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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSouth African newspaper says toxic homophobia in Uganda is linked to "American-style Christianity"
Uganda's parliament on Friday adopted an anti-homosexuality bill that will see repeat offenders jailed for life, sparking an international outcry as lawmakers hailed it as a victory against "evil".
Deputies voted overwhelmingly in favour of the text, which has been widely condemned by rights activists and world leaders - with US President Barack Obama describing it as "odious" and Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu comparing it to apartheid.
Homophobia is widespread in Uganda, where American-style evangelical Christianity is on the rise. Gay men and women in the country face frequent harassment and threats of violence, and rights activists have also reported cases of lesbians being subjected to "corrective" rapes.
The vote came a day after the Ugandan parliament passed an anti-pornography and dress-code law banning anything deemed sexually suggestive. In addition to outlawing "provocative" clothing, the anti-pornography bill will ban scantily dressed performers from Ugandan television and closely monitor what individuals watch on the Internet.
http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/International-outcry-as-Uganda-adopts-anti-gay-bill-20131221
The end-result of far right politics when not opposed or unable to be opposed, ladies and gentlemen.
idwiyo
(5,113 posts)HowHasItComeToThis
(3,566 posts)Baitball Blogger
(46,757 posts)Why do I get the impression that a backlash against American style evangelicals is coming?
loudsue
(14,087 posts)(senators and representatives) in washington, dc, that Rachel Maddow busted a couple of years ago. The right wing version of Christianity is NOT Christianity. It is hate, pure and simple...just like Opus Dei.
malokvale77
(4,879 posts)valerief
(53,235 posts)mountain grammy
(26,648 posts)and Uganda has it's own chapter. The "Jesus plus nothing" gang is still operating at full steam.
Duck man's words are hateful and disgusting lies, but Uganda shows the results of this belief system gaining acceptance and eventually becoming the law of the land.
A theocracy with fundamentalist Christians in charge. Nightmare.
hootinholler
(26,449 posts)Jeff has done us a great service showing the lay of the land and the infiltration of Jesus plus Nothing in our politics.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Kurovski
(34,655 posts)The situation in Uganda has been the handiwork of that particular faction of America's right wingers.
Good call-out, Grammy.
progressoid
(49,999 posts)BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)With her church. And actually did go to Uganda one summer.
She was nice, and smart and funny but at the same time so deluded. If you showed her this article she wouldn't get it.
EC
(12,287 posts)When I saw Egypt believing something Gohmert said as truth and real, like he had some actual gravitas - it scared the hell out of me...and this is why...someone should tell these people that these "Christians" are actually nuts and shouldn't be listened to. This is exactly why Bachmann and her bunch going around to all these countries now is dangerous...people actually give these nuts time and respect thinking they represent the US.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)Because it is some strange Frankenstein totally unlike Christianity as it was intended. They spout nonsense I have no idea its origin, homeschooling their children to believe this crap, and then go on teevee and scream about it. But the world thinks all Americans are like that.
Then these nutters show up speaking in tongues with American delegations and Congresspeople making promises. It has got to stop! I think people put up with zealots because they were trying to be tolerant. Religion was none of other people's business to and to each their own. Well, that's true in theory. But when you have a virulent strain of something, one must act aggressively to make sure it doesn't kill the host. These people must be pointed out as cult members and insane fanatics.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)And before DU'ers jump on my post- I don't dispute the thesis but find it unsupported and would liked to have seen some historical context or statistics on such an important matter that effects so many lives.
It would be nice to see some actual facts regarding homophobia, laws against gay civil rights and attitudes over time in Uganda.
If anyone is interested, quick Google produced an interesting article which suggests this is indeed largely a product of imported rabid right Christianity:
http://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/23/07/2013/uganda-and-myth-african-homophobia
Here is a book that sounds interesting on this topic:
http://www.amazon.com/Hungochani-History-Dissident-Sexuality-Southern/dp/0773527516
Wiki mentions history of homosexuality in Africa in an extremely brief manner (one sentence) but scrolling down it might be noted that not all Churches support this and quite a few condemn it.
