Other Sheep addresses LGBT/SOGI human rights consultation meeting, June 14, 2010, at Church Center of the United Nations, United Nations Plaza 4.

By Rev. Stephen Parelli, Bronx, NY.  June 15, 2010

On June 14th, 2010, the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office hosted a day-long consultation on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, and the international decriminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity with Ugandan Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, LGBT advocate, ally, and exiled Bishop of the Church of Uganda.

Executive Director of Other Sheep Rev. Stephen Parelli, a panel member of the first session, citing Mary Wangila, author of Female Circumcision, The Interplay of Religion, Culture, and Gender in Kenya, said the problem of, and the answer to, homophobia in East Africa is one and the same: religion. Citing Mark A. Noll, The New Shape of World Christianity, and concurring with Julius Kaggwa the panelist who spoke before him that Uganda is an evangelical country, Parelli referenced "The East African Revival" of the 1920s as the historical reason for the present day evangelical fervor in East Africa. Parelli said evangelicals believe in the final authority of the Word of God and that when addressing evangelicals about homosexuality one need's to understand the evangelical's starting point: the Word of God.

Parelli provided two hand outs to the participants: A critique on Ysufu Turaki's featured article on homosexuality in Zondervan's Africa Bible Commentary and "Kenyan Coming Out Stories: Creating Communities of Listeners."

Parelli, referring to Ysufu Turaki's homophobic, intolerant article as an example of how religion is the problem, said the Association of Evangelicals in Africa, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church and Dr. Douglas Carew of Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology endorse Africa Bible Commentary. Parelli said Other Sheep, in view of the intolerant article on homosexuality, has written board members of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa asking them to give their position on the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill and that no reply was received.

By contrast, showing how religion is part of the answer, Parelli said on May 27, 2010, Other Sheep Kenya held a discussion with Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School Apologetics class on human sexuality, gender identity and Christianity and that one student said this was her first time to learn about homosexuality in an academic setting.

In addition, Parelli referenced two seminars on homosexuality and religion conducted by Other Sheep Kenya on the cost of Kenya as an example of how education is crucial. Parelli, reading from the recommendations of the Other Sheep Christian Religious Leaders' Seminar (March 5, 2010) and the recommendations of the Other Sheep dialogue with Muslim Religious Leaders (March 6, 2010), said Christian and Muslim religious leaders in Kenya are asking for more seminars and educational materials that will address their respective sacred writings, sexual orientation, human sexuality and religion.

Parelli said that Other Sheep has distributed in Africa The Blue Book and The Children Are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-sex Relationships. Parelli said in 2008 Other Sheep conducted a full day seminar in Kampala, Uganda, on the Bible and homosexuality with 40 plus LGBT Christians in attendance. Parelli indicated the teaching on the Bible and homosexuality was liberating for Ugandan LGBT Christians. Parelli, reporting on the Other Sheep seminar on the Bible and homosexuality in Rwanda 2008, showed how the Bible, in its literal usage, as is the evangelical custom, has a far reaching impact for good or for ill.

Parelli, citing Stephen O. Murray and Will Roscoe's book Boy-Wives and Female Husbands as his source, said the African language has many native words that refer to same-sex sex which were in use before the white man came to Africa.  Europeans brought homophobia to Africa, not homosexuality, he said.  Homosexuality was there before the white man came.

Parelli read three written testimonies of LGBT Christians in East Africa whose lives were changed because of the educational materials or teachings they received on homosexuality and the Bible from Other Sheep. Parelli, quoting from the first testimonial, read "You gave me a book, The Children are Free. Very inspiring. Talk of people who have been transformed by the book . . . here I am. Kindly return to Africa . . . I appreciate your Other Sheep ministry . . . Good job." Quoting from a second testimonial and highlighting the idea of education, Parelli read, "We thank God for sending Jose and Steve to this country in such a time. We're blessed and going back to the glory that we'd left because of ignorance." Quoting from a third testimonial, Parelli read "I've been with Other Sheep for almost four months now. Other Sheep East Africa, through Rev. Kimindu, enabled me to reconcile my Christianity with my homosexuality. I've come out to my sis. … I just wanted to thank people like you for what you do. It saved this life. Glory be to God."

