Yes, there have been several small groups of fundamentalists who have raged against homosexuality, but they do not speak for the vast majority of evangelicals who are not remotely homophobic. I am Evangelical albeit Episcopalian/Anglican and proud of the fact. Furthermore, the vast majority of evangelicals make a clear and biblical distinction between homosexual behavior and homosexual persons.

Evangelicals eschew homosexual and heterosexual fornication. They also believe that any sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman (an important distinction these days) is frowned on and call for those who engage in such behaviors to cease and repent. What is remotely homophobic about that?

You also wrote your letter based on the death of a Ugandan homosexual rights activist, one David Kato in Kampala. Whilst a number of world leaders and numerous ecclesiastical figures and gay activists railed against his death and accused unnamed heterosexual persons for inciting his murder, the truth of the matter is that Mr. Kato's death had nothing to do with homophobia. He solicited gay sex from a male prostitute. Because he did not pay for his services, he was hammered over the head and killed. The man fled but was later arrested. This was confirmed by local police and reported by Reuters News Service, a news service I am sure you would recognize as responsible. Inspector Kayihura said, "There is nothing concrete to suggest that Nsubuga (his killer) was motivated by hate." Unless you wish to call the inspector a liar or misinformed, one has to accept this explanation of the facts. The truth is homosexuals in the US have politicized his death - hijacking the murder and making him a martyr.

Then you instruct Mrs. Clinton, whose husband is hardly the impeccable moralist, to warn "in writing" Evangelicals who travel abroad that they should not be advocating "violence against gay people."

I don't know who you are specifically talking about, but I know most of the leading evangelical leaders in the US starting with Rick Warren along with a host of evangelical Anglican bishops in North America (including Canada). Not a single one of them is remotely homophobic. Not even the mega-church evangelists are homophobic. In fact, I know some evangelical leaders like Dr. Tony Campolo who are bending over backwards to make it clear they are not homophobic. They welcome homosexuals in their midst and in their churches, but say as lovingly as they know how, that God is not happy with them living out the behavior. How can that possibly be construed as homophobic?

As far as the criminalization of homosexuality in Uganda is concerned, such legislation has not been passed and may never be. The Anglican archbishop there has excoriated both homosexual and heterosexual behavior. He has had cause to defrock one of his up and coming priests for having sex with a woman outside of marriage. Unless you wish to accuse him of being heterophobic, then the charge of homophobia is without merit.

While religious leaders in Uganda have said they support the bill, they have opposed the death penalty stipulation, saying that imprisonment would be sufficient. MP David Bahati, who did not consult any police records while composing this bill, has admitted that he may retract that portion of the proposed law.

There is also the issue of interfering in the affairs of another nation that must also be considered. Anglicans have rightly been accused of Western imperialism by African religious leaders for trying to "export" their morality to Africa. This is true.

We as a nation have slaughtered over 50 million unborn babies, a lot of it at government expense, so who are we to sling stones at a nation like Uganda about a law that has not yet passed when our own glass house (nation) is full of holes.

As far as embargoing charitable donations to Uganda is concerned, that is a lot harder to stop than one might think. Money can be taken in by non-profit agencies in a variety of ways including cash and goods that by pass banks and money transfers. That advice is folly and unworkable.

Finally, America has enough sins of its own to worry about without excoriating an African nation and making a martyr over the death of one man whose sin of sexual solicitation went unpaid costing him his life.

END

The following is Professor Poynter's letter to Mrs. Clinton.

(Prof.) John D. Poynter, Emeritus
(Claremont McKenna College)
1256 Primavera Dr
W Palm Springs, CA 92264-5110
760-323-776

February 6, 2011

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520

Re: David Kato

Dear Madame Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,

This letter addresses the issue of evangelicals from the United States who traveled to Uganda to spread fear of homosexuals among Ugandans, much as they have done here in this country, spreading lies and superstition among Ugandans. They are responsible for encouraging laws that condemn gay men and encourage their persecution and murder, claiming against all scientific knowledge and psychiatric insight that homosexuality is a disease amenable to cure. Scott Lively and his cohorts have the blood of David Kato on their hands. In my mind, the results of this homophobia are no different on the gay people affected from the anti-Semitism on Jews, Turkish genocide against the Armenians, and the today's xenophobia on Hispanic immigrants. It is deadly.

What I would like: 1) A warning in writing to these evangelicals that spread violence and murder against gay people abroad; when they are abroad, they represent America, and they should not be advocating violence against anyone, or oppression of any people anywhere in the world. It is unconscionable to criminalize the natural and inborn expression of love toward one's own gender.

In Uganda this criminalization seeks safety behind the mask of religion; religion that foments violence should not enjoy any protection. We should not hesitate to raise our voices in protest against those who spread violence and mayhem in other parts of the world, and undermine your fine work and mission as the Secretary of State.

2) An embargo on all charitable money going to Uganda until that country formally foregoes the threat of violence against gay and lesbian people. Respectfully,

John D. Poynter, Emeritus