UPDATE: Scroll To End of Post for Updates
Also posted on the main Exodus website as a press release.
— Begin —
Exodus International sent the following letter to Uganda’s President Museveni regarding The Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 currently being considered in the Parliament. The bill would criminalize and prosecute homosexual behavior and would require pastors, missionaries, health care providers and counselors to report those suspected of such behavior. Exodus International, along with its board members and broader network, opposes this legislation as it inhibits the global Christian church’s mission to share the life-giving truth of the Gospel and extend the compassion of Christ to all.
November 16, 2009
President & Mrs. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
c/o Principal Private Secretary, Amelia Kyambadde
State House Nakasero
P.O. Box 24594
Kampala, UgandaDear President & Mrs. Museveni,
As evangelical Christian leaders dedicated to advancing the truths of the Bible worldwide, we commend your work to promote ethics in Uganda. In addition, your efforts to eradicate the HIV/AIDS epidemic have been appropriately praised internationally and we are praying for your continued success.
We want to humbly share our concerns regarding The Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009, introduced before the Ugandan parliament on October 14, 2009. First, we believe that sexual crimes against children, homosexual or heterosexual, are the most serious of offenses and should be punished accordingly. Homosexual behavior in consensual relationships, however, is another matter.
While we do not believe that homosexual behavior is what God intended for individuals, we believe that deprivation of life and liberty is not an appropriate or helpful response to this issue. Furthermore, the Christian church must be a safe, compassionate place for gay-identified people as well as those who are confused about and conflicted by their sexuality. If homosexual behavior and knowledge of such behavior is criminalized and prosecuted, as proposed in this bill, church and ministry leaders will be unable to assist hurting men, women and youth who might otherwise seek help in addressing this personal issue. The Christian church cannot and should not condone homosexual living or gay-identified clergy within its leadership, but it must be permitted to extend the love and compassion of Christ to all. We believe that this legislation would make this mission a difficult if not impossible task to carry out.
Many of us and those we know and work with have personally struggled with unwanted homosexual attractions and once lived as gay individuals, but have since found a new identity in Jesus Christ and have gone on to live lives that reflect the teaching of the Christian faith. We sincerely believe that such transformations cannot best be achieved in an environment of government coercion where the vital support, care and compassion of others in the Christian community is discouraged and prosecuted.
Please consider the influence this law will have upon those who may seek help in dealing with this difficult issue as well as church and ministry leaders committed to demonstrating the compassion of Christ to all. We are praying for you, for this matter and for the people of Uganda.
Sincerely,
Alan Chambers
President of Exodus International, Orlando, Florida
Former homosexualRandy Thomas
Executive Vice President, Exodus International, Orlando, Florida
Former homosexualChristopher Yuan
Adjunct Instructor, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois
HIV Survivor
AIDS Activist
Former homosexualWarren Throckmorton, Ph.D.
Member of the Clinical Advisory Board of the American Association of Christian Counselors
Grove City, Pennsylvania
MORE:
Martin Ssempa Should Renounce Support for Proposed Ugandan Criminalization of Homosexuality
Ugandan Government Poised to Harshly Prosecute Homosexuals
UPDATES:
11/17/09 – World Magazine highlights our letter.
11/18/09 – Baptist Press picks up the story.
Laura Leigh Stanlake
Julie Neils
Exodus International Blog
Ralph C
James C
Erik
Alan Chambers
JE Clark
College Jay
Randy Thomas
Perhaps instead of using ‘Former homosexual’ they should have used ‘No Longer Gay-Identified’. Just a thought.
My sincere thanks to you all for doing this. Much needed and very well-expressed. Hat’s off and blessings to you. I sort of agree with ALW, but right now, the labels seem insignificant. Well done.
Thanks for the encouragement and feedback to both you and ALW.
Yes, I agree I sounded trivial in light of the event in and of itself. I guess I still have wounds with labels LOL. It just struck me. Be encouraged I didn’t miss the excellence of the letter. Great Job and thank you to Exodus for making such stand.
ALW, no worries. I understand.
Exodus International Sends Letter Opposing Uganda’s Anti … http://bit.ly/EnIA9
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
@greatwolf Here’s a better and more complete explanation from Exodus Int’l: http://bit.ly/MbSST
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Randy Thomas and Darrell Cook, Isaac Downing. Isaac Downing said: @greatwolf Here's a better and more complete explanation from Exodus Int'l: http://bit.ly/MbSST [...]
The Anti Homosexuality Bill will be a horrendous law if enacted as it is currently written. Thank you for making the distinction between child abuse and consensual between adults.
#PrayForUganda – praying that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda will be withdrawn http://twurl.nl/783pv6
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Thank you for this. It really is needed!
This is good. It gives us hope that even those opposing homosexuality understand that the gay people should be looked upon mainly as HUMAN BEINGS. Period.
Kudos EI.
Thank you. And if God is truly “the Author of every breath” as the scriptures state, than every human soul alive has inherent dignity and worth to God and must be respected as an image bearer of God whether they realize or accept that or not. I hope that is not too ethereal
.
Thank you for the letter to my president and i commend your efforts in highlighting issues of sexual volence and showing us the difference from sexual orientation. I was however perturbed today in Uganda i attended a dialogue to discuss the anti homosexuality when Stephen Langa – Director Family Life Network – clearly heard the audicity to state that the above letter is not from Exodus International – We may recall that in March 2009 – Stephen Langa facilitated a 3 day workshop in Uganda against homosexuality.
I don’t know why he would say that. We sent a hard copy, blogged it and issued a press release. Is he quoted online anywhere saying this?
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