The Anglican Church of Uganda says it wants to see changes to a proposed law which would jail homosexuals and even execute them in some cases, which many international church and secular leaders have condemned.Still, the church has said there is still a need for a law that would clearly address gay issues in the east African country, and that Ugandan Anglicans remain strongly opposed to the acceptance and promotion of homosexuality.”The Church of Uganda associates itself with the concerns expressed in the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2009,” Archbishop Henry Orombi said in a Feb. 9 statement.”However, instead of a completely new bill, the church recommends a bill that amends the Penal Code Act addressing loopholes, in particular: protecting the vulnerabilities of the boy child; proportionality in sentencing; and, ensuring that sexual orientation is excluded as a protected human right,” said the archbishop.Orombi added, “The ideal situation would be one where necessary amendment is made on existing legislation to also enumerate other sexual offences.”In his first official public comment on the subject since the tabling of the bill in October, Orombi said he agrees with the bill’s concerns because of what he sees as loopholes in the existing legislation. He explained that his church prefers a revision of existing laws rather than a new one.”The church appreciates the bill’s objective of protecting the family in the light of a growing propaganda to influence younger people to accept homosexuality … to provide for marriage as contracted only between man and woman,” said the archbishop.The Anglican Church of Uganda wants the country’s parliament to streamline existing legislation to protect the confidentiality of medical, pastoral and counselling relationships, including those that disclose homosexual practices.Other proposals by the church include the prohibition of lesbianism and bestiality, together with “other sexual perversion,” and a ban on the procurement of homosexual material and the promotion of homosexuality as a normal lifestyle.”Homosexual practice has no place in God’s design of creation, the continuation of the human race through procreation, or his plan for redemption. Even natural law reveals that the very act of sexual intercourse is an experience of embracing the sexual other,” said Orombi.At the same time, the church offered to counsel, heal and pray for people with, “sexual disorientation” in schools and other institutions of learning.”The church is a safe place for individuals, who are confused about their sexuality or struggling with sexual brokenness, to seek help and healing,” said Orombi.A blog on the Web site of the USATODAY newspaper on Feb.9 quoted Warren Throckmorton, an associate professor of psychology at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, as saying the, “changes” proposed by the Anglican Church of Uganda only serve to show that the church wants to, “make it more clear that homosexuality is against the law.”
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