Religious and human rights organizations[edit]
Several Christian Churches and their leaders oppose this hatred, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church of Canada, Integrity Uganda, Exodus International, Accepting Evangelicals, Changing Attitude, Courage, Ekklesia, Fulcrum, Inclusive Church and the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement.
Unfortunately even within religious organizations, there seems to be mixed messages.
There should be a more visible counter-balance to these bogus Christians spreading hate amongst religious organizations. Perhaps part of the problem is that liberal religious organizations are kept so busy doing good works & putting out fires at home .
mockmonkey
(2,829 posts)It's Stephen Fry's "Out There" where he confronts some politicians and religious extremists over their homophobia. He points out that in some countries anti-gay laws didn't even exist until they had been taken over by the British Empire.
There is a section on Uganda that runs from about 17:00 to 39:30.
The video is two hours long and the audio is out of sync for about 16 minutes during the American part of the program.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)It's as if trying to stem the tide of hate here in the USA has caused that malevolence to move to another locus.
It's like a virus.
quinnox
(20,600 posts)and its not just christianity, muslim extremism too. Has been going on for years.
MNBrewer
(8,462 posts)This "move on, nothing to see here" attitude you're displaying is sickening!
quinnox
(20,600 posts)Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Africa are limited in comparison to many other areas of the world. The International Gay and Lesbian Association estimated in 2008 that homosexuality was outlawed in 38 African countries, and in at least 13 African countries, homosexuality was legal or there were no laws pertaining to it.
Since 2011, some first world countries have been considering or implementing laws that limit or prohibit general budget support to countries that restrict the rights of homosexuals. In spite of this, many African countries are continuing to breach international human rights laws, refusing to consider increasing LGBT rights, and in some cases drafting laws to increase sanctions against LGBT lifestyles.[4] Many African leaders feel that gay rights are against their cultural and religious value systems and believe they have a sovereign right to reject what is seen as an imposition by mainly Western nations, which attempts to affect national sentiment via aid.
In Mauritania, Sudan, and northern Nigeria, homosexuality is punishable by death. In Uganda, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone, offenders can receive life imprisonment for homosexual acts. South Africa's constitution has the most liberal attitudes toward gays and lesbians, with a constitution which guarantees gay and lesbian rights, and legal same-sex marriage. Even there, gay rights have been described as an "exclusive privilege of the white and well-heeled, a small but high-profile subset".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Africa
CJCRANE
(18,184 posts)of promoting anti-LGBT bigotry.
The effects of that don't change overnight.
Banning gay marriage was a big issue in the '04 US Presidential elections and that influenced countries around the world.
quinnox
(20,600 posts)I don't think Africa in general, has ever been considered a friendly place for gays.
CJCRANE
(18,184 posts)CJCRANE
(18,184 posts)effort to stir things up which I think originates from similar sources.
quinnox
(20,600 posts)iandhr
(6,852 posts)Uganda would be doing this regardless. This type of homophobia would exist regardless of "American style Christianity" All our bible nuts are doing is egging them along a road they would have gone anyway.
starroute
(12,977 posts)Uganda has suffered a lot over the last few decades, but the traditional response to those traumas would be hysterical witch-hunts. I don't recall any references to homophobia in Africa before the US religious right got their claws into them.
iandhr
(6,852 posts)There used to be a big market for this type of hate here.
Slowly but surely it's disappearing. Since 2009 12 sates have passed marriage equality. They know the battle is lost. This is why they are changing targets
My point is this. They would not focus on a place like Uganda if there was not a market for it. I am not saying the religious right are blameless I am just saying that the Ugandan government also deserves much of blame. They went along with it of their own free will.
damnedifIknow
(3,183 posts)Gays are a target of their misery. They have to hate and degrade in order to feel better about themselves. Sad people in every way.
iandhr
(6,852 posts)... the reason they are spreading there hate to Africa is they know the battle is pretty much lost here.
