WILL DIALOGUE STOP CHURCH – GAY CLASH?

By Dunker Kamba (BTM Correspondent)

SOUTH AFRICA – 11 November 2009: Can religion and homosexuality ever be reconciled? Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM) strongly believes so and says dialogue is a biblical way in which people of faith should tackle “sensitive and painful” issues, rather than debate which “only polarizes and divides people.”

IAM, which works as a catalyst, building bridges between religious faith and gay communities, said this at the First African Dialogue on Homosexuality and Christian Faith held in Cape Town on 2-5 November.

The first of its kind dialogue about the issues of sexual orientation from a Christian faith perspective, the conference unraveled the long standing battle between the gay community and the church and slammed Uganda’s Anti-Homosexual Bill.

Participants also drafted a letter to the Ugandan government calling all Christians to oppose that country’s “hate bill”, presently before the Ugandan Parliament.

“We are affirming and calling for all fellow African Christians especially our brothers and sisters in Uganda, as members of the same body of Christ to engage in dialogue to find a way forward together”, a participant said in the conference.

He added, “We believe that God has gifted us with both sexuality and spirituality as aspects of our humanity. It is therefore our duty and responsibility as members of the same Body of Christ, to affirm, amidst our diversity and differences, that all of us are made in the image of God. We are equal in value and thus deserve to commit ourselves to this process of encounter, listening and sharing.”

While encouraging dialogue as a method to grapple with challenges regarding sexual orientation and faith, participants pointed out lack of knowledge about sexual orientation and silence as stumbling blocks that may hinder discourses.

They however agreed to overcome these challenges by engaging in dialogues, with a view to share knowledge.

The conference, jointly initiated by IAM and The Rainbow Project (TRP) of Namibia, attracted about 38 members of the clergy and 39 members of the gay community from various African countries.

It remains to be seen if dialogue between church and the gay community, particularly in Uganda, is possible as religion is the main ground in which homosexuality is condemned.