- Evangelist’s Wife Makes Shocking Revelations Of Her Husband’s Trip To Uganda And Kenya
- When celebrated international pastor Benny Hinn visited Uganda last year, the media dutifully reported that the “lame walked, the blind had their eyes opened, the deaf heard and the sick recovered”. However, there are certain things the media did not capture. It has been revealed that while in Kampala, Hinn sodomised a senior male pastor.
DIVORCE PAPERS
According to the divorce papers filed by Suzanne Hinn, wife to the renowned preacher, evangelist and healer, he sodomised a prominent Kampala pastor while on the Ugandan trip.
Hinn was first in Uganda with Suzanne in 2007 from June 4 to June 6, for the ‘Fire Conference’ at the invitation of Pastor Robert Kayanja of Miracle Centre, Rubaga. Last year he came back, again at Kayanja’s invite for another conference but this time without her. Participants had to pay USD50 (Shs100,000), unlike the previous time, to take part in the conference.According to the documents Suzanne filed in a Los Angeles Court, during this second conference, Hinn had ‘an affair’ with a Ugandan male pastor at his home in a Kampala suburb.
Prosperity gospel televangelist and faith-healing-cum-artist Benny Hinn has failed to heal the desire of his wife to get away from him. The internationally acclaimed televangelist’s wife filed for divorce early this month because of “irreconcilable differences” pointing to his obsession for a bonk with young boys, among other reasons.
GOD SPANKS
Years ago, Benny Hinn was on TBN channel and said: “Don’t just pray that God blesses Benny Hinn but that He spanks Benny Hinn if he ever needs a spanking.”
And he has got exactly what he bargained for - the Kampala pastor spanked him, now he is paying the price.Suzanne filed in Orange County Superior Court, Los Angeles for divorce from the high-profile pastor, whose reputation as an advocate of the prosperity gospel has attracted millions of followers, and criticism from lawmakers and watchdog groups over his lavish lifestyle in equal measure.
COUPLE SEPARATES
Suzanne cited irreconcilable differences which critics reveal are related to his obsession for whoppers, after more than 30 years in marriage.
The Court papers note that the couple separated on January 26 after Suzanne learnt about the Kampala debacle, and that Hinn has been living in Dana Point, a wealthy coastal community in southern Orange County, spanking and bonking young boys. Sources close to Suzanne reveal that she was tired of living with a ‘ghost’ Hinn who was always either in East Africa or Asia seeing boys and male pastors.
SUZANNE STARVES
According to Court documents, Suzanne had spent more than a year without seeing Hinn’s whopper. She tells Court that since last June’s Kampala trip, the couple’s life has never been the same. “I was later told he got a male companion and he is the one making him busy,” Court documents say. Hinn’s wife, who is represented by a prominent Los Angeles divorce attorney, Sorrell Trope, filed for divorce on February 1 over irreconcilable differences.
Hinn’s many followers will likely want to know why their leader, so blessed with wealth, health and a seemingly loving family, is going through a divorce. According to papers, the couple split on January 26.
SENATOR INVESTIGATES
Hinn, who is one of several featured personalities on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, is currently under investigation by Senator Charles Grassley over whether he is fully compliant with IRS rules regarding religious non-profit organisations. Hinn claims on his website that 88 percent of the money he collects is put back into ministry.
SLASHES WEALTH
He travels in his private zillion-dollar jet named “Dove One” and is said to own more than a dozen luxury mansions around the world.
Everyday in every city, some elderly pensioner eats cat food in order to send Benny Hinn a donation.
Hinn’s TBN co-founder, Paul Crouch has also been mired in controversies. In September 2004, he paid a former employee, a USD425,000 (Shs800m) formal settlement to end a sexual harassment lawsuit. Lonnie Ford alleged that he was forced to have a homosexual encounter with Crouch under threats of job termination at a network-owned cabin at Lake Arrowhead in 1996. TBN officials acknowledge the settlement.
HINN REACTS
In reaction to the news, Benny Hinn Ministries said in a statement: “Pastor Benny Hinn and his immediate family were shocked and saddened to learn of this news without any previous notice.
Although Pastor Hinn has faithfully endeavoured to bring healing to their relationship, those efforts failed and were met with the petition for divorce that was filed without notice.”
MOST FAMOUS
Benny Hinn is probably the world’s most famous preacher.
His TV broadcasts on the Trinity Broadcast Network, a pentecostal broadcasting powerhouse, and other TV networks are watched by millions of people around the world nearly everyday.
He globe-trots in a personal jet dubbed Dove One, holding miracle and healing crusades.
Hinn is best known for his spiritual healings at events he calls “Miracle Crusades” but looks like he’s powerless when it comes to saving his marriage.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Uganda pastor screens gay porn in church
KAMPALA, Uganda, Feb 17 - A pastor seeking to bolster Uganda's anti-gay laws which already make homosexuality punishable by life imprisonment screened gay porn in a packed Kampala church Wednesday in a bid to drum up support.
The screening was attended by around 300 supporters crammed into an evangelical church in the Ugandan capital after plans for a "million-man march" were thwarted by police.
"We had planned to have a million-man and -woman march in Kampala but unfortunately we were told that we could not march because of security concerns," Martin Ssempa told the crowd.
"The major argument homosexuals have is that what people do in the privacy of their bedrooms is nobody's business but do you know what they do in their bedrooms?," the pastor asked.