In the final session of the day, Parelli said the most valuable resource for the battle against homophobia in Africa is already in place, i.e., the religious leaders and the LGBT activist in the pew in East Africa. Parelli said, they are educated, they know their region and their people; they know how to work their situation. It is for us to learn from them, understand them and the strategy they would employ; to work with them and to provide the tools they require and need.

The Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) statement that "homosexuals are worse than beasts" is pivotal in Other Sheep East Africa's open letter Calling upon the Executive Secretary for Ethics, Justice and Peace of the AEA to Denounce the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill

by Rev. Steve Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director

Today, Other Sheep East Africa, in an open letter to Rev. Patson Netha, the Executive Secretary for Ethics, Peace and Justice of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA), called upon the AEA to make a swift and clear denouncement of the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality bill.

In the open letter, Other Sheep East Africa cites AEA's publication of the Africa Bible Commentary in which a featured article on homosexuality (at Romans chapter 1) by Nigerian religious leader Yusufu Turaki states, among other homophobic and intolerant assertions, that "homosexuals are worse than beasts."   The open letter argues that AEA's Africa Bible Commentary, distributed in Africa among evangelicals since its publication in 2006, can be used to infer that the AEA supports the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality bill.

The open letter calls upon the AEA to denounce the bill and to distance itself from any inference that the Africa Bible Commentary article is to be considered an endorsement of the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill by the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA).

The open letter noted Zondervan Publishing House of Grand Rapids, Michigan (USA), a major publisher of scholarly evangelical writings, as co-publisher.

The open letter was signed by Other Sheep East Africa Coordinators and other Other Sheep East Africa (OSEA) personnel from Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and the United States.

View this blog as an Other Sheep Press Release.

Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill and the Deafening Silence of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa; or I've missed their statement - - have you seen one?

by Rev. Steve Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director, Bronx, NY, February 6, 2010 

Tell the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) to Denounce the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009.  
(Other Sheep's Action Alert since October 19, 2009.)

Where is the voice of the Assocication of Evangelicals in Africa?  Since Other Sheep's posting of its Action Alert calling for people to write AEA, we are aware of some letters that have gone out to the AEA from individuals (and some Internet postings of the Other Sheep Alert by other bloggers and sites).  The AEA, to my knowledge, has not made a public statement denouncing the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill. 

Today I searched the Internet, briefly, as well as the AEA site news announcements, to see if I could find a statement from the Association of Evangelicals in Africa.  I didn't.  But neither do I claim I did an exhaustive search.

Email me (Rev. Steve Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director) at sparelli2002@yahoo.com if you have a statement from, or link to, the AEA denouncing the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

You can visit our eNews, published October 19, 2009, calling for open letters to the AEA.  You can visit the webpage Other Sheep published October 20, 2009, calling for AEA to denounce the bill.

In our October 19 (eNews) and October 20 (webpage) publishings, we placed the following names which are officially associated with the AEA.  Other Sheep is still asking the following AEA individuals listed below (with their contact information) where they stand as individuals or where stands the AEA on the Anti-Homoseuxality Bill. 

Becasue Uganda is very much evangelical (whatever the denomination), it is paramount that the Association of Evangelicals in Africa speak out against this "kill-the-gays" bill in Uganda.

Association of Evangelicals in Africa
Contact Information

Ethics, Peace & Justice Commission (click here for AEA site listing of Ethics, Peace & Justice Commission)
P.O. Box 4035
Bulawayo
Zimbabwe
T: +263 9 883 414 / 883 415 / 882 915
Email: netha@mweb.co.zw
Executive Secretary: Rev Patson Netha
Ethics, Peace, and Justice Commission of the AEA holds the portfolio of
educating the Church on matters of ethics, peace, and social justice.

Executive Board (click here for AEA site listing):
Rev Ndaba Mazabane
President
P.O. Box 1045
Hillcrest
3650 Kwazulu, Natal
South Africa
T: +27 31 716 3300 F: +27 31 716 3333
E-mail: nmazabane@yahoo.co.uk

Pasteur Freeman Kompaore
Vice President
01 B.P. 108
Ouagadougou 01
Burkina Faso
T: +226 50 36 14 26 (O) +226 50 38 62 67 (Res.)
Fax: +226 50 36 34 66
Cell Phone: +226 70 21 45 35
Email: feme@fasonet.bf

Rev Mario Li-Hing
Chairman & Islands Regional President
39B Royal Road
Eau Coulée
Mauritius
TF: +230 674 0155 Cell Phone: +230 251 2540
Email: sumtius@intnet.mu

