Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyFebruary 25th, 2010
The headline in the online edition of Ugandan tabloid Red Pepper screams, “Pastors Name Benny Hinn Sodomy Bonkmate.” That headline appears to be in reaction to the news that American pentecostal prosperity evangelist and faith healer Benny Hinn is unable to heal his own marriage and is seeking a divorce.
Schadenfreudesters should be cautious however. The Red Pepper is notorious for publishing false accusations, especially when those accusations stoke the fires of homophobia. Last year, the tabloid conducted a virulently anti-gay campaign of public outings. The tabloild was also in the very thick of a wide-ranging “pastor wars,” in which several prominent pastors including pentecostal pastor Martin Ssempa, an ardent supporter of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, accused rival pastors of sodomy in order to try to boost their own standing. Sports figures have also gotten into the act.
In this latest flare-up, the Red Pepper published a banner headline accusing Benny Hinn of sodomizing a well-known pastor. The pastor, however, appears not to have been named in the Red Pepper piece, but that didn’t prevent Solomon Male and Simon Kyazze from naming their accused rival which appears to be Robert Kayanja. Pastor Benny Hinn held a large “Fire Conference” revivial at Kayanja’s Rubaga Miracle Centre last June. Kayanja was accused last May of homosexuality by several rival pastors, including Solomon Male and Martin Ssempa. Kayanja retaliated by barring Ssempa, Male and others from Hinn’s revival. BTB readers in Uganda tell us that Hinn is wildly popular there (his program is on Lighthouse TV every weekday evening at 9:00), which makes the snub all the more pointed.
Kayanja was cleared of all accusations by police, and they have charged Ssempa and Male for filing a false report. This may explain the Red Pepper’s reticence in naming the accused pastor in this round. But Ssempa is suspected of being behind the Red Pepper’s numerous anti-gay vigilante campaigns over the past several years. These latest allegations can be seen as just another battle in the ongoing war among Ugandan pastors for supremacy.
If the Anti-Homosexuality Bill should be come law, you can expect such campaigns to increase in frequency and consequence. One provision of the proposed law would significantly lower the bar for conviction. Current law requires evidence of penetration. The new law would expand the definition of homosexual activity to”touch(ing) another person with the intention of committing the act of homosexuality.” Touching itself is defined as “touching—(a) with any part of the body; (b) with anything else; (c) through anything; and in particular includes touching amounting to penetration of any sexual organ, anus or mouth.”
The phrase “with any body part” leaves a loophole big enough to drive a truck through. Or a rival pastor.
Click here to see BTB\’s complete coverage of recent anti-gay developments in Uganda.
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Craig L. Adams
February 25th, 2010
Oh good grief. Thanks for all your reporting on this issue.
RCM
February 25th, 2010
Does anybody know what they are planning to rely on for evidence of the “intention”?
John
February 25th, 2010
Political and religious opponents were always the real target of this legislation. Lower the bar for conviction so low that anyone can be thrown in jail and kept from challenging the current political and religious power structure.
It seems that Ssempa wants to get his hand on Benny Hinn’s properity.
Lynn David
February 25th, 2010
Christianity in its virginal form – predatory if not cannabilistic.
James
February 26th, 2010
BTB should not rely on imaginations and hearsay to write up stories. Ssempa Martin has never been charged in any court or even been summoned to court over over this issue. Pastors Kyazze and Kayiira who are in court right now are not even being charged over the sodomy allegations. Their case is allegedly trespassing into the Kayanja’s Miracle center church. They have been appearing in Court since then.
What would we say of Kayanja action to abduct his own assistant and church care taker as a way of whipping up support for his campaign against the sodomy allegation.
Why don’t we discuss real life issues other peddling ourselves on lies and lies and lies. BTB could be able to lead a campaign in this.
Then the lies keep going on and on, that Ssempa showed ponography in his church. For the past 10 sundays, I have camped at ssempa’s church just to get right hand information on his stand against homosexuality. Yes I got information contrary to what the media is reporting. Interestingly what the International media is reporting is far different from what is actually on the ground. I never ever saw ssempa show homo porn in his Church. The only place where he showed acceptable pictures (not porn pics) was at a press conference at the National Theatre which is not a Church.
Hitler thrived on lies, BTB do not be caught up in this. Let’s focus on real issues. Thank you.
James
anteros
February 26th, 2010
@James:
Oh please!
You must have drank Ssempa’s kool aid… and watched his porn.
What he showed was not porn? If you found those images acceptable, then you are more comfortable with scat porn than most gay people.
Let’s have a poll!
Look at the evidence below:
http://wthrockmorton.com/2010/02/18/bbc-news-ssempa-shows-porn-to-church-audience/
Is the material Ssempa showed on his laptop:
A. porn
B. not porn (acceptable)
anteros
February 26th, 2010
@James:
Ssempa himself already admitted that he showed gay porn in church:
http://wthrockmorton.com/2010/02/22/martin-ssempa-defends-gay-porn-presentations/comment-page-1/#comment-236804
If you’re gonna do damage control – don’t lie… Unless you don’t mind getting caught out like Bill Clinton, Ted Haggard etc.
If you cant help lying, at least coordinate your lies with the person you’re trying to defend.
Pete H
February 27th, 2010
Red Pepper is hardly a reliable source of information, but there are a couple of gems in the article, namely:
FAKE MIRACLES
He (Pastor Male) added that Hinn had an advance team of followers whom he paid to fake different categories of miracles and diseases which he later claimed to have cured after prayers.
“Benny Hinn is part of the false prosperity gospel responsible for defrauding millions of people worldwide who are desperate for a breakthrough in social, economic, physical health, political, security and intellectual aspects, among others. “He is like a rotary owner who targets the desperate and is among the many preachers today involved in religious merchandising where God, Jesus and Holy Spirit are catch words,†said Pastor Male.
He added that Hinn’s plight, troubles and evils must be an eye-opener for Ugandans who think their pastors can’t go wrong, especially those desperate to pay for Visas, marriage healings and any other breakthrough.”
If the Ugandans can see it, why can’t everybody else?
Darliton
October 23rd, 2010
Benny hinn must be ashamed of himself fist of all there is no smoke without fire and if it is nt true the thing that his name is mixed up with homosexuality means he once did it somewere as for me l think he did bcoz there so much hypocrisy in him
Priya Lynn
October 24th, 2010
Now who can argue with that.
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