Ssempa then displayed a slide show of gay pornographic pictures.
"This one is eating another man's penis," the pastor said, before going into even more graphic descriptions.
"Is this what Obama wants to bring to Africa?" he said, following fierce US criticism of a Ugandan bill drafted last year that would further criminalise homosexuality.
It would criminalise public discussion of homosexuality and could penalise an individual who knowingly rents property to a homosexual.
Homosexuality in Uganda can in some instances be punishable by life imprisonment. The penal code identifies "carnal knowledge against the order of nature" as an offence.
The bill initially received broad political support in Uganda, a country where evangelical churches wield great influence, but attracted fierce criticism from US President Barack Obama, who called it "odious".
The screening was attended by around 300 supporters crammed into an evangelical church in the Ugandan capital after plans for a "million-man march" were thwarted by police.
"We had planned to have a million-man and -woman march in Kampala but unfortunately we were told that we could not march because of security concerns," Martin Ssempa told the crowd.
"The major argument homosexuals have is that what people do in the privacy of their bedrooms is nobody's business but do you know what they do in their bedrooms?," the pastor asked.
Ssempa then displayed a slide show of gay pornographic pictures.
"This one is eating another man's penis," the pastor said, before going into even more graphic descriptions.
"Is this what Obama wants to bring to Africa?" he said, following fierce US criticism of a Ugandan bill drafted last year that would further criminalise homosexuality.
It would criminalise public discussion of homosexuality and could penalise an individual who knowingly rents property to a homosexual.
Homosexuality in Uganda can in some instances be punishable by life imprisonment. The penal code identifies "carnal knowledge against the order of nature" as an offence.
The bill initially received broad political support in Uganda, a country where evangelical churches wield great influence, but attracted fierce criticism from US President Barack Obama, who called it "odious".
Hundreds attend Jinja anti-homosexuality rally
By Pauline Kairu & Dalton Wanyera (email the author)
Posted Wednesday, February 17 2010 at 00:00
Jinja
Hundreds of Jinja residents took to the streets on Monday in support of the anti-homosexuality Bill. Chanting messages peppered with anti-gay slurs and displaying placards denouncing the practice, the demonstrators made their way around the town led by religious leaders in a procession that brought business to a temporary stand still.
Western leaders rebuked
The demonstrators also criticised Western leaders’ disapproval of the Bill. “Obama leave Ugandans alone,” “Obama to hell with your aid,” were some of the messages written on the placards.
The Bill which was introduced in Parliament in October last year by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati, has got some chiding from US President Barrack Obama and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
It also reportedly attracted condemnation from the US Secretary of State, Ms Hillary Clinton, while Sweden has threatened to withhold aid to Uganda over the same.
The Bill seeks the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality if the perpetrator is HIV positive, a serial offender or acts against minors among other punshimnets. “Of what importance is homosexuality to us? It is as if we have no brains. Let them keep their homosexuality and keep their money as well!” a woman among the shouting crowd yelled.
Speaking following the procession that lasted about two hours, Pastor Martin Ssempa, one of the prominent supporters of the Bill, said it was a shame that the US president had taken to supporting the un-African custom and expected Uganda to follow suit. “Obama even if you do not give us money for medicine for our people, to hell with that money, we would rather die but die in dignity,” he said.
He added: “This is Uganda and we also have our rights just like the Americans have theirs. We decide for ourselves what is good for us. So these leaders should leave us alone to make our own legislations that are good for us.” The clerics, who preached against the practice at a crusade held at the Kazi Mingi grounds in the town, also claimed the media had failed in its duty to fight the practice.
Pastor Matthias Sserugo said: “The anti-gay federation is not here to express their hatred for homosexuals but to tell them that they can change and society can accept them once more.” President Museveni recently expressed opposition to some sections of the proposed Bill noting that they would harm Uganda’s foreign policy.
Posted Wednesday, February 17 2010 at 00:00
Jinja
Hundreds of Jinja residents took to the streets on Monday in support of the anti-homosexuality Bill. Chanting messages peppered with anti-gay slurs and displaying placards denouncing the practice, the demonstrators made their way around the town led by religious leaders in a procession that brought business to a temporary stand still.
Western leaders rebuked
The demonstrators also criticised Western leaders’ disapproval of the Bill. “Obama leave Ugandans alone,” “Obama to hell with your aid,” were some of the messages written on the placards.
The Bill which was introduced in Parliament in October last year by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati, has got some chiding from US President Barrack Obama and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
It also reportedly attracted condemnation from the US Secretary of State, Ms Hillary Clinton, while Sweden has threatened to withhold aid to Uganda over the same.
The Bill seeks the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality if the perpetrator is HIV positive, a serial offender or acts against minors among other punshimnets. “Of what importance is homosexuality to us? It is as if we have no brains. Let them keep their homosexuality and keep their money as well!” a woman among the shouting crowd yelled.
Speaking following the procession that lasted about two hours, Pastor Martin Ssempa, one of the prominent supporters of the Bill, said it was a shame that the US president had taken to supporting the un-African custom and expected Uganda to follow suit. “Obama even if you do not give us money for medicine for our people, to hell with that money, we would rather die but die in dignity,” he said.
