By Beth Shaw
The church that has become known as the Ugandan gay porn church is not what the nickname might imply. In fact, Pastor Martin Ssempa supports the Anti-Homosexual Bill that has created a world-wide controversy and protests by gay rights groups. You can watch a video above of Ssempa discussing his views regarding homosexuality on a Ugandan television show.
This past Wednesday, Ssempa screened gay porn in his church in an apparent attempt to persuade people that homosexuality is evil and to garner support for the controversial legislation. He has used these types of shock methods for these purposes before.
On the other side of the controversy is Dr. Warren Throckmorton who started a grassroots effort to oppose the bill. Throckmorton is an associate professor of psychology at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. He denounces Reverend Ssempa for demonizing homosexuals. Throckmorton says that he doesn’t condone homosexual behavior, but as a Christian believes that Christians should exhibit love and forgiveness rather than condemnation. He implores Christians to follow the example of Jesus Christ when dealing with behavior that is viewed as sinful.
Gay rights groups have called Ssempa’s actions ‘vulgar’ and have stated that he is in need of medical help.
A Pacific Lutheran University student studying in Kampala, Kelsey Hartsell, saw part of the presentation, but she and several other students left half-way through it. She expressed that her opposition to Pastor Ssempa’s activist stance in support of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill had nothing to do with her own position on gay rights, but that the pastor was preaching hate and intolerance.
Pastor Martin Ssempa does not seem to be deterred, regardless of the backlash to his showing gay-porn in his church. He responds to his detractors by saying that what is done in the bedroom in Africa is not a private matter in that it affects the clan, the tribe and the nation.
The proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill strengthens the laws in Uganda that already make homosexuality illegal there. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill will impose harsher sentences for homosexual behavior including a sentence of life in prison or death for anyone suspected of homosexuality who is HIV positive or engages in any sexual acts with anyone under the age of eighteen years.
The bill has been widely supported by Ugandan MPs and President Yoweri Museveni. However, President Museveni has indicated that international pressure is forcing him to consider scraping the bill. Both President of the United States Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have come out in opposition of the bill. There have been protests in many Western countries opposing the anti-gay laws in Uganda. Even so, Pastor Martin Ssempa and the Ugandan Gay Porn Church are not backing down. Ssempa has stated he hopes to screen the gay porn for Parliament and had planned a march on the Ugandan capital, Kampala, but was forced to abandon his plan because of danger from opponents.
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