Lost in Translation

I subscribe to a number of different listserves, but admit I don't always read all the ones that come in to my various email accounts. Some days, I just don't have the energy to keep up with all that is happening in the world. And since I'm not a journalist (or at least a paid one) any more, hey--I don't have to follow every bloody news item!! Thanks be to God!

But today I did check out the Institute for Welcoming Resources exchange over a post called, "Nation of God; Is Uganda Better Now?" You had to wade through the long description of how Ugandan President Museveni called for a day of prayer and repentance. OK... we have the National Day of Prayer, so this is nothing new... except, with the impending legislation to severely punish or kill LGBT people... this part of the email message was alarming:

Wanton stealing of public resources, bribery, illicit enrichment, poor time management, witchcraft, human sacrificing, prostitution, adultery, idolatry, pornography, homosexuality plus a coterie of other vices have conspired together and invaded Uganda in a mighty way.


Really? This is when I started wondering, "What's wrong with this picture? Isn't this a pro-gay 'welcoming' religious list?"

A few hours later... an apology from one of the list administrators. She hadn't read the post closely enough as things were coming in fast and furious into her ebox. The post has been removed from the archives. This was followed by a note from the original poster, Kirumiga M. Mpagi, saying that the intent of the post was to highlight the dangerous hold theocracy is having in Uganda; hence the subject line asking, "Is Uganda Better Now?"

I smiled, and realized that the problem must have been that there was no set up. If you don't issue the disclaimer in very plain, simple terms, most of us Americans will assume that what we're reading is, in fact, the opinion of the person posting the message, and not a "Hey; can you believe this is happening??".

So, in answer to that question about, "Is Uganda Better Now?", if they are having a national call of prayer to God... and (as mentioned in the email posting) likening this call to similar massive calls for repentance as outlined in 2 Chronicles and such... well, no... I think Uganda is getting worse. It believes itself to be living in a time before Christ... or as it is now called "Before the Common Era".

The anti-gay bill, which had tacit help from Christian evangelicals in the United States, remains in play. The fact that the Ugandan President is holding ceremonies to pray for God's deliverance from the scourge of "witchcraft" and "homosexuality" is worrisome, and an indicator of what the post to IWR was trying to get out there. Namely, that this African nation is tilting more and more toward a theocracy and that is scary for anyone deemed "unfit for the kingdom" by those who are in power. Have we established amnesty for LGBT Ugandans yet?

Next Thursday, our PFLAG-Tallahassee chapter will air the 30-minute documentary "Voices of Witness: Africa" at 6pm at St. John's Episcopal Church. It's my hope that by sharing the story of LGBT Africans, we here in the States will be aware that our struggle for freedom is global as well as local.

Hold the people of African nations such as Uganda in your prayers. They need them.