Sunday 2 March 2014

Right on Target : Staunch catholic MP. BETTY B. NAMBOOZE criticizes Uganda Pentecostal pastors for Hypocrisy: Is the Opposition’s silence on the anti-gay bill in any way equivalent to the silence of Pentecostal churches on other evils in this country??? Why are Pentecostal pastors bold on gay issues and silent on corruption in the country? Do you think politicians will erase sin from society as you waste time preaching the prosperity gospel?

Last Monday I happened to be at Sheraton hotel for a dialogue on maternal health.

The statistics have not changed much; sixteen women die every day while giving birth.
On the same day, President Museveni, in a manner unprecedented, had invited a cross-section of people to be witnesses as he assented to the anti-gay bill.

As I left the hotel, I met Pastors Joseph Sserwadda and David Kiganda who approached me in a let-somebody-see style.

Indeed victory was written all over their lips and my suspicion was that they had been part of the “clapping audience” as Mr Museveni appended his signature to the bill.

Immediately, the two men of God (never mind that one of them recently divorced his wife and married another woman against all the teachings of the church) demanded to know why the opposition had been “so silent” on the anti-gay bill.

I shot back by asking if our silence on the anti-gay bill was in any way equivalent to the silence of Pentecostal churches on other evils in this country.

Never before in the recent history has anything united Ugandans than the support to the anti-homosexual law. I have a feeling that Ugandans would prefer to deal with non- political offenders.

How I wish we could use just 50 per cent of the energies we have used to fight homos in the fight against corruption; I wish we would undress those who steal public funds the way we have been targeting girls in miniskirts; I wish we would look with scorn on the corrupt the same way we despise homos; I wish religious leaders would be as bold on corruption as they have been on issues of the gays; I wish the NRM caucus would press Museveni on issues of corruption the same way they have done on homos.

Tadej Znidarcic_LGBT Uganda 54
Pastor Kiganda joins muslims to fight for the passing of the Anti-gay law

Finally, I wish the West would be angry with Museveni about observance of conventional human rights and corruption as they have been on the issue of homos.  Then, dear readers, Uganda would be a better country.
I support the law against homosexuality.

But, even at the risk of being labelled a sympathizer of the gay community, I wish to comment on the danger religious leaders face in seeking to enforce the teachings of the Lord through laws made by politicians.
The president, never short of stunts, this time signed the bill in the presence of the media and I swear every stroke of his pen was televised or captured in some manner.

To this, some Pentecostal pastors put their best foot forward and danced the night away in celebration, capping it all up with bull roasting. It was obvious the pastors were celebrating the promise that a sinner(s) would be punished.

At least the traditional religions (Catholicism, Protestantism and Muslims) while welcoming the law, have made it clear that they still have a place for sinners (homosexuals inclusive) who repent. That is what religious tolerance should be about, not judging or condemning a group of people.

Pastors Kiganda and Joseph Serwadda welcome back speaker Kagada for taking an Ant--gay stance against Canadian Minister

Slowly, we have seen the Pentecostal churches, in particular cede away their spiritual mandate to the political leadership of this country. In so doing, the Pentecostal church has been relegated to a compromise position or exposed to the risk of moral indebtedness should the politicians need to use them at a later date.

Little wonder that some of the Pentecostal churches have turned political. Running to politicians (read Caesar) for solutions is a vote of no confidence in these churches and of course God our father. I wonder if it has occurred to the Pentecostal church that the same government to which they are running sanctioned divorce.

It sounds like the Pentecostal church will soon run to the President and Parliament when the faithful refuse to get baptized to seek law that will get them to conform to this and other sacraments.

It is time the Pentecostal church revisited the true creed of its calling, teaching God’s people and giving them insights into living in the Kingdom. It has looked on while our leaders meted out violence on the very Ugandans that elected them.

It has looked on as the corrupt thrived and as Parliament passed repulsive legislations. All they have done is organize massive gatherings to pray for some politicians in the ruling government while leaving out those on the opposition.

Before we celebrate, it would be proper if we paid heed to the fact that making a law is one thing and enforcing the same is another. The religious institutions should be able to test the motive of some of these legislations.

A lot remains to be seen as to whether this law will be properly implemented. After all, prostitution is criminal in Uganda but you will surely find many women plying their trade in the yards of police stations.

The author is MP for Mukono municipality


Must Read:

Anglican and Catholic churches change their position on the Bahati bill : Ugandan Pentecostals continue to foolishly support the bill

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2010/02/catholic-church-changes-its-position-on.html

Hypocrisy of the catholic Church in Uganda on fighting homosexuality: After persecuting Rev.Fr.Anthony Musaala for exposing the homosexuality among Ugandan catholic priests, the Uganda Catholic church has now joined the ecumenical Uganda inter-religious council to urge President Museveni to sign the Controversial Anti-Homosexuality bill, 2009

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2014/01/hypocrisy-of-catholic-church-in-uganda.html

Uganda Pentecostals are treading a dangerous political path by fornicating with Museveni’s corrupt dictatorship: Pastor Joseph Serwadda, Bishop David Kiganda and Pastor Jackson Senyonga new year eve celebrations turn into political fora to raise support for President Museveni.


Transformations II, Political Christianity and False African Revivals By Kato Mivule

www.christian-witness.org/docs/Transformations2.doc


Pastor Joseph Serwadda covers up Mr Julius Lukyamuzi's sodomy case: Julius was sodomised by Pastor Grace Kitaka


http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2012/12/when-satans-gay-devils-infiltrated.html  

PASTOR JOSEPH SERWADDA’S 9TH NAMBOOLE PASSOVER FESTIVAL: CHANNELS OF HIDDEN COMMUNICATION, ECUMENISM AND SUBTLE POLITICAL CHRISTIANITY


Pentecostal Prosperity Pastors and their ignorance of the bible version controversy: Bishop David Kiganda mis- interprets Pastor Solomon Male’s stance against divorce


Bishop David Kiganda’s preposterous wealth gospel : If wealth and poverty are buses taking people to hell, where wealth takes 10 people to hell, poverty takes 60.


Bishop David Kiganda’s stinking Prosperity Gospel: Money in one hand and the bible in the other


From an eternal to a temporal perspective : Bishop David Kiganda organizes Money Makers Convention, 2013 : Frank Gashumba who has said that Catholicism runs in the blood in his veins was one of the speakers. 


When Uganda Pentecostals Celebrate a Rigged Election: Pastor Joshua Bosco Lwere Preaches dominion theology instead of repentance

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-uganda-pentecostals-celebrate.html

Bishop Joshua Lwere’s rotten dominion theology : A total rebellion against the teachings of Jesus Christ: Bishop Joshua Lwere, the overseer of the Born Again Churches, told the UPDF soldiers that God would punish them if they don’t kill “perpetuators of evil”. “When you fight righteous war, God is with you. If you don’t kill those who perpetuate evil, God will kill you,” he said.

http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2014/02/bishop-joshua-lweres-rotten-dominion.html