ACTION ALERT
Gay and Christian in
KENYA, UGANDA,
TANZANIA, RWANDA
AND BURUNDI
__________________________________________________________
UGANDA



I am writing you because I am greatly distressed about proposed legislation in Uganda which if passed could lead to
the systematic elimination of a certain segment of society. Already, citizens have left Uganda out of fear for their
safety. I am writing about the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 that would, by use of the death penalty and
imprisonment, effectively purge Uganda of LGBT people (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) and any who
would speak out on their behalf.

I am concerned that evangelicals in Africa may be turning a deaf ear towards the Parliament of Uganda at this time.
In 2006, the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) published the Africa Bible Commentary. The Commentary
features Nigerian religious leader Yusufu Turaki's hateful and intolerant article entitled "Homosexuality" (page
1355).

My question to you as leaders in the evangelical world is this: Does it follow, in view of Turaki's article, that you
endorse the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009?  Turaki's article contains the following anti-homosexual
remarks:

(1) Turaki's use of the words "abnormal, unnatural and a perversion" in reference to homosexuals; (2) his uncritical
use of the quote that "homosexuals are worse than beasts" tied in with (3) his uncritical statement of the African
Anglican church's rejection of Archbishop Tutu's call for tolerance, as well as (4) his one-sided account of African
"coercive sexual relationships" as his example of "varied" African same-sex sex; (5) an uncritical censorship of all
views of homosexuality that are not in keeping with his views ("Our views of homosexuality should not be derived
from human sources but from the Word of God"), and (6) his expressed theological view that to be homosexual is
sinful (a view not held by most evangelicals in the West).

Turaki's article effectively dismisses the church from its responsibility to speak out against the violence in Africa
against LGBT people (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender). His article could be used by African evangelicals at
this time as an argument for the endorsement of the Ugandan bill.

The Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 would criminalize anyone who "aids, abets, counsels or procures
another to engage in acts of homosexuality," as well as anyone who engages in the "promotion of homosexuality,"
including broadcasting, publishing, the marketing of materials on homosexuality, and the funding and sponsoring of
LGBT organizations.    In addition, an authority must, under this legislation, turn in his colleagues, family, or friends
who engage in the "promotion of homosexuality" or face criminal charges for failing to do so.

It is conceivable, for example, that any pastor who would teach - or even dialogue open mindedly - that the Bible
does not condemn same-sex loving relationships between consenting adults, would be guilty of promoting
homosexuality, and therefore a criminal.  A Bible scholar in Uganda would not be at liberty to openly question what
the Bible does or does not say about homosexuality.  Any person of authority who would fail to report such a
scholar or open-minded pastor within 24 hours would be subject to a significant fine and up to 3 years in prison.  

Anybody who keeps a house or room for the purpose of homosexuality is subject to imprisonment.  No one's private
dwelling is safe.

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill directly violates many of the basic human rights guaranteed in the Ugandan
Constitution.  It also violates the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights (ICCPR) and other international human rights treaties to which Uganda is a party.  
The bill effectively creates a climate of fear and hostility.  It will lend itself to misapplication and abuse, and implicitly
encourages persecution of LGBT people by private actors. Effective HIV prevention activities in Uganda, which rely
on an ability to talk frankly about sexuality and provide condoms and other safer-sex materials, will be difficult, if not
impossible.

I am aware that, for the most part, evangelicals worldwide view same-sex sex between consenting adults as
immoral.  Nonetheless, I cannot believe that evangelicals can stand silently by and watch the Parliament of Uganda
vote this inhumane bill into law, especially since evangelicals are so vehemently vocal on the issue of
homosexuality.

Therefore, I am asking you to demonstrate that Yusufu Turaki's inflexible and dogmatic article on "Homosexuality" is
not to be misused by any evangelicals in Africa as an argument for the endorsement of the inhumane Ugandan
Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 by your swift denouncement of this bill.  I urge you – Rick Warren, John Stott,
Douglas Carew and the AEA (Association of Evangelicals in Africa) – to openly denounce this bill.  If not, then your
silence will serve as a passive agreement that a Christian country could, and even should, imprison for life or
sentence to death persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered.

