privacy of one’s own home, or failure to report such acts, should be criminalized.  However we are opposed to efforts to re-define marriage laws which are based on the historic and traditional understanding of marriage as the covenantal relationship of one man and one woman for life. We are likewise opposed to efforts to normalize homosexual activity through the use of books and curricula in public schools. We oppose these and other public advocacy efforts whose intent is to lead to a state sanction for something that is immoral, which will seriously undermine the family, and will eventually lead to the collapse of a society.  We endorse and support the recently released Manhattan Declaration, and specifically its statement on marriage.

We believe that sexual crimes such as rape, incest, child prostitution or pedophilia should be appropriately prohibited and punished under the law regardless of whether victim or perpetrator practices same gender sexual activity or is heterosexual.   

 As the Uganda bill currently exists, we have some concerns: specifically the criminalizing of private, consensual homosexual practice, the severity some of the penalties, and the tone of the language. We recognize that this bill is in process and will reserve further comment until a final version is submitted to the Ugandan parliament. 

We recognize that sovereign nations have the right to establish their own laws; at the same time, other nations, international bodies and individual citizens have the right and responsibility to challenge laws that are unjust. We would encourage Christians, as citizens of nations, to seek to engage as free citizens in the market place and Public Square. They should contribute to the challenging of unjust laws and the creating of just laws. Christians, like any citizen are to contribute to the building of their nations. 

Scott Allen, Darrow Miller and Bob Moffitt

Clearly, these gentlemen were taken off-guard by Stephen Langa’s involvement in supporting this bill. I believe they are trying to make sense of his support, maintain a connection while at the same time acknowledging the particularly offensive aspects of the bill. Having said that, I am disappointed they do not seem to see the degree to which their work could be compromised by this bill.

Despite the moderate response, I believe their opposition is significant. Ugandan supporters of the bill paint opponents as gay sympathizers and activists. The leadership of the DNA can hardly be placed in this camp. I urge the Ugandan supporters to acknowledge the breadth of opposition to the bill from all quarters of the evangelical world.