Gug, I am no theologian. I am not an expert on religion. But I do have religion, and so does my lover. Of the major organised religions of the world, there is none which teaches hate for others. In Chrisianity the religion with which I am most familiar, what is taught is love. Those who in the name of Christianity display hate towards homosexuals are themselves flouting the Christian ideal of love.

Recently one Mr John Allen of the "All Things Catholic" a Roman Catholic publication published an interview with John Mary Waliggo of Uganda, whom Allen describes as "a widely influential African theologian and currently a member of his country's Human Rights Commission, an enormously appealing figure, with a ready smile, an infectious laugh, and a salty tongue. We need more theologians like him." This is an excerpt from that interview.

Allen: "Is it true that Africans are more traditional on sexual morality?" Waliggo: "Yes, it is true. There's a basic cultural value in our heritage in which sexuality is sacred and respected. We talk about it in very clear terms. Things such as homosexuality are not just seen as sins, but as perversions. They're seen as hideous, they make you an outcast from your clan and village. If a man impregnates his sister, or if he has sex with another man, this is a kind of social sin which people believe will bring misery on the entire village, so he'd better just go away. This is what the people believe, and as a theologian you can't isolate yourself from society.
The presence of Muslims is also very important. If you're a homosexual, they come to stone you. Those who practice traditional African religions would stone you too. The Catholics isolate you. If everyone agrees to that, who are we to reject it?
We've had too much armchair theology in the church. We want to be synthesizers and prophets of the people."

As a Christian I find it deplorable that a leader within the faith to which I belong should go public with comments of this kind.

I cannot accept the Christian Bible's Old Testament as a reliable source for determining human interaction. It condones slavery, the suppression of women, and atrocities such as stoning for inane things like women entering the temple within a week of menstruation. I believe that the New Testament is what God wrote to correct the debasement of His divine laws that were manipulated over the years to suit greedy needs of individuals. Not all religious men were literate and not all scribes were saintly. Our faith comes from God, but our religion is human and is thus given to the failings of humanity. For the benefit of those gay men who believe, I say this: We had strayed so far from God's plan for us that He gave us His son, to clarify His plan with teachings like the Sermon on the Mount and the Parables by the Sea. Did Jesus cast any stones? As one without sin, He was most certainly in the position to do God's will, and yet he chose forgiveness and teaching. And to demonstrate God's commitment to us and love for us, Jesus gave himself up in the ultimate act of forgiveness.His greatest lesson. Hate and alienation have been slipping back into our religious beliefs and into our churches, and there will be no hope for us if we can't forgive each other and work together to help our neighbour. For none of us are without sin and everyone deserves a chance at forgiveness, otherwise we will not be living up to the example that Jesus set for us. Our continent is in dire need of help from poverty, from intolerance. The Church should be a respite from that, a safe haven where it does not matter if you are rich or poor or HIV+ or homosexual. Where mankind can come together with the common cause of doing no harm and saving humanity. Indeed, what Jesus would do.
No, I do not support the scrapping of organised religion because I believe that there is a place for it in our lives even as gay men and women. The change should come from within organised religion itself.
--Bunjo

Oh yes, and with the likes of John Mary Waligo to lead the way, that may not happen too soon. Religion, in my view does have a social function. Many social functions, that is why the likes of Tutu, Senyonjo and others are truly relevant. But they do not hide the likes of Ratsinger and Akinola and others, who are very much in the hatred mode. And it is a hatred mode, whatever they term it.
Me, I will straddle the fence. I support your right to spirituality. Because you are a human being who happens to be homosexual. Your partner too.
But on the other hand I hate it when the likes of Ratsinger and Sempa spout hatred in the name of their religion. I am fairly sure (from my own study of the book) that Joshua of Nazareth would not condone them. He would throw them out of the temple, with a whip.
But, today, it is Ratzinger who lays claim to be God's Vicor on earth. And it is him who says what goes. It is him who for a billion catholics, is the interpreter of what is in the book. Whatever you think, whatever you say!
Religion is relevant. To many; but its also very annoyingly subverted.

gug

gug

In Nigeria, Akinola has been ranting about how un-African homosexuality is. Maybe he needs to be reminded that there is nothing African about his own fancy bishop's robes!

Gug, you and I share the same aspiration. Where we differ is on the preferred solution, because I do not believe that abolishing organised religion will eliminate hatred and prejudice.

The beauty of the Christian faith is that the likes of John Mary Waliggo and others do not have to take the lead in bringing about the change that is desired. You and I can take the lead. The Word of God applies equally to the hater as it does to the hated. The call to forgive applies equally to me who had been wronged as it does to those who do me wrong. I pray for forgiveness for those who hate me. I know that Jesus did not hate homosexuals. In fact He did not make any mention of homosexuals, not even once through out the Gospels. As I said before, religion is human and it is thus given to the failings of men. Hate, intolerance and prejudice do not come from religion itself. They are occasioned by the failings and insecurities of men.
--Bunjo