Pro-Homosexuality Anglicans Seek U.S. Government Help

Defrocked Ugandan Bishop Christopher Senyonjo was brought
to the US to push the Episcopal Church's Gay Agenda

From the Institute on Religion and Democracy

Decrying as "missionaries of hate" U.S. Christians who preach in Africa against homosexual practice, a former bishop of the Anglican Church of Uganda has called upon western countries to use their influence to promote acceptance of homosexuality in Africa.

During his appearance in Washington, Christopher Senyonjo was hosted by Bishop Gene Robinson of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, the first openly homosexual bishop in the Anglican Communion. The two spoke at the liberal Center for American Progress about anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda, which they blamed on U.S. evangelicals. They also called for a broader effort to decriminalize homosexual practices in Africa. Senyonjo's appearance at CAP was part of a six-week speaking tour of the United States, sponsored by Integrity USA, an unofficial homosexual caucus in the Episcopal Church.

While Senyonjo has been removed from the Episcopate by the Church of Uganda, he continues to portray himself as an Anglican bishop. During his visit, Senyonjo was scheduled to meet at the White House with foreign policy officials of President Obama's administration.

A talk on June 8 between Robinson and Senyonjo began with opening remarks from Michael Posner, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Posner said he was there to "lend the support of the U.S. government to this very important subject."

"LGBT rights are human rights and we are working on a daily basis to promote them as we would any other human rights," Posner said.

"Where I hope we are headed is to discover the enormous diversity in human sexuality," Robinson said. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were as many sexualities as there are human beings?"

IRD Anglican Spokesman Jeff Walton commented:

"Not content to compel Americans to surrender to their agenda of constantly fluid notions of gender and sex, liberal Episcopalians who resent Africa's traditionalist beliefs now want the U.S. Government to compel poor African societies to bend to permissive, secular Western mores.

"These same liberal Episcopalians and other U.S. religionists are often indifferent to international religious persecution, even when churches around the world are under attack. For them, seemingly sexual freedom is more important than religious freedom."

Is the National Council of Churches Headed for Bankruptcy?

"Lack of financial support from over one third of NCC member churches further undermines this aging dinosaur of stale politics and bureaucratic inertia."

Once the leading association of Christian churches in the United States, the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) continues to financially struggle. On May 17 the NCC Governing Board adopted its seventh deficit budget in as many years. According to NCC General Secretary Dr. Michael Kinnamon, the organization's unrestricted reserves will dip below $3 million by the end of the next fiscal year absent new support.

While Kinnamon emphasized relationship building among member churches as well as distancing the council from the perception of being purely political, the NCC began work on an Afghanistan resolution that labels the war against the Taliban as unjust.

Kinnamon cautioned the Governing Board that the council is not an organization centered upon ecumenical cooperation, but rather a community of member communions seeking greater church unity "otherwise we become like Vichy France, existing solely to make the pain of defeat more tolerable."

Institute on Religion & Democracy President Mark Tooley commented:

"During the past fiscal year, 13 of the NCC's 36 member communions made no contribution to the council. Lack of financial support from over one third of NCC member churches further undermines this aging dinosaur of stale politics and bureaucratic inertia.

"Former NCC chief Bob Edgar's intense liberal political activism gained secular foundation support but seems to have further undermined church support. Over the past decade, undesignated contributions by member churches to the NCC dropped 25 percent, and designated church contributions dropped an astounding 65 percent.

"Absent liberal foundation support, Dr. Kinnamon now has to pick up the pieces. If the NCC can't reverse the decline in church giving and foundation support, its days may be numbered.

"Evangelical groups such as the National Association of Evangelicals should take the NCC's disastrous tenure under Edgar as a cautionary tale against embracing divisive, liberal political activism over church unity."