Death to Gays?

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell.

Libertarian Republican and Worldwide Liberty have given extensive coverage to proposed laws in Uganda, and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa outlawing homosexuality and setting a death penalty for it.

The BBC is in a heap of trouble tonight over its “Have your say” section in which the question asked was, “Should homosexuals face execution?”

Yes, we accept it is a stark and disturbing question. But this is the reality behind an Anti-Homosexuality Bill being debated on Friday by the Ugandan parliament, which would see some homosexual offences punishable by death. 


Ironically the main criticism of them on the issue seems to be political correctness, on the basis that it is an indecent thing to ask. No credit seems to be given to them for bringing the issue to the fore. It seems that the risk of comments giving an affirmative answer far outweighs the need to bring this issue to the attention of the world, in the eyes of the liberal PCers.

Much of the commentary from the left seems to focus on the claim that some how the West is responsible for this, the proponent for the Ugandan bill claiming:

"The youths in secondary schools copy everything from the Western world and America," said high school teacher David Kisambira. "A good number of students have been converted into gays. We hear there are groups of people given money by some gay organizations in developed countries to recruit youth into gay activities."

The American left seem obsessed with Christian evangelicals, claiming that Christian outreach organizations from the west are responsible. George Bush has not been mentioned yet, but it seems to be the case that in the eyes of the proponents Africans cannot be gay unless the decadent west makes them that way, and in the eyes of the demented left, are incapable of passing oppressive laws without the West being responsible.

The US main criticism of these laws in the appear to be coming from the right, namely the Christian Conservative Republicans with strong statements being made by, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) (ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee), Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), and Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA).

Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddelback Church, one of the people criticized by the left as an instigator has made a strong criticism of the move:

The potential law is unjust, extreme and un-Christian toward homosexuals, requiring the death penalty in some cases. If I am reading the proposed bill correctly, this law would also imprison anyone convicted of homosexual practice.

The law would force pastors to report their pastoral conversations with homosexuals to authorities.

It would have a chilling effect on your ministry to the hurting. As you know, in Africa, it is the churches that are bearing the primary burden of providing care for people infected with HIV/AIDS. If this bill passed, homosexuals who are HIV positive will be reluctant to seek or receive care, comfort and compassion from our churches out of fear of being reported.

Finally, the freedom to make moral choices, and our right to free expression are gifts endowed by God. Uganda is a democratic country with a remarkable and wise people, and in a democracy everyone has a right to speak up. For these reasons, I urge you, the pastors of Uganda, to speak out against the proposed law.