Brody's Scribbles... Pastor Rick Warren's Influence Spreads: Rwanda To Vote Next On Criminalizing Homosexuality

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) Dec 16 | As this Op-Ed is being written, the Rwandan Parliament is scheduled today to take up consideration of a change to Rwanda’s penal code which would criminalize homosexuality with a punishment of five to ten years. It would also ban counseling and advocacy that could be interpreted as “encouraging or sensitizing” people to enter into same-sex relationships.

The pertinent section in the penal code is article 217 which states that:

Any person who practices, encourages or sensitizes people of the same sex, to sexual relation or any sexual practice, shall be liable for a term of imprisonment ranging from five (5) to ten (10) years and fine ranging from Two Hundred thousand Rwanda Francs (200.000 RwF) to one million (1,000,000)Rwanda francs.”

[ The fines range from US$350 to US$1750. The average annual Rwandan's income is equivalent to just US$370. ]

That key phrase of the proposed penal code, “encourages or sensitizes,” would have the effect of criminalizing advocacy on behalf of LGBT people. It would also severely impact the ability to deliver health services to LGBT people.

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission reported: 

"Article 217 violates Rwandans' basic human rights and is contradictory to the Rwandan Constitution as well as various regional and international conventions. IGLHRC, the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), and Rwanda's Horizon Community Association (HOCA) will shortly issue a call to action to demand that the Rwandan Parliament withdraw this article. We urge the international community to act against this proposed law and support the equality, dignity, and privacy of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Rwanda."

The Horizon Community Association of Rwanda (HOCA) and the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) have denounced the bill saying that Rwandan citizens still experience gross violations of human rights.

“Our country and our people refuse to recognize the fact that we exist,” said Naomi Ruzindana, President of HOCA. “As far as they are concerned, there are no lesbians or gays in Rwanda. Well, we are here, we exist. We are ordinary people like everyone and all we want is for our people and our government to recognize our existence and the fact that it is our basic human right to live our lives the way that we want and choose.”

Now guess who's been a frequent visitor? Yup, you guessed it. Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren. Worse? Here's a picture of the good pastor with none other than the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, and my oh my, doesn't that pose look real comfy?

After a huge public out-cry and intensive Internet campaign, Warren was forced to condemn the Ugandan proposal to further criminalize homosexuality stating that:

“I oppose the criminalization of homosexuality. The freedom to make moral choices is endowed by God. Since God gives us that freedom, we must protect it for all, even when we disagree with their choices.” 

He then noted that:

"While we have just begun to train pastors in Uganda, we are very involved in Rwanda, creating a nationwide PEACE Plan at the invitation of the churches there. Over 1,000 Saddleback members have served on humanitarian projects in Rwanda."

Is Warren serious about opposing the criminalization of homosexuality? If he is, which I find seriously doubtful, then he by God ought to get on the phone and appeal to his good buddy President Kagame to put an immediate stop to this next potential human rights violation and gross act of indecency.

Here's the problem; The Ultra-Right Christiban extremists like this moron are starting to lose ground in the United States as more & more Americans are becoming upset at having their personal sense of what religious values ought to be becoming way too politicized. Most Christians in America, by and large, are moderates and are becoming uncomfortable with the messages from the Christibans who preach so-called Christian Love, but in reality are  preaching thinly veiled messages of hateful doctrine.  Americans apparently tire easily of a constant barrage of bogeymen who as it turn out, are their friends, neighbors, and family members, and not these evil sinful creatures.

So what does Warren & his kind do? They look outside the U. S. to spread their hateful rhetoric and influence in a backdoor approach to getting their way by doing "God's missionary work" in poor, underdeveloped, [ read ignorant ] nations in Africa and elsewhere. Pretty slick eh?