The BBC and Reuters are reporting that the funeral for David Kato in Nakawala, Uganda, turned chaotic after the local Anglican priest began to berate gay people and refused to bury Kato's body.
During the funeral -- which was attended by about 300 people, including about 100 members of the country's gay community -- the pastor lashed out at homosexuality, provoking a strong reaction from friends of Kato.
"The world has gone crazy," the pastor told the congregation through a microphone.
"People are turning away from the scriptures. They should turn back, they should abandon what they are doing. You cannot start admiring a fellow man."
Gay activists, wearing T-shirts featuring Kato's face with sleeves coloured with the gay pride flag, then stormed the pulpit and grabbed the microphone.
"It is ungodly," the pastor shouted, before being blocked from sight.
An unidentified female activist then began to shout from the pulpit.
"Who are you to judge others?" she shouted. "We have not come to fight. You are not the judge of us. As long as he's gone to God his creator, who are we to judge Kato?"
Locals intervened on the side of the pastor and scuffles broke out before he was taken away to Kato's father's house to calm the situation.
Villagers then refused to bury the body at which point a group of Kato's friends, most of whom were gay, carried his coffin to the grave and buried it themselves.
Our reporter says hundreds of people - friends, family, colleagues and diplomats - crowded outside Mr Kato's family home in the village of Nakawala in Mukono district, 40km (about 25 miles) from Kampala.
Many members of the lesbian and gay community wore T-shirts with Mr Kato's portrait on the front and the words "La luta continua [the struggle continues]" printed on the back.
They were shocked when the priest (Thomas Musoke) started condemning homosexuals.
"You must repent. Even the animals know the difference between a male and a female," he said, before warning that they would face the fate of residents in Sodom and Gomorrah, the biblical cities destroyed by God.
Gay rights activists then stormed the pulpit and prevented the priest from continuing.
An excommunicated priest who has in the past called for people to respect the rights of homosexuals then presided over the rest of the service.
12 comments:
If that Anglican priest thinks he represents Jesus, he's got another think coming. Jesus would never have behaved in that fashion. NEVER.
That priest is a disgrace to himself and his church.
Indeed he is a disgrace but. . . .
The majority of the Anglican bishops and priests in Africa are anti-gay vehemently. . .to the extend that they are causing a major split in the Anglican Communion. . .to the extent they are no longer 'in communion' with The Episcopal Church [USA] and attned no meetings to which the American branch or the woman Primate USA are invited.
At the last Lambeth Conference the majority of African Anglican bishops refused to attend because of the presence of support for gays and lesbian priests and bishops.
The Anglican Colonial Church was taught and ministered to and established by fundamentalist ministers. . ...so "the chickens have come home to bite their asses."
Again, my question: WHO are committing the 'abominations'..?
God bless the excommunicated Anglican priest who finished the funeral service for David. He too is one of the "unwanted lepers".
Who are committing the abominations? People. Those same beings created in the likeness of their creator.
Who else?
Well, of course, Sweetie. . .. ;-))
People do those things.
I guess my use of the questions flew over the Cooko's Nest. . . ? ;-)
Those Anglican fundamentalists and the other fundies says that we as gay people are an abomination before the Lord, we are committing/doing abominations.
In the instance of David Koto's funeral I ask the question WHO IS committing the abominations? We gay people. . . or those MEN with their distorted baiibles and twisted teaching and their abominable actions which go everywhere contrary to the way of Jesus. As you say so truthfully, Jesus would never do that at David's funeral.
By their actions they judge and condemn themselves. No one else needs to. . . not even God. . they turn away from God and the ways of God and condemn themselves.
Their response to me, and the rest of you, would very likely be that I have turned away from the Way of Jesus and do and therefore are an abomination before God.
I am not now, nor have I ever been an abomination before God. LOL
JustinO
Well, I could have said abominable snowpersons but I refrained.
Please note: cuckoo is how it's spelled. :-P
Phhhhtttttttttttt!! ;-)
MOI??? Complex??? I, the epitome of simplicity and clarity? Duuuuuhhh?
;-)
The Phtttttttttt!!! is for the previous school-teacher. ;-)
What's with this "honey" and "sweetie" business? You guys are starting to sound like waitresses in a cheap diner.
Well, I dont know about COOPSTA, but. . . .my "sweetie" was directed to GARY, in response to his comment.
Need a menu. . .cheap diner. . .to follow the characters? hahaha
gum-chewing, Madge, with hair net.
ho ho ho.
How come J knows what waitresses in cheap diners sound like?
Maybe he has seen too many TV shos. . ??? or late night old movies???
Yeah, right.
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