April 12th, 2010
Our post asking whether popular televangelist Joyce Meyer supported Uganda’s proposed Anti-Homosexualty Bill inspired Michael Jones to follow up with a post at Change.org asking the same thing. I had written to Rev. Meyer’s ministries three tmies, and Michael also wrote seeking a statement. Michael now sends word that he has an answer. Here’s the statement:
It is increasingly evident that the proposed “Anti-Homosexuality Bill” introduced in the Ugandan parliament is a profoundly offensive, dangerous and disturbing attack on the very foundation of individual liberties and human rights afforded not only to the good citizens of Uganda, but on the at-large global community.
If enacted, this hostile legislation will also further, and adversely, serve as a major setback in the global health efforts to combat Uganda’s AIDS epidemic and reduce the record-high infection rates among the country’s HIV population, an already at-risk community that could be further ostracized, threatened, and targeted as potential criminals.
Our missions and ministry message has always been to teach that the Word of God is about helping people – all people – learn that God loves them and has a purpose for their lives, not put guilt or condemnation on them.
As a global society, we do not have to agree, endorse or condone the lifestyle choices of others. However, history has taught us that we equally cannot and should not excuse those who would hide behind religion or misuse God’s word to justify bigotry and persecution.
With this statement, our motivation and intent is not to interfere with Uganda’s political agenda or internal affairs. As believers, however, we have a moral and ethical duty that compels us to speak out against injustice wherever it may be in the world.
Joyce Meyer Ministries
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Craig L. Adams
April 12th, 2010
Very interesting. Thanks for posting this, Jim.
RCM
April 12th, 2010
Oh good, I don’t have to bury my Joyce Meyer books…I do hope her ministry and staff will be alright in Uganda after she has had the bottle to make her opinion so clear.
Grant
April 12th, 2010
Although it obviously took a little coaxing to get this statement, it seems nearly pitch-perfect. It should serve as yet another nail in the coffin of this grievous bill.
Fergie
April 12th, 2010
Even after using the dreaded “lifestyle choices” verbiage in her statement, I still have to give credit where credit is due. The Meyers Ministries statement is encouraging and totally works for me. I wish some of the other evangelicals and faith leaders hiding behind this issue had been so reasonable and clear.
My only question is, where was this statement posted/published? Did it make it to the bills proponents in Uganda?
Just curious.
penguinsaur
April 12th, 2010
I do hope her ministry and staff will be alright in Uganda after she has had the bottle to make her opinion so clear.
This assumes a significant amount of people in Uganda actually see this statement which was only released after being sent a petition by angry Americans.
Call me cynical but I wonder just how much airtime these denouncements of the bill are getting in the country where it’s actually being debated.
Zoe Nicholson
April 12th, 2010
All I want is balance. I want society to build and sustain both organizations and opportunities to embrace all expressions of humanity.
Thank you Joyce for not wanting to kill us. I had something a bit more in mind.
majii
April 12th, 2010
God is about love, and anyone who says otherwise is not a Christian no matter what comes out of their mouths. Huckabee, Palin, Cucinnelli, and all of the talking heads use hate to deny others their rights to live as they choose. I must say that I often wonder why they have such an obsession about what others’ do in their bedrooms. It makes no sense since they will not be involved. I am African American and heterosexual, and I have always supported and will continue to support full rights for LGBTQ persons because I spent the first 18 years in America under segregation, and I have lived 57 years in this country and have had to constantly deal with some people who still don’t consider me to be equal to them. This is the reason I support the right of all people to live their lives the way they would like to.
Sigh
April 12th, 2010
She still leaves plenty of wiggle room for homophobes.
“lifestyle choices” — I thought this was 2010, not 1985.
Who I am is not a “lifestyle choice.”
anteros
April 12th, 2010
omg! i’d just about given up on joyce meyer ministries…
it’s a good statement.
thanks Jim! and thanks too, to everybody who did something to prompt this statement.
Stefano A
April 13th, 2010
penguinsaur:
Again you’ve nailed it!
While I admit I was pleased to reader her statement (setting aside the unfortunate use of “lifestyle choice”), I couldn’t help but wonder what impact her statement might actually have.
I could find no public release on the Joyce Meyer Ministries web site in which this position was publicly proclaimed.
It’s one thing to send a private correspondence (e-mail) that gets blogged about, and quite another to place the statement up front on their web site (or make statements in broadcasts) to stating the position.
Like you, I couldn’t help but wonder how far this news would reach, or if it even would make it into Uganda.
By her closing remark:
I couldn’t help but parse this to nuance no intention at all to present this statement to the Ugandan public.
Maurice Lacunza
April 13th, 2010
The following quote reveals Joyce Meyer’s true color: “…our motivation and intent is not to interfere with Uganda’s political agenda or internal affairs.”
I wrote Joyce a letter two years ago asking for clarification about her stand on homosexuals. After a banter of emails, none of which clarified her position, she finally had the staffer send me the usual love the sinner/hate the sin letter.
Joyce is anti-gay. Don’t be deceived by her politics.
Priya Lynn
April 13th, 2010
I think Maurice is right. Joyce gives away her anti-gay position with this statement: “As a global society, we do not have to agree, endorse or condone the lifestyle choices of others.”.
She then says “However, history has taught us that we equally cannot and should not excuse those who would hide behind religion or misuse God’s word to justify bigotry and persecution.” which is ironic given that she is hiding behind religion herself to justify bigotry and persecution.
Maurice Lacunza
April 13th, 2010
Thanks Priya. I wrote a little song about it. It goes like this:
Irony and Gayery, live together in perfect buggery, side by side they saddle in a homo-rectory!
RCM
April 13th, 2010
I personally approve of her not supporting the bill, even if she does believe that gay is a “lifestyle choice”. Thinking gay is a choice might be ignorant and misguided, but she is not backing the destruction or even criminalization of those she is ignorant and misguided about. She is not advocating murder in the name of God, I regard that as good. Not wonderfully revolutionarily fantastic, just good.
Priya Lynn
April 13th, 2010
RCM, what she’s in essence saying is “Gays are evil, but that’s no justification for killing them.”. It takes a lot of steam out of your opposition when you start with “we do not have to agree, endorse or condone the lifestyle choices of others.â€, its a contradictory message.
RCM
April 14th, 2010
Thank you Priya Lynn, but I do think it is a good thing that she at least thinks it is wrong to kill people for it. The way I see it, if people who think gay=evil just don’t kill (or torture, or in any other way aggressively punish) everyone who disagrees, then the rest of us might find some way of convincing them to see sense.
If what she said turns out to be popular with the far right/Christian Fundamentalist factions, then I’ll decide I misunderstood, and use her books for compost.
Emilio
April 19th, 2010
Well, this is something at least! I had been wondering for ages what Joyce’s stand on homosexuality was and couldn’t find anything on the net. I grew up with her teaching and even though one of my friends dismissively calls her “a housewife preacher”, I love the way she teaches. Even though she is being very dispomatic with the above statement, I believe the time is coming when she will have to really “come out of the closet” about her position and speak more clearly to her gay audience. It is a bit ironic, though, that her ministry should extend to afflicted people thousands of miles away (which is great) yet the not any less pulpable afflictions of many gay people under their nose should remain unnoticed…
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