He added: “This is Uganda and we also have our rights just like the Americans have theirs. We decide for ourselves what is good for us. So these leaders should leave us alone to make our own legislations that are good for us.” The clerics, who preached against the practice at a crusade held at the Kazi Mingi grounds in the town, also claimed the media had failed in its duty to fight the practice.
Pastor Matthias Sserugo said: “The anti-gay federation is not here to express their hatred for homosexuals but to tell them that they can change and society can accept them once more.” President Museveni recently expressed opposition to some sections of the proposed Bill noting that they would harm Uganda’s foreign policy.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Police halts anti-gay demo as pro-gay activists secretly meet in Kampala
Kampala
On Sunday, Police moved to halt a planned demonstration in support of the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill saying that the government is still sorting 'issues out' as pro-gay activists under the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kampala secretly met to condemn the same bill.
Pastor martin Ssempa, one of the organisers of the demonstration confirmed that the Inspector of Police Major General Kale kayihura had contacted them and proposed a meeting on Tuesday before the Wednesday demo.
“It is true Gen. Kayihura sent us a text message that he hasn’t cleared the demonstration. He said we should meet him on Tuesday to forge a way forward,” Pastor Ssempa said.
Gen. Kayihura confirmed that he hasn’t cleared the demonstration and said, “We asked them to postpone the demonstration because government has some issues to sort out and they agreed,”.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill that was tabled by Mr David Bahati (Ndorwa East MP) last October has since received worldwide criticism.
Some provisions of the Bill, including the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality, borderless jurisdiction and criminalisation of counseling of gays, have been criticised both locally and internationally, especially by human rights activists.
Pro-gay meeting
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Kampala, one of the few religious organizations in Uganda that is supporting the gay community held a conference on Sunday to 'highlight the need for an end to discriminatory treatment of the gay population in uganda.
According their website, Reverend Marlin Lavanhar, President of Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry and senior minister at All Souls Unitarian Church, arrived in Uganda on Thursday last week to launch a campaign against the Bill.
One of the organizers Bill Sherman declined to disclose the details of the meeting citing security reasons.
“Under most circumstances I would be happy to give you this contact information. But with security concerns so high, I am reluctant to do so,” Mr Sherman told Daily Monitor by e-mail.
However, Gen. Kayihura said he was not aware of the meeting and vowed to arrest them. “I am not aware of this meeting. But if we get them, we shall arrest them,” he said.
On Sunday, Police moved to halt a planned demonstration in support of the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill saying that the government is still sorting 'issues out' as pro-gay activists under the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kampala secretly met to condemn the same bill.
Pastor martin Ssempa, one of the organisers of the demonstration confirmed that the Inspector of Police Major General Kale kayihura had contacted them and proposed a meeting on Tuesday before the Wednesday demo.
“It is true Gen. Kayihura sent us a text message that he hasn’t cleared the demonstration. He said we should meet him on Tuesday to forge a way forward,” Pastor Ssempa said.
Gen. Kayihura confirmed that he hasn’t cleared the demonstration and said, “We asked them to postpone the demonstration because government has some issues to sort out and they agreed,”.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill that was tabled by Mr David Bahati (Ndorwa East MP) last October has since received worldwide criticism.
Some provisions of the Bill, including the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality, borderless jurisdiction and criminalisation of counseling of gays, have been criticised both locally and internationally, especially by human rights activists.
Pro-gay meeting
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Kampala, one of the few religious organizations in Uganda that is supporting the gay community held a conference on Sunday to 'highlight the need for an end to discriminatory treatment of the gay population in uganda.
According their website, Reverend Marlin Lavanhar, President of Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry and senior minister at All Souls Unitarian Church, arrived in Uganda on Thursday last week to launch a campaign against the Bill.
One of the organizers Bill Sherman declined to disclose the details of the meeting citing security reasons.
“Under most circumstances I would be happy to give you this contact information. But with security concerns so high, I am reluctant to do so,” Mr Sherman told Daily Monitor by e-mail.
However, Gen. Kayihura said he was not aware of the meeting and vowed to arrest them. “I am not aware of this meeting. But if we get them, we shall arrest them,” he said.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
STATEMENT OF THE REV. BARRY W. LYNN,
It is no secret to many of you that I have never been a fan of the National Prayer Breakfast. I'm not comfortable, frankly, with any event that gives Americans the false impression that religion and government in our country are one and the same.
Our Constitution is based on secular values, including the separation of church and state. But too often, the National Prayer Breakfast itself seems to send the opposite message. Often it seems to be suggesting, as politicians and clergy participate together in this exercise of religious outpouring followed by power broking, that government and religion in this country have an unholy relationship.
This year, of course, the National Prayer Breakfast is mired in much greater controversy, which we've heard about this morning. Recent reporting has cast a revealing light on The Family, the secretive, very fundamentalist Christian organization that sponsors the annual National Prayer Breakfast.
And what that light has exposed is alarming. It's reason enough for our elected officials to approach this year's event with added caution. In fact, neither the president nor any member of Congress should attend in anything like an unthinking or uncritical manner.
My primary concern is that The Family - also of course known as the Fellowship Foundation - has a long-running goal of reaching politicians, wealthy business leaders and other individuals of influence and drawing them into a politically problematic network. Far from being some benign form of generic religiosity, the National Prayer Breakfast has become The Family's primary principal vehicle to insinuate itself into the very highest levels of the American government.