Signed,

Kimberly Salico-Diehl
To:




Re:

From:

Date:
  • The  Association of Evangelicals in Africa, Publishers of Africa Bible Commentary

  • Evangelical world leaders Rick Warren (USA), John Stott (England), and Douglas Carew
    (Kenya) who endorsed Bible Africa Commentary

    The Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009

    Kimberly Salico-Diehl

    October 25, 2009
Above:  Africa Bible
Commentary in which is
the featured article
"Homosexuality" by
Yusufu Turaki --

  • homosexuals are
    "abnormal, unnatural
    and a perversion"
  • rejection of
    Archbishop Tutu's
    call for tolerance
  • same-sex sex as
    "coercive sexual
    relationships"
  • censors all other
    views on
    homosexuality
  • to be homosexual is
    to be sinful
Below: Three Evangelical
Leaders who endorsed the
Africa Bible Commentary
article:

Rick Warren, Pastor of the
Saddleback Church of
California and Author of
The Purpose Driven Live;

John R. W. Stott,  Rector
Emeritus of All Souls
Church, Langham Palace,
England

Douglas Carew, vice
chancellor, Nairobi
Evangelical Graduate
School of Theology,
Nairobi, Kenya
Rick Warren
Rick Warren with
President Obama
Ugandan Bill:  Death Penalty or
Life Imprisonment for
Homosexuals

Why Write Evangelicals

Uganda is largely evangelical.  
Uganda's hateful stance against
homosexuals is very Bible based, so
they think. Therefore, evangelicals
worldwide cannot look on and watch
the Parliament of Uganda enact laws
against homosexuals that are, as this
bill is, criminal, without speaking out.  
The evangelicals of Africa and from
outside of Africa must address their
fellow Christians of Uganda and tell
them they must, in the name of God,
stop this inhumane bill from becoming
law.

You can take action by writing the
Ethics, Peace and Justice Commission
of the Association of Evangelicals in
Africa (AEA) as well as Executive
Board members of the AEA.  Also, you
can take action by writing Pastor Rick
Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church
and author of The Purpose Driven
Life, John R. W. Stott, and Douglas
Carew, Vice Chancellor of Nairobi
Evangelical Graduate School of
Theology.

The AEA, with the endorsement of
Warren, Stott and Carew, published a
feature article on "Homosexuality" in
the Africa Bible Commentary (2006)
that in word and in spirit can be taken
as an endorsement of this
Anti-Homosexuality Bill of Uganda.  
AEA must clarify that its publication (in
partnership with Zondervan
Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan,
USA) does not in any way indicate
agreement with what is happening in
the Parliament of Uganda at this time.

This past week I received an email
from an Associate Member of the AEA.
The person's email was in response to
the recent Other Sheep eNews on the
Ugandan bill. This AEA Associate
Member wrote that he/she agrees with
the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009
because it is "in obedience to the
Word of God."  What is, therefore, the
position of the AEA on this bill?  
Obviously this individual was speaking
for him/herself and not necessarily
expressing what is the general
viewpoint of the members of the
Executive Board of the AEA.  
Nonetheless, this individual's email is
alarming. Does it express the viewpoint
of evangelicals throughout Africa,
especially evangelicals in leadership
like this individual? If it does,
evangelicals in Africa are on a witch
hunt and more responsible
evangelicals, both from within and
outside of Africa, need to speak out
now.

Take action now by writing evangelical
leaders in Africa and worldwide.

-Rev. Stephen Parelli
October 19, 2009
Bronx, New York
The Letter Kimberly Salico-Diehl reads on YouTUBE:
Above Photo:  Kimberly Salico-Diehl going
over the wording and reading of the letter
prior to filming.
Photo at left:  Kimberly Salico-Diehl, left, with
Rev. Mieke Vandersall at the ordination
service of Steve Parelli, May 31, 2009
This webpage was created and published October 25, 2009
Visits to this webpage since October 25, 2009
Counter
Kimberly is a student in the MDiv.
program of Andover-Newton
Theological School, Newton Center,
MA.  She is a member of First Baptist
Church, White Plains, New York
This page was archived March 2011 and is part of the Other Sheep East Africa archived pages.  
This page serves as part of an historical record of Other Sheep in Africa from July 2007 - February 2011
For current information regarding Other Sheep in Africa,
go to Other Sheep in Africa.
This is an ARCHIVED PAGE
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