Dougalthink

Saturday, 31 October 2009

Wind of change?

From Gay Uganda's blog:

So, the dear religious leaders started pulling back. Death, was too merciless, said these Ugandan Christian leaders. Rather, let these bad sinners be imprisoned by the state... for life.

If I were lying here, it would be ok. But, as a matter of fact, this is from the mouth of the religious leaders themselves. Can death as a form of punishment help one to reform? Some people are convicted of murder but after they have been killed, it’s proved they were innocent. What would be done in such circumstances? We should emphasise life imprisonment,” said Aron Mwesigye, the secretary for the Church of Uganda.

The same sentiment of 'mercy' was echoed by the SDA Church. Yeah, I am serious. Those where his words. I did blog them here.

So, they all go to the Parliament, and express the same sentiment. So, now Nsaba-Buturo admits they might have to 'change' that part of the law.

The beginings of a backtrack here methinks. The Government have been caught out by the strength of international opinion. When the diplomats start buzzing the minister and saying "this may impinge on our financial support", you can bet the Govt backbencher who promulgated this legislation has been called in and told to cool it by the Party. But it just goes to show what can be done by pressure from concerned people. Off the fence ACC, it's safe to weigh in now!

Friday, 30 October 2009

Thoughts on human rights and my track record with them.

A tractate by St Baldwin of Canterbury
The word of God is alive and active
The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely. These words tell us how much power and wisdom there is in the word of God for those who seek Christ, who is the word and the power and the wisdom of God. This word, with the Father from the beginning and co-eternal with him, came at its own chosen time, was revealed to them, was proclaimed by them, and was humbly received in faith by its believers. A word, therefore, in the Father; a word in the mouth; and a word in the heart. This word of God is alive. The Father gave it life coming from itself just as the Father’s own life comes from himself. The word is not just alive, therefore, it is life, as it said itself: I am the way, the truth, and the life. Since the word is life, the word is alive to give life. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses. He gives life, as when he calls the dead man out of the tomb, saying Lazarus, come forth. When this word is preached, the voice of its preaching which is heard outwardly calls forth a voice of power that is heard inwardly, that voice by which the dead are restored to life and their praise raises up sons for Abraham. So this word is alive in the heart of the Father, alive in the mouth of the preacher, and alive in the hearts of those who believe and love. If a word is alive in this way, how can it not also be active? The word is active in creating, active in guiding the world, active in redeeming the world. What could be more active? What could be more powerful? Who shall tell of his powerful deeds? Who shall proclaim the praises of the Lord? It is active when it works, it is active when it is preached. For it does not come back empty-handed: wherever it is sent, it prospers. It is active and cuts finer than a double-edged sword when it is believed and loved. For what is impossible to the believer? What is hard for the lover? When this word speaks, its words transfix the heart like a flight of sharp arrows, like nails hammered deep into its very essence. This word is sharper than a double-edged sword in that it cuts deeper than any strength or power, it is finer than anything made by human ingenuity, sharper than any human wisdom or learned speech. I have no idea who St Baldwin of Canterbury was but these are powerful words: "For what is impossible to the believer? What is hard for the lover? When this word speaks, its words transfix the heart like a flight of sharp arrows, like nails hammered deep into its very essence. " and I feel very like this when I think of why I get steamed up on human rights issues. I did Higher Modern Studies at school and we got duly informed about apartheid and why it was "a bad thing". Then I went to University and discovered we had a South African Scholarship at Aberdeen to bring an African (ie non Boer) student across. Our scholar was Sloo (short for Silumwo I think, but we never used his Sunday name much) Tsotsi and much to the chagrin of the little red lefties, he chose to study theology rather than politics or IR. Knowing him over many a Fairtrade coffee (which in those days tasted like ground warthog guano and drinking it counted as a corporal act of penance) drilled it into me that the Gospel demanded justice for all people. Black, white, male, female, gay, straight - the whole bally bunch. Yes, I had an anti Apartheid sticker on my folder. I met Trevor Huddlestone when he preached in King's College Chapel. I went out to bat in defence of a predecessor as Divinity Student Rep who was forced into coming out as a gay man by political opponents and who faced severe opprobrium from his fellow Divinity students. (OK, I did that from inside the proverbial closet, but that's where I was then.) The thing is, for me personally, the living Word came to me through people. "In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek" wrote Paul and I found that out when I discovered a guy as bright as I was, with a faith like I had could be legally discriminated against by his own Government because of the colour of his skin. That was wrong. Plain and simple. Counter to the Word of God and the Dutch Reformed Church could huff and puff all it liked and wrap its prejudice up in Bible quotes and bits of Calvin - IT WAS WRONG. That's why I feel so strongly about the silence from the Anglicans over the Ugandan Anti Homosexuality legislation. I know no gay Ugandans (well, I don't think I do anyway) but it is no more acceptable to discriminate against a man or a woman on account of their sexual orientation than on account of their skin colour. Actually, this Ugandan bill is worse because it explicitly calls for a death penalty. Apartheid only killed you as a sort of a by product of being black. Maybe the Afrikaners weren't so bad in comparison to this bunch in Uganda. The Ugandan church hierarchy has suggested no death penalty but life imprisonment instead. WRONG ! The collusion of the Church here is scandalous and shameful. Moderating the blood lust by going for a life sentence (which is a death sentence in real terms - Ugandan nicks are not as comfy as Saughton) is an absolute dereliction of Lambeth 1.10. That you call pastoral? And you ran around taking American dollars to consecrate "missionary bishops" to the disaffected whilst the TEC didn't ordain any LGBT bishops for 3 years. Right, time for a reality check. Bluntly, it is time for the Anglican authorities to reddiscover their spine on this. It is not racist or imperialist to challenge wrongs. Being "nice" is a mistake Michael Ramsey didn't make over Rhodesia. And he supported the 1967 decriminalisation of Homosexuality, not because he thought homosexuality was "right", but because he saw a bad law in place that needed fixing. The Ugandan Bishops need to be challenged. You may believe that homosexuality is wrong, but this law is utterly extreme, it is a blackmailers charter and it leaves the every Ugandan citizen open to terrorisation at the hands of the vindictive and the malicious. Dear God, didn't you read "The Crucible" at school? Arthur Miller spelled it out there. When religious fervour, sexual fantasy and mob mentality combine the results are horrific. True prophetic leadership lies not in collusion but in doing a John Proctor and naming the sickness for what it is. ++Rowan, stand up and shout! Oh and the rest of them too. If Lambeth 1.10 is to be enforced, than enforce it ALL and on every province. And do it now.