Yet the group's expression of faith does not represent some broad range of religious thought in America. And while the organizers of the Prayer Breakfast claim that the event is ecumenical, the fact remains that it is sponsored by a shadowy organization that shuns all public inspection and apparently sees itself on a messianic drive to merge religion and government under its own narrow brand and understanding of Christianity.
Some of The Family's actions that we've heard about today have had appalling repercussions around the world. This group has long had a longstanding presence in Uganda, and it has recently come to light that a member of the Ugandan parliament, David Bahati, who sponsored this evil legislation, is affiliated with The Family very directly.
Bahati has become famous - or better, I suppose, infamous - as the sponsor of that draconian law that would apply the death penalty in fact or in its effect to gay men and lesbians in Uganda. The bill would punish those who harbor gays and anyone who speaks publicly on their behalf.
It is difficult for many of us to imagine such a vile, backward policy being promoted in the 21st Century anywhere in this world, yet this one has the backing of many members of the Ugandan government and could in one form or another still become law. For a time, there were reports that Bahati himself might attend the Prayer Breakfast here on Thursday. More recent reports say he will not be there, but the real damage has already been done. This prayer service is already tainted with the stain of intolerance and religious extremism.
It's time for political leaders to stop lending uncritical power and prestige to an extremist organization that all too often works behind the scenes to subvert the best of American values - values like human rights and religious liberty and freedom. We tend to take these concepts for granted in America, too often forgetting that many people throughout the world still live under a yoke of oppression. The Family has never done anything to lift that yoke; it has simply added stones to it, decade after decade.
We cannot stand by while the United States government gives any aid and comfort to groups or individuals who do not understand the values or, worse yet, work actively to undermine the values of this country. I believe The Family does all of that. The Family, through its worldwide machinations of the rich and powerful, its espousal of an explosive mixture of religion and politics and now its ties to this hateful bill in Uganda, has forfeited any right to claim any position of moral authority. The fact that most of this activity is deliberately done in secret only amplifies the problem.
What does all of this have to do with Thursday's breakfast at the Hilton Hotel? It has plenty to do with it. For many years, people looked at events like the National Prayer Breakfast, shrugged and said, "Well, it's just another example of 'civil religion.'" At least that's what some of its defenders said. It's just a little religious talk. What's wrong with that?
Now I think it's clear that this is about something more, because there is nothing wrong with religious talk and prayer when it's freely chosen. But in this instance, we're concerned with a corrupted messenger. We're no longer shrugging over the National Prayer Breakfast. Rather, we're taking a closer look at the group behind it and the alarming agenda that it brings and the consequences it spawns in Uganda and around the world. We deplore what we see, and people of goodwill should never be afraid to say it loudly.
If the president of the United States attends this event, then he should speak critically of support by government or organizations that support anti-LGBT legislation anywhere in the world. President Obama should affirm the primacy of personal faith and repudiate government involvement with it.
Moreover, the leader of The Family, Doug Coe, should himself in a public place like this prayer breakfast repudiate the horrific anti-gay legislation in Uganda and urge that persons of all faiths join in its worldwide repudiation. If the president condemns this legislation, and if Doug Coe acknowledges that this was a sin and a moral scar on the face of the earth, then it would truly be a prayer breakfast to remember. Maybe I'd go next year.
The Rev. Barry W. Lynn is executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Our Constitution is based on secular values, including the separation of church and state. But too often, the National Prayer Breakfast itself seems to send the opposite message. Often it seems to be suggesting, as politicians and clergy participate together in this exercise of religious outpouring followed by power broking, that government and religion in this country have an unholy relationship.
This year, of course, the National Prayer Breakfast is mired in much greater controversy, which we've heard about this morning. Recent reporting has cast a revealing light on The Family, the secretive, very fundamentalist Christian organization that sponsors the annual National Prayer Breakfast.
And what that light has exposed is alarming. It's reason enough for our elected officials to approach this year's event with added caution. In fact, neither the president nor any member of Congress should attend in anything like an unthinking or uncritical manner.
My primary concern is that The Family - also of course known as the Fellowship Foundation - has a long-running goal of reaching politicians, wealthy business leaders and other individuals of influence and drawing them into a politically problematic network. Far from being some benign form of generic religiosity, the National Prayer Breakfast has become The Family's primary principal vehicle to insinuate itself into the very highest levels of the American government.
Yet the group's expression of faith does not represent some broad range of religious thought in America. And while the organizers of the Prayer Breakfast claim that the event is ecumenical, the fact remains that it is sponsored by a shadowy organization that shuns all public inspection and apparently sees itself on a messianic drive to merge religion and government under its own narrow brand and understanding of Christianity.
Some of The Family's actions that we've heard about today have had appalling repercussions around the world. This group has long had a longstanding presence in Uganda, and it has recently come to light that a member of the Ugandan parliament, David Bahati, who sponsored this evil legislation, is affiliated with The Family very directly.
Bahati has become famous - or better, I suppose, infamous - as the sponsor of that draconian law that would apply the death penalty in fact or in its effect to gay men and lesbians in Uganda. The bill would punish those who harbor gays and anyone who speaks publicly on their behalf.
It is difficult for many of us to imagine such a vile, backward policy being promoted in the 21st Century anywhere in this world, yet this one has the backing of many members of the Ugandan government and could in one form or another still become law. For a time, there were reports that Bahati himself might attend the Prayer Breakfast here on Thursday. More recent reports say he will not be there, but the real damage has already been done. This prayer service is already tainted with the stain of intolerance and religious extremism.
