Anglican leaders will gather in Tanzania later this week to duke it out on the international churches most divisive issues, particularly the institution’s stance on the homos. It will certainly be an eventful weekend, as more conservative leaders take a stand against Presiding Episcopal Bishop Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson. Of those leaders, Nigerian archbishop and virulent homophobe Peter Akinola‘s voice will undoubtedly be the loudest. Before Akinola wears out his vocal cords, however, a number of Nigerian activists are asking him to raise his fist against the African nation’s proposed ban on homosexuality.
You may recall the long-dormant bill got a breath of fresh air a few months back, a resurrection Nigerian activists blame on the British-based Outrage! and other international gay rights organizations. Regardless of who’s to blame, the discriminatory documents will effectively outlaw same-sex relations. In a list ditch effort, pro-gay Christian non-profit, Changing Attitude Nigeria has penned a desperate letter to Akinola and his allies.
In a letter that opens with an indictment of Outrage! and like-minded groups, CAN writes:
If this bill is not stopped now it will make most lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people illegal in their own country. With their families and friends and anyone they associate with, they will be immediately criminalized… Any bishop or priest who befriends, baptizes, confirms or welcomes an LGBT person into their church will also be guilty of a criminal offense.
…
We are appealing to the Primates in the name of God to add your voices to others who have been calling on the Nigerian Government to stop progress on this bill and withdraw it immediately. The bill will make it impossible for the Anglican Communion to engage in the listening process in Nigeria to which you, the Primates, have committed yourselves… It criminalizes a group which the church claims to love and should in Christian charity be determined to protect from abuse and persecution.
Certainly a compelling argument, but we have a sinking feeling Akinola will just throw it away. Or, maybe, wipe his stank ass.
Either way, ‘A’ for effort…
How about we take this to the next level?
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Hephaestion
The Corrupt Bishop Akinola is the slimiest turd on the continent of Africa. He ignores the desperation of his people and uses anti-gay lectures as his ticket to fly around the world and stay in luxurious accomodations – while his countrymen starve and suffer from the most brutal thuggery on the planet. He is as low as they come, and now he is governing some redneck Episcopal churches in Virginia, too! Jesus would never stop throwing up if he could see what Akinola is doing in his name.
nerva
True, Hephaestion.
This is of course the same Akinola that has done nothing to stop the barbaric “ritual” of female circumcision practiced in Nigeria.
How Akinola can call himself a “man of God” escapes me.
Oh that former Archbishop Desmond Tutu still held sway in Africa.
John
Well, Desmond Tutu’s leadership should serve as an example to all of them (Anglican and Catholic alike). His choice of successor was absolutely spot-on as well.
The current South African primate, Archbishop Ndungane, has come to the defense of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. (despite Akinola’s ongoing threats to start stealing some of his flock too). Ndungane’s comments at the most recent African “crisis” meeting over Bishop Gene Robinson:
“We need to be tolerant of difference.
The Anglican Church in Southern Africa knows what it is to live with difference and otherness. We were born in conflict but, in spite of our problems and disagreements, we have agreed on the fundamentals and recognised that we are together despite our differences. You do not find us today divided into a black church and a white church, for example…
The Episcopal Church in the USA is one of the most democratic of our autonomous provinces. The Diocese of New Hampshire elected Bishop Gene Robinson democratically, according to their constitution and canons. The same can be said of the recent election of the new Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. Those elections were not illegitimate within the rules of the American church which is an orderly church – as is our church in Southern Africa. There was a clear majority in favour of both candidates.”
Bravo, Your Excellency. Now, there’s a person who we can call a “man of God” without blushing.
Mike
This is truly the end times when christians start to justify homosexuality. Now before you start labelling my comments as hatred and ungodly, I have no problem working, living, playing and inviting into my house a gay or lesbian couple. However, I do not answer to them. I answer to God and he says it is against his will. Don’t blame me. We will all have a chance to ask God why.
What I find most pathetic and pretentious is that many of you feel that because you are supporting a new cause that you are progressive and everyone else is backward. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Championing a new cause, does not make you progressive. It just means you are losing your religious footing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah….”how about slavery, ordaining of female ministers” blah, blah. All of that was done by dishonest ministers who twisted the words of the old testament for their own gain. No different than what we see in the modern church today. Each of you should open the new testament and read. This issue is really a simple one.