ABC Accuses “American Christians” of “Preaching Hate in Uganda”

[Jennifer Groves]

ABC has launched an anti-Christian crusade, blaming “American Christians” for proposed legislation in Uganda that would make homosexuality a capital offense.

Original story that aired March 10 on the evening news:

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/uganda-considers-death-penalty-gays-10067719

Another installment with much of the same footage aired that same day on Nightline:

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/preaching-hate-10069328

It also aired on ABC talk radio 14 March.

ABC reporter Bill Harris “investigates” ABC’s assertion that American Christians are responsible for the bill, claiming that a single 3-day seminar on “Exposing the Homosexual Agenda” has created a violent “wave of homophobia”.

Scott Lively, an American pastor, was the keynote speaker for the seminar. He and his team were invited to the Makerere Community Church in Kampala by its senior pastor, Martin Ssempa. As Lively pointed out to the reporter, blaming this proposed legislation on Americans requires a “colonial mindset” and it’s ridiculous to think that a few Americans in three days could effectively change laws in Uganda (a sentiment echoed by Ssempa, who said Harris’ assumptions were “offensive”). Lively also explained that his mission is against the radical homosexual agenda that has warped politics and attacked traditional family values in this country—not against homosexuals themselves. Lively said he has never supported capital punishment as a penalty for homosexuality.

Personally, I think there are enough problems with the homosexual lobby in this country that Christians don’t need to go to Uganda to preach against it and Ssempa went overboard in sharing porn with his parishioners. It is a mistake to mix church and state and try to outlaw homosexuality.

But ABC’s insinuations are very telling.

Note that Harris blames “American Christians” in general for Lively’s seminar. Somehow, every American Christian is responsible for Uganda’s Parliament considering passing a law?

Also note that the reporter never really discusses the details of the proposed legislation—but he does skim over a proponent who says that the bill does NOT call for capital punishment of homosexuals but rather for homosexual pedophiles. There is a difference. The actual bill is never discussed or presented.

I suspect that penalties for breaking the law in Uganda are generally harsher than they are here in the U.S. What ABC wants American viewers to regard as "shocking" is probably in keeping with Ugandan penalties for similar crimes.

Harris also never explains how Ssempa and/or his congregation are connected to the parliament. Instead, Harris simply labels Ssempa’s preaching of biblical mandates against homosexuality as “preaching hate”.

Lively and Ssempa are correct in their analysis that it is “colonial”—another term for “racist”—for liberals to think that Americans have that much influence over Ugandan politics. American liberals and homosexual activists are now actively trying to influence Ugandan politics and they see no hypocrisy in this.

But that is the way with liberal media. Blame others for your own actions. Accuse others of what you yourself do.

ABC—or any other mainstream media—would NEVER issue a blanket indictment against American Muslims. They will hardly mention “Islam” or “Muslim” when it comes to reporting terrorist attacks. If Islam ever enters into any story at all, reporters are always VERY careful to emphasize that it’s only one or two Muslims who are involved in any wrongdoing and they always jump at the chance to say it has nothing to do with their religion.

Yet they will go halfway around the world for a chance to skewer American Christians and falsely accuse them. It amounts to nothing more than a cheap, indirect attempt to discredit all Americans who hold any conservative or family values—after all, this is an election year.