A tractate by St Baldwin of Canterbury

The word of God is alive and active

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely. These words tell us how much power and wisdom there is in the word of God for those who seek Christ, who is the word and the power and the wisdom of God. This word, with the Father from the beginning and co-eternal with him, came at its own chosen time, was revealed to them, was proclaimed by them, and was humbly received in faith by its believers. A word, therefore, in the Father; a word in the mouth; and a word in the heart.

This word of God is alive. The Father gave it life coming from itself just as the Father’s own life comes from himself. The word is not just alive, therefore, it is life, as it said itself: I am the way, the truth, and the life. Since the word is life, the word is alive to give life. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses. He gives life, as when he calls the dead man out of the tomb, saying Lazarus, come forth.

When this word is preached, the voice of its preaching which is heard outwardly calls forth a voice of power that is heard inwardly, that voice by which the dead are restored to life and their praise raises up sons for Abraham. So this word is alive in the heart of the Father, alive in the mouth of the preacher, and alive in the hearts of those who believe and love. If a word is alive in this way, how can it not also be active?

The word is active in creating, active in guiding the world, active in redeeming the world. What could be more active? What could be more powerful? Who shall tell of his powerful deeds? Who shall proclaim the praises of the Lord? It is active when it works, it is active when it is preached. For it does not come back empty-handed: wherever it is sent, it prospers.

It is active and cuts finer than a double-edged sword when it is believed and loved. For what is impossible to the believer? What is hard for the lover? When this word speaks, its words transfix the heart like a flight of sharp arrows, like nails hammered deep into its very essence. This word is sharper than a double-edged sword in that it cuts deeper than any strength or power, it is finer than anything made by human ingenuity, sharper than any human wisdom or learned speech.

