"We reject homosexual practice as contrary to biblical teaching and can accept no place for it within ECS. We strongly oppose developments within the Anglican Church in the USA and Canada in consecrating a practicing homosexual as bishop and in approving a rite for the blessing of same-sex relationships. This has not only caused deep divisions within the Anglican Communion but it has seriously harmed the Church’s witness in Africa and elsewhere, opening the church to ridicule and damaging its credibility in a multi-religious environment."
and
Asked about the REAL LIFE homosexual citizens in Sudan, Deng said, "They have not come to the surface, so no, I don't think we have them."
The Most Revd Dr. Daniel Deng Bul
Archbishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church of Sudan, Africa
And now a REAL LIFE "account" of what life is like in Arab Africa where homosexuality is intolerated:
"I am Arab, Sudanese national and I am writing to you with regard to the homosexuality in Sudan. In Sudan a kiss can cost you your life. First of all to begin with, I must confess I do not have the word expression to express to you the horror and the fear I am going through.
This is my best friend I am grieving about, it's all happened very quickly, I didn't had the chance to say good bye. It was last year when my friend G (I am not saying his name for my own safety) called me he asked me to meet some where. From the way he sounded I can feel he is in trouble, we have met and he told me that his brother saw him kissing another guy, he told me I think he is going to kill me as he is very anti homosexuality. So I was trying to calm him dawn & I told him don't be ridiculous no body is going to kill you just because of that & if at the time of the incident he did nothing I think he is not going to harm you, I told him to go back home and act as nothing was happened. I wish I said nothing.
Well the next 2 days my friend is been reported missing, I really thought that my friend is hiding some where & I never thought he is gone forever. Sadly the 3ed day he is been found stepped to death near by the river Nile. How sad & furious is that? such loving and caring person didn't deserve to die like that, every body loved him & he had no enemy whatsoever, he is just been condemned to death without no conviction, just like all gays in Sudan. I am going through a severe depression of what happened to my friend, knowing who did this crime I just want people to know about what is going over here, about how human life is so cheap& how intolerant & homophobic people in Muslim countries.
I just wonder is being gay is the only one thing about us? Or is it defines our whole being? Unfortunately for some people the answer is yes. You could be awarded with a Nobel Prize. (You know what I mean!) And for them you'd be just gay. So let me emphasis that our whole being is human being & being gay is only a small part of our being."
http://www.mask.org.za/article.php?cat=sudan&id=571
and then there was/is:
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.”
~ Harvey S. Firestone
Stop ADDING to the abuse Dr. Bul!
PREACH LOVE for ALL of your brothers and sisters and stop instigating excluding words of outcasting, marginalizing and demonizing at Church...condem the active abuse and deadly actions of the Government of Sudan in Darfur and condem the abusive actions against Christians/Muslims/others anywhere and at anytime.
Please stop attempting to THROW PEOPLE OUT at The Anglican Communion and Body of Christ....afterall, The Episcopal Church WELCOMES everyone...get that into your head/heart and go forth in peace and attempt to SAVE lives and souls in Darfur and beyond.
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11 comments:
Oh Leonardo...
This is so incredibly sad. It is absolutely heartbreaking. It is beyond cruel. It makes me so ashamed of those in our communion who advocate for this kind of violence. If ANYTHING should cause a rupture in the communion, it should be this kind of thing, not +Gene Robinson.
I was reading about the Sudanese laws on homosexuality today. Jailing, lashing and on the third offense, death.
My prayer: Please God, help us.
I know cany, I could scream while selrighteous idiots smugly jet around spewing their junktalk against LGBT Christians/other and not "thinking" about the crimes they instigate and what those victims suffer (they pretend like we're making these tragedies up, or worse "deserve" the rape, the stoning and/or mutilation by extremists, feardriven sickos...these irresponsible people are criminals no matter how they like to pontificate of their "love for Jesus" and the Anglican Communion/other!
Irresponsible and dangerous behavior by "thugs" ends the story...purple shirt or no purple shirt.
