…besides that they elected another gay Bishop. And when you get right down to it, probably they count this sin as even more unpardonable. From the New York Times…

Church Aids Expansion of Shelter for Gay Youths

Since 2002, when he opened the Ali Forney Center, which helps homeless gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, Carl Siciliano says, he has often witnessed the baleful effects of some religious institutions on some young people. He said he had regularly heard stories about priests verbally or physically abusing youngsters who had come out to their parents, urging them to suppress their sexuality and telling parents to disown their children.

So when the Episcopal Community Services of Long Island contacted Mr. Siciliano about creating a shelter for homeless gay youths, he paused.

Not hard to understand why. But this time he was dealing with a Christian church that wants to act like a Christian church and not the right hand of God Almighty. There were no pray-away-the-gay strings attached. These Episcopalians genuinely wanted to support and give comfort to kids in need. And gay kids can be among the neediest. The Times article mentions a study by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and National Coalition for the Homeless that estimated that up to 40 percent of homeless kids in the Land Of The Free And The Home Of The Brave identify as either gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

The Episcopal donation provided for a new 16 bed shelter, and sadly even that is still not taking care of the problem as every night a list of 150 or so kids…children…go wanting for shelter. Contrast this, with the Catholic church in Washington D.C. threatening to stop feeding and sheltering the homeless…on the taxpayers dime no less…if they’re not allowed to discriminate against gay people. Timothy Kincaid over at Box Turtle Bulletin thumps his pulpit a good one on this odd difference in approach to Christian social justice…

“Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

In Uganda the righteous would send them to the gallows. Thanks in no small measure to American culture warriors who wear their Christianity on their sleeves, but not in their hearts. Charles de Gaulle once famously said that patriotism is when love of your country comes first, while nationalism is when hatred of everyone else comes first. Not for nothing has the term Christian Nationalist or Christianist been gaining currency lately.

A document on Exodus International’s web site has, since 1996, rejected the notion that the world’s homosexual or LGBT people are entitled to human rights.

In a PDF file located on the Exodus site (backup copy here), Exodus affirms antigay Episcopalians’ failed heresy trial against Bishop Walter Righter for ordaining a noncelibate gay Christian man.

Regarding the human rights of homosexual persons, Exodus says (emphasis is ours):

The casting by Bishop Righter and his supporters of the trial as a trial of “justice” is inflammatory and disingenuous. They act as if their idea of justice was self-evident. In fact, their justice is clearly a reflection of a secular radical ideology that dilutes the category of basic human rights by applying rights language to interest and lifestyle groups.

Here’s an image copy of this text:

The footer of every page clearly indicates that the document is being hosted and automatically generated (or re-generated) by Exodus International. (Click the image for a full-size view.)

The document concludes:

This document was prepared and distributed in support of the Presenting Bishops by: Concerned Clergy and Laity in the
Episcopal Church, Post Office Box 36433, Grosse Pointe, Michigan 48236. More information on the purpose and work of
CCLEC may be had by calling 1-800-307-7609.

The document is dated February 1996.

For up to 13 years, it appears, Exodus has hosted this document which leaps far beyond the topic of Bishop Righter to reject the basic human rights of sexual minorities.

When I consider Exodus’ keynote role in the March 2009 conference which launched Uganda’s campaign for antigay genocide — and Exodus’ refusal to condemn the campaign until seven months later — I am not surprised by this finding.

Nor am I surprised, given this document, that antigay Anglicans who collaborated with the Righter document have likewise refused to condemn the Uganda campaign.

The United Reformed Church of the United Kingdom said Wednesday that it is “appalled” at the “draconian measures” in Uganda’s proposed antigay death penalty. The legislation calls for the execution of gay, sexually active persons who are HIV-positive or whose partner is underage or disabled. The legislation also broadens the existing life-imprisonment sentence for consensual intimacy among gay couples; adds new punishments for pastors, friends, and family members who fail to report a gay person to the police; and criminalizes comprehensive sex education and health care which might be perceived as tolerating homosexual behavior.

PinkNews.co.uk points out that the church has asked Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, who grew up in Uganda, to condemn the legislation. As yet, neither has responded.

This weekend, Integrity USA expressed “grave concern” over the Uganda anti-gay death-penalty bill that is queued for approval by the Ugandan Parliament early in 2010.

Integrity said:

If passed, it will make the very important ministry of inclusion of the gay and lesbian baptized in the Anglican Communion something punishable by fines and imprisonment. Organizations that teach reconciliation and the inclusive love of God could be faced with a blanket ban to cease all operations, including our partnership with Bishop Christopher Senyonjo and Integrity Uganda.

The new bill would outlaw Integrity Uganda and would put clergy, physicians and relatives who support their gay and lesbian neighbors and family members at risk for severe fines and possible imprisonment. The proposed law may mean neighbors who do not inform on each other for supporting LGBT civil rights are subject to punishment. We have not seen such a draconian system of isolation and institutional rejection of a minority community in Uganda since the anti Jewish laws passed by the Third Reich.

Since about half of Uganda’s annual budget comes from foreign handouts, Integrity called upon U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to investigate the abuses of human rights and to re-evaluate the United States support of the Yowero Museveni regime.

Clinton has taken no action thus far, despite a prior appeal by four members of Congress.

Integrity added that the Anglican Communion may be complicit in Uganda’s human-rights crisis:

Dr. George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, was the architect of Lambeth 1:10–the resolution widely quoted in the Church of Uganda’ official response to this legislation last week; legislation which it largely supports. Canon Ogle wrote to Dr. Carey in 1998. Ogle predicted that the anti-homosexuality resolutions would be used by church and state alike to inflict violence and death against LGBT Anglicans. Eleven years later those predictions are coming true.

Integrity called upon all bishops to clarify the meaning and intent of Lambeth 1:10.