For the Bible Tells Me So - Uganda
By Rev. Richard A. Moyer
Pastor, Community United Church
Before I leave for church on Sunday mornings I often watch a fundamentalist Protestant preacher who appears on a local television station. What he preaches (along with his wife) is unique and troubling. He takes headlines from national newspapers and, after reading them out loud, finds passage from the Bible to back up his own theological bias. He may read a headline, for example, about a natural disaster and then, reading a few verses from the Bible, claims that the disaster is the judgment of God. He proves the truth of the old adage that you can make the Bible say anything you want.
I’m wondering if the misuse of the Bible has had some influence on the reasoning behind the anti-homosexuality bill published in Uganda on September 25, 2009. Uganda, like many places in East Africa, has been greatly influenced by Christian missionaries. When you look at the statistics, Uganda could be considered a Christian nation. This is a country that claims to be 42% Roman Catholic, 36% Anglican and 5% Pentecostal.
I, of course, have no objection to missionaries preaching the good news of the Gospel. I believe Uganda has greatly benefited by church organizations that have done so much good in that part of the world. But, given the fact that the church has had so much influence in Uganda, I wonder if evangelical Christian doctrine played a part in the origin of this bill that, if passed, would violate international human rights.
Here is what Amnesty International says about the bill which, at present, has been tabled before the Ugandan Parliament, but will resume debate in the near future: “If passed, this bill would institutionalize discrimination against those who are, or who are thought to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. It would reinforce the existing prohibition against consensual sex between individuals of the same sex. The bill would go further, purporting to criminalize the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality, imposing life sentences for entering into a same-sex marriage, introducing the death penalty for ‘aggravated’ homosexuality, and punishing those who fail to report knowledge of any violations of these provisions within 24 hours.”
How a nation that has been so influenced by the Christian church could come to such radical conclusions is anybody’s guess. But we can be certain that some supporters of this bill sincerely believe that they are doing God’s will by cleansing the world of what they consider to be the worst of sins. And, we can also be certain that those same individuals will quote the Bible to reinforce their views.
The Christian church and its witness suffer greatly when those who claim to be Christians miss that which is among the most important teaching of Jesus: “You who are without sin, throw the first stone.”
The Community United Church is an open and affirming congregation and is is a member of United Church of Christ and Church of the Brethren denomination. . It is located at 1011 W 38th St. in Erie. Services are Sunday at 11am. (814) 864-4429. The pastor is Richard A. Moyer and his assistant is Dr. Richard McCarty. Website is www.uccwebsites.net/commuceriepa.html
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Co-editors Michael Mahler and Deb Spilko