It's time for political leaders to stop lending uncritical power and prestige to an extremist organization that all too often works behind the scenes to subvert the best of American values - values like human rights and religious liberty and freedom. We tend to take these concepts for granted in America, too often forgetting that many people throughout the world still live under a yoke of oppression. The Family has never done anything to lift that yoke; it has simply added stones to it, decade after decade.
We cannot stand by while the United States government gives any aid and comfort to groups or individuals who do not understand the values or, worse yet, work actively to undermine the values of this country. I believe The Family does all of that. The Family, through its worldwide machinations of the rich and powerful, its espousal of an explosive mixture of religion and politics and now its ties to this hateful bill in Uganda, has forfeited any right to claim any position of moral authority. The fact that most of this activity is deliberately done in secret only amplifies the problem.
What does all of this have to do with Thursday's breakfast at the Hilton Hotel? It has plenty to do with it. For many years, people looked at events like the National Prayer Breakfast, shrugged and said, "Well, it's just another example of 'civil religion.'" At least that's what some of its defenders said. It's just a little religious talk. What's wrong with that?
Now I think it's clear that this is about something more, because there is nothing wrong with religious talk and prayer when it's freely chosen. But in this instance, we're concerned with a corrupted messenger. We're no longer shrugging over the National Prayer Breakfast. Rather, we're taking a closer look at the group behind it and the alarming agenda that it brings and the consequences it spawns in Uganda and around the world. We deplore what we see, and people of goodwill should never be afraid to say it loudly.
If the president of the United States attends this event, then he should speak critically of support by government or organizations that support anti-LGBT legislation anywhere in the world. President Obama should affirm the primacy of personal faith and repudiate government involvement with it.
Moreover, the leader of The Family, Doug Coe, should himself in a public place like this prayer breakfast repudiate the horrific anti-gay legislation in Uganda and urge that persons of all faiths join in its worldwide repudiation. If the president condemns this legislation, and if Doug Coe acknowledges that this was a sin and a moral scar on the face of the earth, then it would truly be a prayer breakfast to remember. Maybe I'd go next year.
The Rev. Barry W. Lynn is executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Anglicans say No to gays Bill
By Tabu Butagira, F. Nalubega & Rajab Mukombozi
Posted Wednesday, February 10 2010 at 00:00
Kampala/Mbarara
The country’s Anglicans yesterday added their voice against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Like the Catholics before them, the Church of Uganda officially rejected the Bill.
They proposed that instead of the death penalty for gays who seduce boys - as the Bill put forward by Ndorwa West David Bahati demands – the law should be changed to ensure that vulnerable boys are properly protected.
Archbishop Luke Orombi, in his first public comments on the controversial Bill, however said they do not recognise homosexuality as “a human right”.
“The Church of Uganda believes that homosexual practice is incompatible with the Scripture,” the prelate said in a statement issued yesterday, citing a resolution of the 1998 Lambeth Conference in Britain.
He added: “At the same time, the Church of Uganda is committed at all levels to offer counseling, healing and prayer for people with homosexual disorientation, especially in our schools and other institutions of learning.”
“The Church is a safe place for individuals, who are confused about their sexuality or struggling with sexual brokenness, to seek help and healing. As a Church; we affirm the necessity of appropriate amendments within the existing legislation...”
Mr Bahati, who tabled the Bill last year, yesterday insisted in comments to Christians and pastors fellowshipping at Christian Life Church in Bwaise, a city suburb, that he is not giving up.
“As a Member of Parliament, I have a constitutional right to move a Private Member’s Bill and will not be shaken by any external forces because I have the support from within my country,” he said, adding: “Many Ugandans are behind me and we have to fight this battle jointly.”
However, the latest foray by Church of Uganda, which until last year played host and spiritual home for breakaway conformist American clerics/Anglicans disenchanted over acceptance of homosexuals in the Episcopal Church, deprives MP Bahati of the second biggest bloc after the Catholic Church here earlier raised objections to capital punishment embedded in the Bill.
According to Mr Bahati, the Bill seeks to legitimise marriage only as a union between a man and woman, penalise homosexuals, prohibit and or disown pro-gay treaties and freeze licensing of promoter organisations.
Some provisions of the Bill, including the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality, borderless jurisdiction and criminalisation of counseling of gays, have been criticised both locally and internationally, especially by human rights activists
US President Barack Obama, among other powerful western leaders, last week derided the Bill as “odious”, two months after President Museveni urged Parliament to go slow on it due to associated foreign policy sensitivity.
Sanctions plea
Yesterday’s statement sent to media houses by Church of Uganda’s Communications Director Amanda Onapito, specifically suggests changes to Sections 128-147 that variously touch on sexual-related offences such as indecent assault, homosexuality and defilement to ensure “proportionality” in sanctions.
“The ideal situation would be one where necessary amendment is made to existing legislation to also enumerate other sexual offences such as lesbianism and bestiality,” the statement, already endorsed by the House of Bishops, reads in part.
“This would not require a fresh Bill on homosexuality per se but rather an amendment to the existing provisions which would also change the title to something like: The Penal Code Unnatural Offences Amendment Bill.”