Bishop Arthur Kitonga
Vice Chairman & Eastern Regional President
P.O. Box 51226
Nairobi
Kenya
T: +254 2 6761138/6765986/6764 993
Email: rgc@redeemedgospel.com

Justice (Mrs.) Esme Chombo
High Court of Malawi
P.O. Box 15
Lilongwe
Malawi
T: +265 1 711066/707017/857501
Email: chombojustice@yahoo.com

Mr. Mugo wa Karanja
Treasurer
P.O. Box 76533
Nairobi, Kenya
Cell Phone: +254 20- 2723312 or cell. 0722 753 167
Email: rmugo@cyberkenya.com

Mr. David Mwaure
Legal Adviser
P.O. Box 75642
Nairobi, Kenya
T: +254 2 271 4509 / 10 / 24
F: +254 2 271 3922
Email: mmw@todays.co.ke

Rev Moses B Khanu
West Africa Regional President
P.O. Box 948
Freetown, Sierra Leone
T: +232 22 226 854 TF: +232 22 228 670
Email: moseskhanu@yahoo.co.uk

Rev. Zecharias Abraham
North East Regional President
P.O. Box 2809
Asmara, Eritrea
Phone: +291 1 126859
Phone/Fax: +291 1 126237
Email: myepc@gemel.com.er

Bishop Harrison Sakala
Southern Regional President
P.O. Box 31002
Lusaka 10101
Zambia
T: +260 1 256 073
Fax: +260 1 292 489
Cell Phone: +260 977 88234
Email: evafeza@zamnet.zm

Pasteur Wally Sarr
North West Regional President
B.P. 2961
Dakar
Sénégal
T: +221 21 825 3961 / 827 3379
Email: fes@sentoo.sn

Ato Mulatu Belachew
Compassion International
P.O. Box 76263
Nairobi, Kenya
Phone
Email: mulatu_m_belachew@yahoo.com

Rev. Dr. Mrs. Judy Mbugua
AEA Team Leader
P.O. Box 49332
Nairobi, Kenya
T: + 254 2 / 2714 432 / 272 2769
Fax: + 254 2 / 2713 004
Email: pacwa@aeafrica.org

Mr. Solomon Gacece
AEA Deputy Team Leader
P. O. Box 49332
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel. +254 2 /2722769/2714432
Fax. +254 2 /2713004
Email: solgacece@aeafrica.org

NPR November 24, 2009, radio broadcast TRANSCRIPT (by link) on the tie between The Family, an evangelical-fundamentalist group and Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill

by Rev. Steve Parelli, Executive Director of Other Sheep, with thanks to attendees of the RMN 2009 Convocation who notified me of the broadcast.

In a radio broadcast entitled "The Secret Political Reach of 'The Family" as heard on NPR Fresh Air from WHYY on November 24, 2009, host Terry Gross interviewed Jeff Sharlet about The Family and its connection to the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

You can find the full transcript by clicking here.  The second half of the transcript addresses the Uganda-Family "kill-the-gays" connection in detail.

I'm not surprised that such a group exists and that they could make their way into certain susceptible evangelical minds.  I'm from the evangelical-fundamentalist faith tradition and have heard it said personally, in the late 1980s, from the mouth of an evangelical-fundamentalist pastor who was ordained within a good-standing, well recognized conservative Baptist denomination that "they [gays in the USA] should all be taken out and hung." And he was saying it blatantly to my face, on Sunday morning just prior to entering the pulpit to preach, knowing full well I was dealing with same-sex attractions. My presence discussed him.  His response was to literally wipe out all homosexuals.  Such unbarred evangelical hatred of homosexuals is likely to find a religious, Bible-quoting country like Uganda where it can be unleashed.

So much for the myth of exporting homosexuality as a Western idea (as if homosexuality in Africa never existed before colonialism came to Africa); instead, what we actually have is the exportation of Western evangelical-fundamentalist extremism that says "kill the gays."  I'm thinking my evangelical fellow-pastor who said "they should all be taken out and hung" would be very much at home in The Family, at least in The Family in Uganda where evangelial extremism is sanctioned by the government as true religion.

I am indebted to friends I made at the Reconciling Ministries Network Convocation in September, 2009, who notified me by email on December 1, 2009, that they had heard this broadcast and were bringing it to my attention.