I have no idea who St Baldwin of Canterbury was but these are powerful words:

"For what is impossible to the believer? What is hard for the lover? When this word speaks, its words transfix the heart like a flight of sharp arrows, like nails hammered deep into its very essence. " and I feel very like this when I think of why I get steamed up on human rights issues.

I did Higher Modern Studies at school and we got duly informed about apartheid and why it was "a bad thing". Then I went to University and discovered we had a South African Scholarship at Aberdeen to bring an African (ie non Boer) student across. Our scholar was Sloo (short for Silumwo I think, but we never used his Sunday name much) Tsotsi and much to the chagrin of the little red lefties, he chose to study theology rather than politics or IR. Knowing him over many a Fairtrade coffee (which in those days tasted like ground warthog guano and drinking it counted as a corporal act of penance) drilled it into me that the Gospel demanded justice for all people. Black, white, male, female, gay, straight - the whole bally bunch. Yes, I had an anti Apartheid sticker on my folder. I met Trevor Huddlestone when he preached in King's College Chapel. I went out to bat in defence of a predecessor as Divinity Student Rep who was forced into coming out as a gay man by political opponents and who faced severe opprobrium from his fellow Divinity students. (OK, I did that from inside the proverbial closet, but that's where I was then.)

The thing is, for me personally, the living Word came to me through people. "In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek" wrote Paul and I found that out when I discovered a guy as bright as I was, with a faith like I had could be legally discriminated against by his own Government because of the colour of his skin. That was wrong. Plain and simple. Counter to the Word of God and the Dutch Reformed Church could huff and puff all it liked and wrap its prejudice up in Bible quotes and bits of Calvin - IT WAS WRONG.

That's why I feel so strongly about the silence from the Anglicans over the Ugandan Anti Homosexuality legislation. I know no gay Ugandans (well, I don't think I do anyway) but it is no more acceptable to discriminate against a man or a woman on account of their sexual orientation than on account of their skin colour. Actually, this Ugandan bill is worse because it explicitly calls for a death penalty. Apartheid only killed you as a sort of a by product of being black. Maybe the Afrikaners weren't so bad in comparison to this bunch in Uganda.

The Ugandan church hierarchy has suggested no death penalty but life imprisonment instead. WRONG ! The collusion of the Church here is scandalous and shameful. Moderating the blood lust by going for a life sentence (which is a death sentence in real terms - Ugandan nicks are not as comfy as Saughton) is an absolute dereliction of Lambeth 1.10. That you call pastoral? And you ran around taking American dollars to consecrate "missionary bishops" to the disaffected whilst the TEC didn't ordain any LGBT bishops for 3 years. Right, time for a reality check.

Bluntly, it is time for the Anglican authorities to reddiscover their spine on this. It is not racist or imperialist to challenge wrongs. Being "nice" is a mistake Michael Ramsey didn't make over Rhodesia. And he supported the 1967 decriminalisation of Homosexuality, not because he thought homosexuality was "right", but because he saw a bad law in place that needed fixing. The Ugandan Bishops need to be challenged. You may believe that homosexuality is wrong, but this law is utterly extreme, it is a blackmailers charter and it leaves the every Ugandan citizen open to terrorisation at the hands of the vindictive and the malicious. Dear God, didn't you read "The Crucible" at school? Arthur Miller spelled it out there. When religious fervour, sexual fantasy and mob mentality combine the results are horrific. True prophetic leadership lies not in collusion but in doing a John Proctor and naming the sickness for what it is. ++Rowan, stand up and shout! Oh and the rest of them too. If Lambeth 1.10 is to be enforced, than enforce it ALL and on every province. And do it now.

Wednesday, 28 October 2009

Uganda and Martyrdom

James Hannington and the Martyrs of Uganda
29 October 1885

Among the nations of Africa, Uganda is the most predominantly Christian. Mission work began there in the 1870's with the favor of King Mutesa, who died in 1884. However, his successor, King Mwanga, opposed all foreign presence, including the missions.

James Hannington was sent out from England in 1884 by the Anglican Church as missionary Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa. He was apprehended by emissaries of King Mwanga. He and his companions were brutally treated and, a week later, 29 October 1885, most of them were put to death. Hannington's last words were: "Go tell your master that I have purchased the road to Uganda with my blood."