The Anglican Communion has in recent years stood on the edge of division on the issue of gays in the congregation with liberals backing their accommodation while conservatives detest the practice as “sinful and unbiblical”.
Church of Uganda has sided with the conformists, helping organise the 2008 Global Anglican Future Conference in Jerusalem after boycotting the Lambeth Conference in London over Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan William’s perceived tolerance of gays.
Meanwhile, a man in Isingiro District in western Uganda was remanded in custody after being accused of sodomising a 13-year-old boy.
The prosecution told the court that the 27-year-old had waylaid the boy as he returned from grazing goats and threatened to stab him before forcing him into sex against “the order of nature”.
The magistrate in Mbarara said the evidence in the file was “too scanty to proceed” and he adjourned the hearing.
Posted Wednesday, February 10 2010 at 00:00
Kampala/Mbarara
The country’s Anglicans yesterday added their voice against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Like the Catholics before them, the Church of Uganda officially rejected the Bill.
They proposed that instead of the death penalty for gays who seduce boys - as the Bill put forward by Ndorwa West David Bahati demands – the law should be changed to ensure that vulnerable boys are properly protected.
Archbishop Luke Orombi, in his first public comments on the controversial Bill, however said they do not recognise homosexuality as “a human right”.
“The Church of Uganda believes that homosexual practice is incompatible with the Scripture,” the prelate said in a statement issued yesterday, citing a resolution of the 1998 Lambeth Conference in Britain.
He added: “At the same time, the Church of Uganda is committed at all levels to offer counseling, healing and prayer for people with homosexual disorientation, especially in our schools and other institutions of learning.”
“The Church is a safe place for individuals, who are confused about their sexuality or struggling with sexual brokenness, to seek help and healing. As a Church; we affirm the necessity of appropriate amendments within the existing legislation...”
Mr Bahati, who tabled the Bill last year, yesterday insisted in comments to Christians and pastors fellowshipping at Christian Life Church in Bwaise, a city suburb, that he is not giving up.
“As a Member of Parliament, I have a constitutional right to move a Private Member’s Bill and will not be shaken by any external forces because I have the support from within my country,” he said, adding: “Many Ugandans are behind me and we have to fight this battle jointly.”
However, the latest foray by Church of Uganda, which until last year played host and spiritual home for breakaway conformist American clerics/Anglicans disenchanted over acceptance of homosexuals in the Episcopal Church, deprives MP Bahati of the second biggest bloc after the Catholic Church here earlier raised objections to capital punishment embedded in the Bill.
According to Mr Bahati, the Bill seeks to legitimise marriage only as a union between a man and woman, penalise homosexuals, prohibit and or disown pro-gay treaties and freeze licensing of promoter organisations.
Some provisions of the Bill, including the death penalty for aggravated homosexuality, borderless jurisdiction and criminalisation of counseling of gays, have been criticised both locally and internationally, especially by human rights activists
US President Barack Obama, among other powerful western leaders, last week derided the Bill as “odious”, two months after President Museveni urged Parliament to go slow on it due to associated foreign policy sensitivity.
Sanctions plea
Yesterday’s statement sent to media houses by Church of Uganda’s Communications Director Amanda Onapito, specifically suggests changes to Sections 128-147 that variously touch on sexual-related offences such as indecent assault, homosexuality and defilement to ensure “proportionality” in sanctions.
“The ideal situation would be one where necessary amendment is made to existing legislation to also enumerate other sexual offences such as lesbianism and bestiality,” the statement, already endorsed by the House of Bishops, reads in part.
“This would not require a fresh Bill on homosexuality per se but rather an amendment to the existing provisions which would also change the title to something like: The Penal Code Unnatural Offences Amendment Bill.”
The Anglican Communion has in recent years stood on the edge of division on the issue of gays in the congregation with liberals backing their accommodation while conservatives detest the practice as “sinful and unbiblical”.
Church of Uganda has sided with the conformists, helping organise the 2008 Global Anglican Future Conference in Jerusalem after boycotting the Lambeth Conference in London over Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan William’s perceived tolerance of gays.
Meanwhile, a man in Isingiro District in western Uganda was remanded in custody after being accused of sodomising a 13-year-old boy.
The prosecution told the court that the 27-year-old had waylaid the boy as he returned from grazing goats and threatened to stab him before forcing him into sex against “the order of nature”.
The magistrate in Mbarara said the evidence in the file was “too scanty to proceed” and he adjourned the hearing.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Get off our backs, donors told
By Angelo Izama & Ismail Musa Ladu
Posted Sunday, January 17 2010 at 00:00
A Sunday Monitor snap survey of opinion over revelations this week that the United States Congress had directed America’s top diplomat to monitor Uganda’s 2011 elections, coupled with the heat generated over the anti-gay bill, has revealed mixed reaction to foreign engagement in domestic politics.
US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton who heads the State Department, the executive organ responsible for America’s foreign relations, was tasked by US lawmakers to report closely on the standards of the next general elections.
The demands of Congress- that approves the State Department budget- were tied to $70.6 million the US is providing in budget support to Uganda.
Ms Joann Lockard, the Public Affairs officer at the American Embassy in Uganda, explained that the conditions were introduced when the State Department budget had reached the conference committee. “Normally the President (Barack Obama) submits a budget but the legislative branch has the power to change it and make additions. The conference committee harmonises the budget proposals of both the Congress and the Senate into one final document,” she said in an interview.
