Brian George
Blog # 5
2/18/2011
In our society we tend to focus on the countries and regions that target people who worship different deities than themselves and often find ways to ‘legally’ or ‘spiritually’ to restrict their practices. But only in recent years have we stepped up and recognized the fact that many religions deny individuals from practicing it due to their sexuality or beliefs about sexuality.
Homosexuals, lesbians, and transgender people make up a large percentage of the world’s population, in some areas people are tolerant of them but don’t accept their right to attend the same church or religious institution of which they attend themselves.
In Uganda there have been debates and suggestions to enforce a bill that targets any individual who sees him or herself as gay, to live one’s life as a homosexual or lesbian would result in death. The Vatican itself spoke out against the suggested law yet still many Christians and Evangelicals across the globe offer their support to Uganda.
“…“The potential for homosexuality to destroy our family is so huge that if you don’t act now in the coming years our society will be finished. There is no amount of pressure, of intimidation, of noise, that can stop us from defending the tradition of family values, from defending our children and from defending our country and our continent.”
The bill’s classification of ‘aggravated homosexuality’, for which the death penalty could be passed, includes HIV-positive gay people and repeat offenders.
If Uganda passes the bill, which is very likely, it will join 37 other African countries where US-backed evangelical Christian groups are spreading an anti-homosexual message.” (Maguire, Paddy. Vatican speaks out against Uganda anti-gay laws. http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/vatican-speaks-out-against-uganda-anti-gay-laws).
Straight men and women along with gay males and lesbians have banded together across the world to fight the bill, but the same people who preach ‘love thy neighbor’ and see themselves as good natured people of their respected God; have encouraged citizens within the nation of Uganda to support the bill.
Sadly their efforts to encourage individuals to support the law have worked, an activist against the bill was found murdered and his lover blamed for the appalling act. This is unlike the separation of religion between people in other countries, this is a direct attack or attempt to obliterate individuals from life because they don’t conform and love members of the opposite sex.
It's clear that people don't understand the concept of 'live and let live'. If they did there would be no need to create laws to take the lives of innocent people. Their close-mindness is frustrating and quite sad. The existence of homosexual, lesbian or transgender people will not be the death of anyone! It will not bring down a nation or end someone's life simply because another person happens to love someone who's the same sex as they are.
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/vatican-speaks-out-against-uganda-anti-gay-laws
2 comments:
The crime and deathly violence that is occurring in Uganda is getting out of hand completely. I did a blog relating to this topic and I agree with your opinion.
I'm glad that there are those who are strong enough to stand up for what they believe, but I hate the fact that many are losing their lives over this. Sometimes you have to lose some to win and make a difference.
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