Christian leader supports death penalty for gays
A far right Christian group has urged fellow Christians to support Uganda’s proposed law that would make homosexuality punishable by death.
Stephen Green, leader of the Christian extremist group ‘Christian Voice’, remarked:
“The Bible calls for the ultimate penalty for sodomy (Lev 20:13) and for rape (Deut 22:25), and our Lord upheld the death penalty when He called for the accusers of the woman caught in adultery to cast the first stone (John 8:7) – if, that is, they were not implicated in adultery themselves.
“The contrast between our politicians and those of Uganda could not be more stark. A Parliamentarian in Uganda is trying to protect his nation’s children. The House of Commons of the United Kingdom is trying to corrupt ours. Which country is the more civilised, I wonder, in the eyes of Almighty God?”
The law would impose the death penalty on those convicted of having gay sex with a minor or disabled person or someone infected with HIV.
Friends and family members of gay Ugandans who do not report them to authorities could also face up to three years in prison.
People who “promote” or assist homosexuality could be jailed for seven years. The bill would also punish Ugandan citizens who have gay sex abroad.
The bill’s sponsor, David Bahati MP, has argued that it will curb HIV infections and protect the “traditional family”.
It has been subject to worldwide condemnation and since the first reports emerged in mid-October and has received widespread media attention.
Stephen Green added: “What is at stake here is no less than Uganda ‘s status as a sovereign nation. Will they allow themselves to be bullied by Western secularists, or will they stand by their Christian values and the traditional African way of life?
“I hope and pray it will be the latter, and that the Western homosexuals and abortionists who are trying to corrupt their youth will be sent a firm message to stop their wickedness.”
Christian Voice opposes abortion, homosexuality, no-fault divorce and safer sex education. Additionally it supports the death penalty and does not recognise the concept of marital rape.
On September 2nd 2006, Green was arrested while handing out what were considered by the police to be homophobic leaflets at the Cardiff Mardi Gras.
He was arrested for an alleged “homophobic incident”, detained for four hours, and charged with public order offences. The Crown Prosecution Service decided to withdraw its prosecution of Green on the grounds of insufficient evidence, though the police stated that this did not “challenge the legality” of his arrest.