Other Sheep is a sponsor of The American Prayer Hour

Can Rev Tim Keller of NYC Redeemer Church (PCA) have it both ways? Can he be considered a true Christian and ostracize gays? Not if he listens to himself.

by Rev. Stephen Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director, Bronx, NY

[Recently, Tim Keller's statements on homosexuality as reported by Joseph Hooper in the New York News & Features, Nov 29, 2009,  became the subject of on-going back-and-forth comments over the Internet during the weeks that followed the article's publication. Tim Keller is pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in New York City and author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. * * * *  Personally, in 1997, as a gay evangelical Christian in reparative therapy with Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, I attended a couple sessions of Redeemer's church-sponsored support group for dealing with issues around human sexuality. You can see my paper on my personal experience and evaluation of reparative therapy on the Other Sheep website.]


In his 2001 statement on "The Need for a 'Missional' Church," Tim Keller wrote that when "Christendom" dominated society, culture incorporated certain Christian morals [such as sex only in marriage and the condemnation of same-sex sex – Keller's own examples]. He goes on to say, the problem with "Christiandom" is that it is "morality without gospel-changed hearts" ["changed hearts" is the essence of true evangelical conversion, or true Christianity]. 

Keller asserts it was "Christiandom" over the centuries and not true Christianity that

"often led to cruelty and hypocrisy. Think how the small town in 'Christendom' [wrongly] treated the unwed mother or the gay person [for lack of a 'gospel-changed heart']. Also, under 'Christendom' the church was silent against abuses of power of the ruling classes over the weak."

It would appear to me, then, that Uganda, an evangelical country by all accounts (see Miranda K. Hasset, Anglican Communion in Crisis; see Mark A Noll, The Shape of World Christianity), is pseudo-evangelical, not having that essential evangelical mark-of-conversion, a "changed-heart." As per Tim Keller's descriptive example of the real, genuine evangelical Christian heart, Ugandans, if truly converted, would not treat gay Ugandans with the "cruelty and hypocrisy" of execution and life imprisonment, as their current Anti-Homosexulaity bill provides, and similarly would not be "silent against abuses of power of the ruling classes over the weak [in this case, the marginalized homosexuals]." Evidently, according to Tim Keller's overview of Western church history as "changed-hearts" verses unchanged-hearts, Uganda has never been converted to true Christianity, and is, instead, a product of mere "Christiandom."

So then, being consistent with Tim Keller's example of "cruelty and hypocrisy" towards a "gay person" as indicative of the unbeliever, it would appear that in our own part of the world, as in Uganda, evangelicals fail at true conversion. Many evangelical gay Christians, here in the United States, have suffered "cruelty and hypocrisy" within their own evangelical families, churches, schools and colleges.

The Ugandan brand of evangelical "cruelty and hypocrisy" is but one kind of brand of "cruelty and hypocrisy." Here in America, the evangelical "cruelty and hypocrisy" is ostracism. David G. Myers and Letha Dawson Scanzoni, in their book What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage, show how ostracism is an "emotional abuse" and "a terrible, terrible weapon to use," whether by society-at-large (civil unions, a form of ostracism) or smaller unites like familes and churches (family reunions and holidays denied a gay family member; opportunities of service denied, or excommunication of the gay church member).  

Marc Adams, in his book The Preacher's Son, shows how a gay student at Jerry Falwel's school, upon dismissal for being gay and acting upon it, committed suicide when his church and family totally ostracized him. Marc Adams lays the blame of the suicide squarely at the feet of Liberty University for failing to counsel the parents or pastor against ostracism prior to dispelling the student.

Again, according to Tim Keller, none of this "cruelty and hypocrisy" of ostracism should be happening within the evangelical world, not if they've really had a "changed heart." And that's just what my non-evangelical gay Christian friends tell me: "How is that Christianity?" I guess evangelical Tim Keller would agree with them.

And so then, who is Christian? What is Christianity? Who needs a change of heart? Evangelicals in Uganda and America? Or, is there even really such a thing as a "change of heart" evangelical-gospel-wise-speaking? Or, is it more about enlightenment, and our common humanity that calls us to consider our actions as just or unjust towards one another, gay or straight? Is that the good news? Is the situation more about our lack of understanding cultural norms and social conditioning, that hinder and hold us back? What really drives us in one direction or the other? Keller's evangelical "gospel-changed hearts" doesn't seem to be working. Not in Uganda, not at Jerry Falwel's university, and not in the untold stories of the silenced minority of evangelical gays who suffer "cruelty and hypocrisy" at the hands of their own God-fearing parents, siblings, churches and schools.