99Forever
(14,524 posts)... this is what Christians would like to do worldwide. Shoving their beliefs down everyone's throats seems to be their standard operating procedure.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)pampango
(24,692 posts)It was good stuff. She also said it was the by product of domestic politics and prejudice that the religious nuts in this country are only partly to blame.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)from their kind of religion. This is probably also true regarding the homophobia that is going on in Russia. Remember that the rw think that their religion is supposed to set up the New World government order for the return of their god. Both Uganda and Russia have had governments fall. The rw thinks it is their duty to take over nations as they fall in the name of their god.
The Wizard
(12,547 posts)brought by American exceptionalism.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)QC
(26,371 posts)specifically which ones went to which parts of Africa.
South Africa was missionized primarily by Anglo-Catholics, which is why the church there is quote tolerant in most ways--think Desmond Tutu--which parts of Africa north of there were targeted by evangelical Anglicans, which is how we end up with church leaders like the ones in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, etc.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)So more than 80% of Uganda is either Catholic or Anglican, with 12% Muslim and the rest being 'other Christians'.
mainstreetonce
(4,178 posts)The Poisonwood Bible?....fiction...said to be Hillary's favorite book.
Tells the story of a "missionary" and how the African people saw through him.
Jessy169
(602 posts)Uganda is a perfect area to grow Christian fundamentalist haters and holier-than-thou loonies of all flavors. How the hell did American style right-wing Christian fanaticism morph into a purveyor of evil and intolerance around the world!?
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Who Would Jesus Hate
Teamster Jeff
(1,598 posts)or more likely....puked
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)remember and heed the dictates of those ancient people that saw and heard things that weren't there, and then wrote down what the voices in their heads told them were the rules we must all live by so that we can be happy when we're dead.
Initech
(100,102 posts)I swear Martin Ssempra would make a great James Bond villain:
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)there to do good deeds, make no mistake, they're there to convert and turn the country right wing. The guy from Chick-Fil-A and his buddies have a large presence there.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Or is he too busy comparing notes with the Duck Dynasty Pontiff? 42% of Ugandans are Catholic, but Francis and his cohort sit on the sidelines snickering at the bigotry and horrors.
I was told yesterday that Duck Dynasty Phil was not like Francis, although they say the same things about gay people, because Francis has so many millions following his faith. If that following is powerful enough to absolve him of bigotry, one would think it would be powerful enough to at least raise a voice against such abuses of human rights....
Another 40% is Anglican. A small percentage is 'other Christian'. Odd that folks see those in majority as innoncents even as they carry water for the hate mongers.
ninjanurse
(93 posts)Americans have been using Uganda as a testing ground for laws they can't pass here. Uganda is a traumatized society and gays are a scapegoat. It's an unholy alliance of Ugandan and American religious hustlers. Here's some links and history, remember David Kato...
http://www.emancipationconversation.com/2013/12/20/american-evangelists-helped-form-uganda-anti-gay-law/
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)annabanana
(52,791 posts)Anyone paying a modicum of attention, going back to the C Street house, any Dominion, Seven Mountain fundamentalism, etc. is not shocked...
Vashta Nerada
(3,922 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Unfortunately all kinds of people will apologize for these asinine religious right culture crusaders, when their agenda gels with whatever authoritarian axe they have to grind.
Turbineguy
(37,365 posts)because they can't get enough of it here.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)sinkingfeeling
(51,473 posts)U4ikLefty
(4,012 posts)Oops, never mind they're Christians....move along, nothing to see here.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Cha
(297,655 posts)so called "Christianity". America is on the rise for Equality.. Love is Succeeding and hate is shelved in the faux "Christian" section.
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)there several european "ministers" that have been pushing this message of hate.
bigbadR
(49 posts)Is an abomination and embodies the anti-christ. The teachings/preachings/propagandizing from the pulpit and within the congregation are 100% antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ. These fools are the first Christ will run out of the temple.