There is Handwringing in Africa Over Same Sex Blessings


In Germany, Catholic leaders have a liberal attitude towards same sex marriage. I get the impression Priests are conducting these weddings even though they are not approved of, even scolded , by Rome. In Africa, same sex marriage and homosexuality is a taboo. Some Catholics in Africa are threatening to leave the denomination over the Pope's declaration that priests can bless though not marry, same sex couples. In each case, religion follows the culture, not the other way around. The Pope is trying to straddle cultural differences around the globe.

There are countries in Africa that have on the books death for homosexuals. Is this a place for Catholic, Methodist or Baptist ideals?

Methodists solved this problem by splitting up. The "World Methodists," including I understand a big representation from African, merged with about 1/3rd of U.S. churches to form a branch that condemns gay clergy and gay weddings. The 2/3rds remaining will now affirm gay marriages.

What is unknown is the future of both the Catholic Church and new Methodist denomination in Africa. What if, as I anticipate, increasingly aggressive parts of the culture have increasingly large voices in the denomination? If death to gay people becomes the rule in these denominations will U.S. churches think that is just dandy? When the original Methodists went into Africa thinking they were taming a beast they did not realize the beast would tame them. When a group wants to bring Jesus to a different culture they would be wise to recognize Jesus may change to fit in at the new place.

Most days on right wing religious sites there are new stories about Christian Nigerians being attacked in that country. I have to ask what Christianity, especially the denominations who paid for missionaries, received in return for sending missionaries to Nigeria? If missionaries and the church administrators who sent the missionaries had known many humans would die because of Christian conversions would they have been so enthusiastic?   

Today we can speculate that the Bible might be used to justify killing homosexuals. It is now being used to deny marriage rights. To donate money for missionaries seems like an idea to make the world worse.

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