Faith-based hate-speech posted on the Daily Nation website against gays, Rev. Kimindu and his call for discussion on gay rights; and How the evangelical Africa Bible Commentary evidences and endorses the deep seated African faith-based anti-gay hate-speech.

Also: Mark A. Noll, in his new book The New Shape of World Christianity, says Ugandan President Museveni was "deeply touched" by the historic East African Revival, and that "his wife, Janet, remains identified with evangelical causes." The following article, in part, discusses the question: Does President Museveni and his wife's Christian beliefs justify, for him, his criminal hate-acts against homosexuals?

By Rev. Stephen Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director, Bronx, NY, sparelli2002@yahoo.com

On the Kenyan Daily Nation website, three individuals, as of this writing, have posted their for-or-against comments on Rev. Michael Kimindu's November 20th (2009) interview with Daily Nation in which he objected to the fact that gay rights were not included in the Kenyan draft constitution for discussion.

Two, of the three postings, solidly oppose Kimindu. The objectors both based their strong anti-gay remarks solely on their understanding of what the Bible says, speaking with absolute authority, as if their voice were the voice of God. Their comments reveal that their religious viewpoint is of the evangelical stripe: authoritative, final, and "Biblical."

Evangelical as they may be, their remarks fail to show any sings of "graciousness" such as is claimed in the American-evangelical ill-suited statement "love the sinner, hate the sin." ("Love the sinner, hate the sin" is the notorious failed-attempt of evangelicals in America to show love to the gay community; just ask any LGBT person.)

Actually, these two East Africans – I assume they are East Africans, and most likely Kenyans – have, by their sugar-free remarks, shortened this American pet-evangelical saying to simply "hate the sinner." African evangelicals, to their credit, haven't learned the American evangelical art of telling one's self that he or she is acting in love when the act is clearly one of oppression. Evangelicals, here in America, call their oppressive opposition to gay rights and to gay individuals who have at times taken their own lives because of the abject rejection of evangelical parents and churches, as "loving the sinner." (The word "sinner" should be a clue here as to how much love – or should I say, how little love – is actually being communicated by evangelicals.)

But, back to the Daily Nation postings. The first individual posted the following: "Are you gays trying to tell us the Almighty is wrong or was wrong? Did you guys hear about Sodom and Gomorrah? You deserve punishment in this world and hereafter" (emphasis mine). Note the link between Sodom and Gomorrah and deserved punishment now. The second out-of-sorts individual posted: "The said Reverend [Kimindu] will find out while in Hell, that what he did on earth . . .; and he will be among those to be immersed into the blackest of the blackest of Hell . . .; the cheap minded sheep, woe unto them, they are on their way to sheol." Not exactly a model for what some have called "friendship evangelism" or, how to win others over to your point of view.

The tragedy runs deeper than just two overly-religious comments posted on the Daily Nation website. The problem is this: how can we expect better of the African evangelical in the pew and in the pulpit when the evangelical leaders of Africa are crying out against LGBT people in very much the same manner as these two postings. Take for instance the now infamous article entitled "Homosexuality" in the 2006 Zondervan Africa Bible Commentary. (I saw my first copy of this misguided single volume commentary while visiting the Nairobi All Saints Anglican Cathedral in 2008). Yusufu Turaki, an evangelical Nigerian Bible scholar and author of the article, writes without criticism that "some [African] politicians" say "homosexuals are worst than beasts." And, as if to sustain the African politicians' bigotry, Turaki cites, again without criticism, the fact that "Anglican churches across the continent" have outright rejected Tutu's call for toleration and acceptance of LGBT people. Turaki's hate-speech article featured in this "landmark" (John Stott) volume authored by 70 African evangelicals sounds very much like the two who posted their hate-statements against Rev. Kimindu. Turaki's zero toleration and "worst than beasts" quotes put him right up there with the two anonymous postings.

