Gospel of Intolerance: what American Evangelicals are doing to Africa

[octoberlib]

Raised in Pennsylvania, I grew up in the black church. My father was a religious leader in the community, and my sister is a pastor. I went to church every Sunday and sang in the choir. But for all that the church gave me — for all that it represented belonging, love and community — it also shut its doors to me as a gay person. That experience left me with the lifelong desire to explore the power of religion to transform lives or destroy them. I became interested in Uganda, an intensely religious country that attracts many American missionaries and much funding from United States faith-based organizations. The American evangelical movement in Africa does valuable work in helping the poor. But as you’ll see in this Op-Doc video, some of their efforts and money feed a dangerous ideology that seeks to demonize L.G.B.T. people and intensifies religious rhetoric until it results in violence. It is important for American congregations to hold their churches accountable for what their money does in Africa.

Link to video http://nyti.ms/WIfBkd

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/opinion/gospel-of-intolerance.html?_r=0

[bluestateguy]

1. I suspect that US evangelical churches can be much more open about hating gays in Africa

Open homophobia is less and less socially acceptable here (but subtle homophobia is still tolerated) but in Uganda, open hatred for gays is totally mainstream.

[malaise]

2. So what's new??? n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Certainly not the apathy of the straight community or the faith community. That's old as the hills.

And least someone is trying to make those groups clean house. Not that they will.

[jberryhill]

3. Poo poo Gangnam Style

[HiPointDem]

5. kr. another thing: these supposed religious missions are often sponsored behind the scenes by

corporate interests. the entire history of religious missionaries in the us is the history of big capital. and overseas as well. the rockefellers, for example, were big on ministering to the indians in the west. missionaries are the scouts and shock troops of capital.