This essentially means that both the lower and upper houses of the US legislature have agreed to the conditions which include reporting on freedom of the press, security of opposition candidates and other aspects of a free and fair election. Ms Lockard, however, could not say what consequences if any would arise should Uganda be found to be wanting. “The legislative branch did not say,” she added.
Early this week President Yoweri Museveni said Ms Clinton had called him and spoke to him about the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The President, an outspoken critic of homosexuality, consequently told lawmakers to go slow on the Bill. Other reports say he has given the American government a guarantee that theBill will never see the light of day.
Leaders react
Meanwhile, the foreign pressure over democracy - and now Uganda’s right to enact its own laws -- have elicited a bitter reaction from Ugandan lawmakers and other senior government officials. “Uganda is a sovereign country, we do not need any lectures or supervision from the US,” said Steven Mukitale, who chairs Parliament’s committee on National Economy.
Mr Mukitale said Uganda can cope without aid that comes with conditions attached in reaction to another report that the US Trade Secretary Ron Kirk had said Uganda would be removed from the list of beneficiaries of a zero-tax regime for exports to America under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act initiative.
“We can cover the aid money they want to stop through disciplined spending and curbing corruption. Most of the aid they give us go on things like workshops and seminars,” he said. His colleague Gerald Simon Menhya, the chair of the committee on Presidential Affairs, said Uganda would not trade her “traditions and values because of aid”.
“We have resolved to go ahead and invite public for submission of their views regarding the [Anti-Homosexuality Bill]. The international community can also give in their opinion but we are not ready to change the order of nature,” he added.
Speaker of Parliament Edward Ssekandi this week said consideration of the Bill would proceed despite the President’s go slow appeal. However, Mr David Bahati who moved the Bill has told this newspaper he expects to meet members of Cabinet as early as tomorrow for consultations over the proposed law.
Mr Steven Kaliba , the vice chairperson Committee on Foreign Affairs said he would be “mad” not to support the bill.
“Why do they want to hold us at ransom? Even though we are in developing country, we have brains, we do not need to be threatened with scrapping of aid or being kicked out of AGOA,” he said.
However, a very senior government official who did not want to be named said the West was caught in double standards. “They want a law kicked out of Parliament on the one hand but also preach the independence of parliament from any influence,” he told this newspaper. The officer said election monitoring was a routine function of foreign embassies here. The quality of elections has drawn concern from Ugandan religious leaders who are also caught up in the debate over homosexuality.
In a pastoral letter released in full last month signed by Archbishops Jonah Lwanga, Luke Orombi and Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, ask Ugandans to be vigilant about free and fair elections. They also jointly made a case for electoral reforms warning that the quality of general elections will affect national stability.
“ [We are] determined to do everything possible within [our means] to ensure our people should not be divided on grounds of religion, ethnicity or other parochial factors” the letter reads and asks Electoral Commission to “demonstrate independence, sound judgement and integrity”.
Posted Sunday, January 17 2010 at 00:00
A Sunday Monitor snap survey of opinion over revelations this week that the United States Congress had directed America’s top diplomat to monitor Uganda’s 2011 elections, coupled with the heat generated over the anti-gay bill, has revealed mixed reaction to foreign engagement in domestic politics.
US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton who heads the State Department, the executive organ responsible for America’s foreign relations, was tasked by US lawmakers to report closely on the standards of the next general elections.
The demands of Congress- that approves the State Department budget- were tied to $70.6 million the US is providing in budget support to Uganda.
Ms Joann Lockard, the Public Affairs officer at the American Embassy in Uganda, explained that the conditions were introduced when the State Department budget had reached the conference committee. “Normally the President (Barack Obama) submits a budget but the legislative branch has the power to change it and make additions. The conference committee harmonises the budget proposals of both the Congress and the Senate into one final document,” she said in an interview.
This essentially means that both the lower and upper houses of the US legislature have agreed to the conditions which include reporting on freedom of the press, security of opposition candidates and other aspects of a free and fair election. Ms Lockard, however, could not say what consequences if any would arise should Uganda be found to be wanting. “The legislative branch did not say,” she added.
Early this week President Yoweri Museveni said Ms Clinton had called him and spoke to him about the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The President, an outspoken critic of homosexuality, consequently told lawmakers to go slow on the Bill. Other reports say he has given the American government a guarantee that theBill will never see the light of day.
Leaders react
Meanwhile, the foreign pressure over democracy - and now Uganda’s right to enact its own laws -- have elicited a bitter reaction from Ugandan lawmakers and other senior government officials. “Uganda is a sovereign country, we do not need any lectures or supervision from the US,” said Steven Mukitale, who chairs Parliament’s committee on National Economy.
Mr Mukitale said Uganda can cope without aid that comes with conditions attached in reaction to another report that the US Trade Secretary Ron Kirk had said Uganda would be removed from the list of beneficiaries of a zero-tax regime for exports to America under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act initiative.
“We can cover the aid money they want to stop through disciplined spending and curbing corruption. Most of the aid they give us go on things like workshops and seminars,” he said. His colleague Gerald Simon Menhya, the chair of the committee on Presidential Affairs, said Uganda would not trade her “traditions and values because of aid”.
“We have resolved to go ahead and invite public for submission of their views regarding the [Anti-Homosexuality Bill]. The international community can also give in their opinion but we are not ready to change the order of nature,” he added.