The Africa Bible Commentary was a project/publication of Zondervan and the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA). Recently, I received an email from an individual listed by name on the AEA website. He is officially in fellowship with the AEA. Speaking for himself only, he wrote me to tell me he is in full support of the Anti-Homosexuality bill of Ugandan which calls for the death penalty or life imprisonment of homosexuals who meet certain conditions. Is his evangelical Sodom-and-Gomorrah-bring-down-brimstone faith representative of the AEA (Association of Evangelicals in Africa)? Does he represent what is to be found in the average pew and pulpit of evangelical churches in Africa? Do most African evangelicals really believe that "homosexuals should be punished in this life" as was posted on the Daily Nation website and as evidenced by the Anti-Homosexuality bill of Uganda?

Mark A Noll, in his new book The Shape of World Christianity, has a chapter on "The East African Revival" in which he states "the current Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni was deeply touched as a young man by the East African revival, and his wife, Janet, remains identified with evangelical causes" [page 182].

It can now be said, that in Uganda at least, "revival" and "evangelical causes" equate the death sentence for homosexuals who meet certain conditions, unless the president of Uganda and his wife go on record as denouncing the bill. Not likely. Museveni has a long record of hate-speech against LGBT people.

As early as 1998, "President Yoweri Museveni made several strong antihomosexuality public statements." Again, in 1999, he "spoke out strongly, calling for the police to find and arrest, and jail homosexuals" [Anglican Communion in Crisis, by Miranda K. Hassett, page 84, 85; interestingly enough, the author further states on page 85 that "The Anglican archbishop of Uganda proclaimed his full support for Museveni's antigay position."].

I've often asked myself if the Old Testament stories from the King James Bible may have shaped Museveni's image of himself as president of Uganda. Is he modeling himself after the Old Testament king who, heroically and unlike his father-king before him, "took out of the land" "the remnant of the sodomites"? [Sodomites is an unfortunate abusive rendering of the Hebrew text here which should more accurately be translated 'male or female temple prostitute;' the Hebrew word sodomite is not in the text (I Kings 22:46, KJV).] Does Museveni emulate this heroic Biblical king who put-out-of-the-land-the-sodomites [i.e., temple prostitutes] as an example to follow?

It could easily be so, after all, President Yoweri Museveni "was deeply touched" by the East African revival and his wife "remains identified with evangelical causes" (Mark A. Noll). Evangelicalism and the literal reading and high veneration of the Bible, such as daily Bible readings, scripture memorization, and Bible preaching, are one and the same. This evangelical excessive love for the Word of God can border on bibliolatry which is the worship of the Bible (although evangelicals would deny they ever worship the Bible). When this is the case (which happens, at times, with evangelicals on a subconscious level, I would argue), instead of a Trinity, an evangelical would now have a Quad-unity, with the Bible as the fourth person of the Godhead. I would suggest that this is the present probable evangelical spirit in Uganda where the spirit of love and toleration towards a people-group defined by a different sexual orientation is axed by a spirit of hate and legalism which are justified enough, for religious Ugandans, by the reduction of the Bible to mere black ink on white paper (for example, "the Bible clearly says"), and thus, ironically, the elevation of the Bible to the status of a god (bibliolatry, by which one can now justify the execution of homosexuals). All this hate, grounded in a type of idolatry as I have opinioned, is the by-product of the work of zealous Bible-believing evangelical missionaries and the historic East African revival.

The sad part – in the supposed case of President Museveni modeling his presidency after the afore mentioned Old Testament king – is this: the King James Bible (if that is the version he uses, which was, no doubt, the version originally brought to Uganda) utterly fails him here by its erroneous translation. (In Rwanda, during our 2008 seminar, where we had the Bible in the language of the people, the same error in translation was noted. Evidently, in the Rwandan language, the translation was brought over from the King James Bible word sodomite and not from the Hebrew text temple prostitute.)

Now, let us return to the evangelical American pet-phrase of "hate the sin, but love the sinner" and ask again how this may or may not be an acceptable mode for evangelical Africans as a valid response toward homosexuals.  I've stated that African evangelicals simply "hate the sinner." Our answer does not have to come by way of the anonymous hate-post mentioned earlier, i.e., "You [gays] deserve punishment in this world and hereafter."  Instead, our answer comes right from Yusufu Turaki and the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) themselves. Turaki, in his hate-speech article cited above (from the Africa Bible Commentary), says "It is . . . academic to try to make a distinction between a homosexual person and a homosexual act, as if the latter is sinful and the former is not. Both are sinful."