The first native martyr was the R C Joseph Mkasa Balikuddembe, who was beheaded after having rebuked the king for his debauchery and the murder of Bishop Hannington. On 3 June 1886, a group of 32 men and boys, 22 Roman Catholic and 10 Anglican, were burned at the stake. Most of them were young pages in Mwanga's household, from their head-man, Charles Lwanga, to the thirteen-year-old Kizito, who went to his death "laughing and chattering." These and many other Ugandan Christians suffered for their faith then and in the next few years.

In 1977, the Anglican Archbishop Janani Luwum and many other Christians suffered death for their faith under the tyrant Idi Amin.

Thanks largely to their common heritage of suffering for their Master, Christians of various communions in Uganda have always been on excellent terms.

written by James Kiefer

Prayer

O God, whose blessed martyrs in Uganda
opened in the heart of Africa
the new and living way
of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Grant us, who cherish their remembrance before thee this day,
to remain steadfast in our faith in him,
to whom they gave obedience unto death;
even the same Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

I really do feel for Uganda, the one part of Africa I have visited. It is a beautiful, rich and fertile land with wonderful people. It has also suffered terribly in the past and is doing OK now. But it is not a good or a safe place if you are gay or thought to be gay. Indeed, the Government seem to be hell bent (a phrase I use quite deliberately) on passing a law allowing the death penalty for "aggressive homosexuality". And a 3 year jail term if you do not inform the authorities if you know someone is gay or working for LGBT rights. And in this, the most Christian country in Africa, the Church is devastatingly silent. It appals me that the Church of Uganda, so swift to call for compliance with the Lambeth 98 Resolution on certain matters like moratoria, is so quick to ignore the bit of Lambeth 1:10 that condemned violence against LGBT people. And just why has the Anglican Patriarch of Canterbury so stunningly silent on this? It would be an ideal chance to remind African Anglicans that 1:10 has more than one bit. Believing something is immoral and preaching against it is one thing (arguably legitimate for a start) but supporting (even by silence) a law that is actually far far more explicitly vicious than those of Nazi Germany quite another. Dammit, if they replaced the word Gay with Jewish, all hell would break loose internationally. But no, silence reigns.

God bless Africa.

And save her from herself.

PS Go and read this if you think I'm exaggerating

http://gayuganda.blogspot.com/2009/10/christian.html

and this from a more objective standpoint

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/10/28/ugandas_do_ask_do_tell?page=0,0

But this says it rather more pithily than my musings:

http://web.me.com/pwhalon/Bp_Pierre_Site/Blog/Entr%C3%A9es/2009/10/29_What_would_Bishop_Hannington_say.html

One under par.

Mentally I feel fine, physically I feel a bit iffy. Nothing serious, not man flu or swine flu or chicken flu, just a slightly tickly throat and tight-ish chest. So yesterday was a stay indoors, keep warm, drink lots of fluids and paracetamol sort of day and today feeels rather similar. Sadly I missed my Tuesday night group (no sense in staying warm all day then spending two hours in a crypt!) and I do actually miss the sharing. This from Mr seriously buttoned up! There's a change!

Monday, 26 October 2009

How long has that been there?

Talk about not noticing things and being self obsessed! I have been going into my psychoanalysist's den for several months. Only today did I note the tastefully positioned complete works of Freud. Sheesh! I never even saw the decor (not a surprise) but I am something of a book nut and missing that was surprising. I am however more aware of there being some form of blockage in my (perceived or even self perceived) ability to relate to others ( I want to talk about what I feel, I start to talk about how i feel and then... the cut off switch kicks in) and what it is I do not know. What I do with it (or indeed about it) I have no absolutely no idea. Work in progress?

Watching all the glorious fuss in the Press re the Apostolic Constitution is amusing. My old Bishop in London (Bwana Broadhurst) has said George Carey is a "moaner" Now I ask you, is that anyway to talk about the nice Primate who consecrated you and the wee guy with the bongos who went to York eventually (I know, cos I was there in St Paul's when it all happened!)? David Starkey thinks it's all a plot to stick up two fingers on the 5ooth anniverary of Henry VIII. Mate, I doubt that was anywhere near Pope Benny's mind when he dreamed up this wheeze. I am so glad I am not a priest of the Church of England!