Hi Leonardo--I think reasonable people can always agree to disagree but you cannot reason with someone who choose to remain ignorant and uninformed. Blaming the victims and making more victims is what these folks do best. And this:
"Anglican Church in the USA and Canada in consecrating a practicing homosexual as bishop and in approving a rite for the blessing of same-sex relationships. This has not only caused deep divisions within the Anglican Communion but it has seriously harmed the Church’s witness in Africa and elsewhere, opening the church to ridicule and damaging its credibility in a multi-religious environment."
I don't suppose that he recognizes that their complete disrespect for the other people in their "multi-religious" environment has anything to do with "opening the church to ridicule"? I don't suppose that his complete failure to tend to the sick, the needy, the hungry and the oppressed has anything to do with "opening the church to ridicule"?
The man is an absolute nit.
I saw a comment by one bishop blogger today that said since he did not address his remarks to the bishops, but rather to the press, the bishops weren't listening to him. I thought that was pretty good. It's on your sidebar, Blogging Bishops, is the name of that, I think.
I saw it too Bonnie...thanks
One of my cage rattlers with this +guy from Sudan is his concern about the Churches reputation...like, he's concerned about HIS reputation, as local bigshot...he ought be ashamed of being a uninformened coward...ill-prepared to deliver comments on a Gay Christian, bishop or no-bishop, and he should be plain disgraced for not standing up for/against the murdering of LGBT Christians/Muslims in his Provine...because? Because he doesn't think they exist (or he's unfamilar with *them* as outcasts) so how could they be in harmsway?
Blind as a bat, just another weakspirited and self-conscious striver trying to look like he's promoting, er protecting, The Body of Christ for "goodie" points.
Hi Leonardo--And there is the issue of what the bible really says. Goran put a couple of posts on either a TA article or over at PRELUDIUM, can't remember which about some of their interpretations. I really think our clergy/scholars need to do more in that area. There is also the issue of we are a new creation, covenanted in Christ. An issue I don't think we press enough.
I stick to my total two sentence theology.
In God there is only we.
Each, all, every--in his image.
The nits could also take a few pages out of the lives of the people you have been focusing on here to improve their Christian witness.
Terrible story about the effects of homophobia, Leonardo. What a harmful disease it is. It seems to destroy their souls.
Beautiful two-sentence theology, Bonnie. Says it all.
I miss my dear friend John, who would have been 65 years old yesterday, the 22nd, for many reasons, none of which happens to be his sexual orientation.
You have to wonder what world some people inhabit. Good old Deng!
fs,
I think about John too sometimes...I remember that you worked together in education and that he was/is your close friend...it's not that the departed loved ones leave, it's just so hard not to see them, hug them and spend goodtimes in person with them anymore...that's what I experience...it's that free gift of them inside of me that keeps me modestly remembering that I can't do anything except quietly love them back.
fs,
You know what else? We are talking/writing about John openly and remembering and celebrating John and acknowledging who John exactly IS and WAS (when he was amongst us) in your life...this is a huge step forward in everyones healthy spiritual life and those who read our conversation about another part of REALITY that was formerly covered in shame and awkwardness and blame...people like John and Jose and our nameless brutalized/murdered Muslim friend in Sudan (was his brother his keeper or killer?) would have never been discussed and honored as amongst the "passed" beloved as we have been doing here...because, well, it wasn't done, people thought of their personal embarrassment or "what would people think about ME"...secrets, many unfounded, some earned, ugly and/or happy secrets that surrounded some of OUR loved ones that will never be told...I wonder how many stories ought be discussed...right here and right now?
Why? It's still dangerous in places like Sudan, Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya to speak OPENLY about people like John and Jose and Richard and Phillip and Robert (two Roberts) and then there was/is Ron, Brad and another Phil who "did themselves in" because they were eaten alive by the pressure and self-loathing of it all...we are the "witness" to the lives of people like them.
fs--Hugs and prayers for you as you remember John. Friends are such a gift to our lives. But a piece of him lives on through you and now through us with your sharing.
Thanks, Leonardo and Bonnie. John managed to live out a full life within the constraints of the homophobia that sucked away some of his natural optimism and made his career less than secure. And yes, it's true, he was a gift to many people, and now all his friends can do is finish out our lives without his physical presence, "quietly loving him back," and knowing how enriched we are because of him. I hope he feels it and sense that he does. May this be true for Juan Carlos and for all the friends who've left us.
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