The CISA (Catholic Information Service for Africa) condemns Turaki's article: "The Africa Bible Commentary (ABC) conflicts with certain Roman Catholic teachings . . . [For one], the commentary's views on homosexuality . . . [is] unacceptable to the Catholic Church. The Bible defines homosexuality as a sin, the commentary says." In support, the CISA cites Turaki's full statement on "Both are sinful," which quote is stated above in the final sentence of the preceding paragraph. According to the CISA, the Catholic Church, unlike the Africa Bible Commentary, makes an important distinction between a homosexual act and a homosexual person. (Source: article by Henry Makori entitled "CISA: Kenya Catholic Church rejects new Bible Commentary")

But this isn't just a Catholic objection to the Africa Bible Commentary, the evangelical "ex-gay" writers that I have read would agree with the CISA and would, for the most part, completely disown the Africa Bible Commentary article. Evangelical "ex-gay" proponents would disagree with Turaki's following uncritical statements: that homosexuals are "worst than beasts," that there should be zero toleration for homosexuals, and that homosexuality is sin [or that sexual orientation, when it is same-sex oriented, is sin].

So, the Zondervan Africa Bible Commentary apparently stands alone in the religious world when it says there is no distinction between the same-sex acts of gay people and the homosexual person himself [sexual orientation]. It appears, then, that if the evangelical in Africa hates the act ("the sin"), he also must hate the person who enters in upon the act ("the sinner"), for "both are sinful" says Turaki. This hate-the-sin/hate-the-sinner is exactly what is presently being played out in the parliament of Uganda where the Anti-Homosexuality bill is being considered. Therefore, in view of this East African evangelicalism of Bible-believing gay-hatred and legalized gay-bashing with religious sanctioning by evangelicals, the historic East Africa Revival and the present-day Ugandan "evangelical causes" – upheld by the wife of the president of Uganda – are now seen to have a very dark underside, where light and love are, ironically, lost to religion - not just to religion in Uganda but lost to religion wherever evangelicals will not speak out in utter horror of their brethren in Uganda.  This light and love, now apparently crucified-a-new in Ugandan churches, are urgently in need of being resurrected by some miraculous, timely supernatural intervention, before innocent Ugandan lives are literally snuffed out in the name of God and country.

Finally, on a happier note, what about the third individual who posted a comment about Rev. Kimindu's appeal for discussion on gay rights? There is hope! The third person was in agreement with Kimindu's call for discussion. Basically, the positive comment went something like this: "This is the 21st century, and if Kenya is drafting a constitution for the 21st century then gay rights are an obvious given." Evidently, the politicians' hate-speech that Turaki uncritically highlights in his Africa Bible Commentary article – "that homosexuals are worse than beasts" – does not fit the 21st century civilization that some Africans imagine for their country, even in spite of what some evangelical Africans say the Good Book says.

by Rev. Stephen Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director, sparelli2002@yahoo.com  
Bronx, New York, November 30, 2009

Other Sheep Press Announcement: PRA joins Other Sheep in calling on Rick Warren to denounce Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill

BRONX, NEW YORK
October 29, 2009
by Rev. Stephen R. Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director

Political Research Associates (PRA), in an eNews they released yesterday calling on "Rick Warren to Denounce Proposed Antigay Law in Uganda," effectively joins Other Sheep in calling on evangelicals to stop the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009. PRA reports: "In March 2008, U.S. evangelical leader Rick Warren told Ugandans that homosexuality is not a natural way of life and thus not a human right."

Other Sheep, in its eNews of October 19, called upon evangelicals Rick Warren (USA), John Stott (England), Douglas Carew (Kenya) and the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) to accountability for their part in inducing inhumane and hateful attitudes of Africans towards homosexual Africans.

On January 6 and on October 19 of this year, Other Sheep reported that an article on homosexuality in Africa Bible Commentary, published by AEA and endorsed by Warren, Stott and Carew, says homosexuals "are worse than beasts" and should not be tolerated; homosexuals are "abnormal, unnatural and a perversion." The article also asserts: no view on the morality of homosexuality other than the evangelical view is to be given consideration; the common denominator of same-sex sex is coercive sex; and to be homosexual is sinful. Africa Bible Commentary, published in 2006, is a commentary on the Bible by 70 African evangelical Bible scholars. The featured article on "Homosexuality" is authored by evangelical Nigerian Tusufu Turaki.