Speaker of Parliament Edward Ssekandi this week said consideration of the Bill would proceed despite the President’s go slow appeal. However, Mr David Bahati who moved the Bill has told this newspaper he expects to meet members of Cabinet as early as tomorrow for consultations over the proposed law.
Mr Steven Kaliba , the vice chairperson Committee on Foreign Affairs said he would be “mad” not to support the bill.
“Why do they want to hold us at ransom? Even though we are in developing country, we have brains, we do not need to be threatened with scrapping of aid or being kicked out of AGOA,” he said.
However, a very senior government official who did not want to be named said the West was caught in double standards. “They want a law kicked out of Parliament on the one hand but also preach the independence of parliament from any influence,” he told this newspaper. The officer said election monitoring was a routine function of foreign embassies here. The quality of elections has drawn concern from Ugandan religious leaders who are also caught up in the debate over homosexuality.
In a pastoral letter released in full last month signed by Archbishops Jonah Lwanga, Luke Orombi and Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, ask Ugandans to be vigilant about free and fair elections. They also jointly made a case for electoral reforms warning that the quality of general elections will affect national stability.
“ [We are] determined to do everything possible within [our means] to ensure our people should not be divided on grounds of religion, ethnicity or other parochial factors” the letter reads and asks Electoral Commission to “demonstrate independence, sound judgement and integrity”.
Obama condemns Uganda's anti-gay bill
By Reuters
Posted Friday, February 5 2010 at 00:41
In Summary
Uganda has faced intense pressure from Western governments and human rights groups over the draft legislation, which was presented as a private members' bill last year.
Washington
U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday denounced as "odious" a proposed anti-gay law in Uganda that has drawn international condemnation.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill (2009), now before the House’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, proposes life imprisonment for acts of homosexuality and introduces a serious crime called “aggravated homosexuality”.
"We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are -- whether it's here in the United States or ... more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda," Obama told the National Prayer Breakfast.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking before Obama at the annual bipartisan gathering of religious and political leaders, also criticized the draft law being considered by Uganda's parliament.
Clinton said she recently called Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and expressed the "strongest concerns" about the proposed legislation. The call was made on Dec. 20, a State Department official said.
Early this year, President Museveni publicly disowned the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, saying it does not represent the party or government position.
Mr Museveni, who said he wanted to clear the confusion the Bill has created both locally and internationally, indicated Uganda cannot risk its foreign policy by allowing the Bill to pass in its present form. He said cabinet will sit with Mr Bahati to handle the matter.
Uganda has continuously faced intense pressure from Western governments and human rights groups over the draft legislation, which was presented as a private members' bill last year.
It would prohibit sexual relations between people of the same sex as well as the recognition of homosexual relations as an acceptable lifestyle, Navi Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said last month.
Pillay said the draft law would breach international standards and it "proposes draconian punishments for people alleged to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered -- namely life imprisonment, or in some cases, the death penalty."
It could lead to a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone failing to report within 24 hours the identities of any lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered person, she added.
Uganda's Ethics and Integrity Minister Nsaba Buturo has said a revised law would probably limit the maximum penalty for those convicted to life in prison rather than execution.
Obama, who won strong backing from homosexual voters in the 2008 presidential election, has promised to fight on their behalf.
In his State of the Union address last week, he said he would seek the repeal of the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that permits gays to serve in uniform as long as they hide their sexual orientation.
Posted Friday, February 5 2010 at 00:41
In Summary
Uganda has faced intense pressure from Western governments and human rights groups over the draft legislation, which was presented as a private members' bill last year.
Washington
U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday denounced as "odious" a proposed anti-gay law in Uganda that has drawn international condemnation.
The Anti-Homosexuality Bill (2009), now before the House’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, proposes life imprisonment for acts of homosexuality and introduces a serious crime called “aggravated homosexuality”.
"We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are -- whether it's here in the United States or ... more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda," Obama told the National Prayer Breakfast.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking before Obama at the annual bipartisan gathering of religious and political leaders, also criticized the draft law being considered by Uganda's parliament.
Clinton said she recently called Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and expressed the "strongest concerns" about the proposed legislation. The call was made on Dec. 20, a State Department official said.
Early this year, President Museveni publicly disowned the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, saying it does not represent the party or government position.
Mr Museveni, who said he wanted to clear the confusion the Bill has created both locally and internationally, indicated Uganda cannot risk its foreign policy by allowing the Bill to pass in its present form. He said cabinet will sit with Mr Bahati to handle the matter.
Uganda has continuously faced intense pressure from Western governments and human rights groups over the draft legislation, which was presented as a private members' bill last year.
It would prohibit sexual relations between people of the same sex as well as the recognition of homosexual relations as an acceptable lifestyle, Navi Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said last month.
Pillay said the draft law would breach international standards and it "proposes draconian punishments for people alleged to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered -- namely life imprisonment, or in some cases, the death penalty."
It could lead to a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone failing to report within 24 hours the identities of any lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered person, she added.
Uganda's Ethics and Integrity Minister Nsaba Buturo has said a revised law would probably limit the maximum penalty for those convicted to life in prison rather than execution.
Obama, who won strong backing from homosexual voters in the 2008 presidential election, has promised to fight on their behalf.
In his State of the Union address last week, he said he would seek the repeal of the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that permits gays to serve in uniform as long as they hide their sexual orientation.
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