Tuesday, January 21, 2014

PLEASE CONSIDER SIGNING THE PETITION


If you have not done so already, please consider signing the petition appealing to Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop of York John Sentamu to speak out against draconian anti-gay laws in Nigeria, which violate the human rights of gay and lesbian people.
As you will know, Nigeria has just enacted some of the most extreme anti-gay laws on the planet. The Church of Nigeria, in particular retired Archbishop Akinola, has been supporting the bill for many years, and only last year the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese, Asaba, Justus Mogekwu, appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to assent to the anti-gay marriage bill. As Anglicans [and fellow Christians of other traditions], we call on both of you to oppose these laws, publicly and privately, in word and deed. 

I can think of no better words to persuade you than those of two advocates for human rights, one a martyr to the cause, the other stripped of his priestly faculties.


“Let those who have a voice, speak out for the voiceless.”
Archbishop Óscar Romero 

"Silence is the voice of complicity."
Fr. Roy Bourgeois

9 comments:

  1. Signed several days ago, but thanks for the promo, Mimi.

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  2. I wish I understood this continuing silence from the Archbishops and from the many conservatives in the blogsphere.

    Those who always claim they oppose gay relationships but that they love the sinners and that they do not condone violence are those who would have most to gain by speaking out and distancing themselves from this.

    I know that some people believe that the Archbishops are working diplomatically behind the scenes - but if they are they are not being very effective!
    And there are those who fear that Western intervention would make it worse for lgbt people in Nigeria. But how much worse could it possibly get?

    When even national governments speak out, what possibly reason can our church have to remain silent?

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    Replies
    1. Erika, I've heard of the worry that intervention by church leaders might make matters worse in Nigeria by pushing them further toward the opposite extreme from cautions expressed, but, in this instance, I don't see how it's possible for church leaders to remain silent.

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