Other Sheep is an ecumenical Christian ministry that works worldwide to empower LGBT people of faith. Other Sheep Uganda, a committee made up of Ugandan lay leaders, was organized in 2008 for the purpose of distributing literature on the topic "What does the Bible really say about homosexuality?"

Other Sheep's Facebook Cause: Tell Evangelicals to Denounce the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009

An Other Sheep Facebook cause is growing in numbers.

by Rev. Stephen Parelli, Bronx, NY. October 24, 2009

In just three days more than 130 Facebook friends from Nepal and Thailand to Africa and the United States have signed on to the Other Sheep Cause that asks evangelical leaders worldwide to denounce the Ungandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, a bill that imposes the death sentence and imprisonment of homosexuals.

At the heart of the Cause is the concern raised by hate speech in an article on homosexuality by the Nigerian evangelical leader Yusufu Turaki. The article is featured in the Africa Bible Commentary, "a publishing landmark" published in 2006 by Zondervan Corporation and the Assoiciation of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) and endorsed on the back cover by evangelical leaders Rick Warren (USA), John Stott (England) and Douglas Carew (Kenya).

Turaki's article contains the following anti-homosexual remarks:

(a) Turaki's use of the words "abnormal, unnatural and a perversion" in reference to homosexuals; (b) his uncritical use of the quote that "homosexuals are worse than beasts" tied in with (c) his uncritical statement of the African Anglican church's rejection of Archbishop Tutu's call for tolerance, as well as (d) his one-sided account of African "coercive sexual relationships" as his example of "varied" African same-sex sex; (e) an uncritical censorship of all views of homosexuality that are not in keeping with his views ("Our views of homosexuality should not be derived from human sources but from the Word of God"), and (f) his expressed theological view that to be homosexual is sinful (a view not held by evangelicals in the West).

Facebook friends who sign on to the Cause are concerned because Turaki's article effectively dismisses the church in Africa from its responsibility to speak out against the violence Africans inflict upon African LGBT people (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender). Turaki's article could be used by African evangelicals at this time as an argument for the endorsement of the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

Facebook members of the Cause urge the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) and Rick Warrn, John Stott, and Douglas Carew to openly denounce the Ugandan bill and to state that Yusufu Turaki's inflexible and dogmatic article on "Homosexuality" is not to be understood by any evangelicals in Africa as an argument for the endorsement of the inhumane Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, that no evangelical would single out homosexuals for the death penalty or life imprisonment.

The Facebook Cause is titled "Tell Rick Warren to Tell Evangelicals in Uganda to Stop the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009." The Cause links members to a sample letter and contact information on Other Sheep webpages so that members of the Cause can email Warren, Stott, Carew and the AEA.

Tell Rick Warren, John Stott and Douglas Carew to tell the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) to Denounce the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Other Sheep Press Announcement

BRONX, NEW YORK, USA. October 19, 2009
In an Other Sheep e-newsletter, Rev Stephen Parelli, Executive Director of Other Sheep, called upon evangelicals worldwide to tell the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) to denounce the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009.

"Uganda is largely evangelical," Parelli said. "Uganda's hateful stance against homosexuals is very Bible based, so they think. Therefore, evangelicals worldwide cannot look on and watch the Parliament of Uganda enact laws against homosexuals that are, as this bill is, criminal, without speaking out. The evangelicals of Africa and from outside of Africa must address their fellow Christians of Uganda and tell them they must, in the name of God, stop this inhumane bill from becoming law."

The newsletter gives a sample letter to use and the contact information of the AEA Executive Board members and AEA Ethics, Peace and Justice Commission.

In addition, Rev. Parelli called upon Pastor Rick Warren of the United States, John Stott of England, and Douglas Carew of Kenya, all recognized evangelical leaders, to denounce the bill. "Warren, Stott and Carew," Parelli said, "have endorsed the 2006 widely acclaimed Africa Bible Commentary in which Nigerian religious leader Yusufu Turaki's featured Homosexuality article effectively dismisses the church from its responsibility to speak out against the violence in Africa against LGBT people (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender). Turaki's article could be used by African evangelicals at this time as an argument for the endorsement of the Ugandan bill."

The Other Sheep newsletter provides contact information and a sample letter to Warren, Stott and Carew urging them to speak out against the bill.

Other Sheep is a multi-cultural ecumenical Christian organization that works worldwide for the full inclusion of LGBT people of faith within their respective faith traditions.