Archbishop Desmond Tutu in January accused African Anglican leaders of ignoring the plight of millions of people on the continent by wasting time attacking gays.
The Nobel Peace laureate and former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town has warned that a hysterical obsession with gay sex leaves African churches in danger of ignoring more pressing issues facing the continent.
"I am deeply, deeply distressed that in the face of the most horrendous problems - we've got poverty, we've got conflict and war, we've got HIV/AIDS - and what do we concentrate on? We concentrate on what you are doing in bed," Tutu told journalists.
On a rather more contentious note, he suggested that the mistreatment of lesbian and gay people is akin to apartheid.
"To penalize someone because of their sexual orientation is like what used to happen to us; to be penalized for something which we could do nothing (about) - our ethnicity, our race," said Tutu. "I would find it quite unacceptable to condemn, persecute a minority that has already been persecuted."
The Anglican church in South Africa is the only one on the continent that has a liberal attitude towards women priests. Most African churches are implacably opposed to gay or lesbian clergy and regard homosexuality as biblically forbidden.
African church leaders have been at the forefront of a battle that has been tearing apart the worldwide Anglican Church over the election of Gene Robinson, an openly gay man who lives with his partner, as bishop of New Hampshire.
Led by Nigeria's Anglican Church leader, Archbishop Peter Akinola, conservatives in the denomination have been threatening to break away. A number of American churches already have asked to have Akinola or other African conservatives as overseers rather than 'liberal' bishops appointed by the Episcopal Church.
Conservatives also want a ban on women priests becoming bishops.
Sources:
Tutu equates homophobia with apartheid
http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2007/01/30/1
Tutu stands up for gays
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-3528.html
Tutu Blasts African Anglican Homophobia
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/01/011907tutu.htm
1 kommentti
coco
16.2.2007 02:55
Nobel Laurate Desmond Tutu is a good man. But will his opinions and teaching reach the world, his massage. I hope so.