shaking his head in wonder and horror. “This man came up to me after a service, in New York I think, and said, ‘Oh, good to see you bishop, this is my partner of many years,’ ” he recalled. “I said, ‘Oh!’ I jumped back.” Archbishop Akinola, a man whose international reputation has largely been built on his tough stance against homosexuality, has become the spiritual head of 21 conservative churches in the United States. They opted to leave the Episcopal Church over its decision to consecrate an openly gay bishop and allow churches to bless same-sex unions. Among the eight Virginia churches to announce they had joined the archbishop’s fold last week are The Falls Church and Truro Church, two large, historic and wealthy parishes. In a move attacked by some church leaders as a violation of geographical boundaries, Archbishop Akinola has created an offshoot of his Nigerian church in North America for the discontented Americans. In doing so, he has made himself the kingpin of a remarkable alliance between theological conservatives in North America and the developing world that could tip the power to conservatives in the Anglican Communion, a 77-million member confederation of national churches that trace their roots to the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury. “Why didn’t God make a lion to be a man’s companion?” Archbishop Akinola said at his office here in Abuja. “Why didn’t he make a tree to be a man’s companion? Or better still, why didn’t he make another man to be man’s companion? So even from the creation story, you can see that the mind of God, God’s intention, is for man and woman to be together.” Archbishop Akinola’s views on homosexuality — that it is an abomination akin to bestiality and pedophilia — are fairly mainstream here. Nigeria is a deeply religious country, evenly divided between Christians and Muslims, and attitudes toward homosexuality, women’s rights and marriage are dictated largely by scripture and enforced by deep social taboos. Archbishop Akinola spoke forcefully about his unswerving convictions against homosexuality, the ordination of women and the rise of what he called “the liberal agenda,” which he said had “infiltrated our seminaries” in the Anglican Communion. (New York Times, December 25, 2006)

Whether you wrap your hatred and prejudice against gay and lesbian people in scripture, law, constitutions or poetry, it is still hate. It still incites others to hate, to osctracize, to diminsh, to disrespect, to reject, to harm, to attack, and often to kill gay and lesbian people all over the world. We cannot dictate what any person believes, but we can maintain vigilant eye on this creeping homophobia and condemn it in the strongest language. Nigeria is currently considering a law that punishes gay and lesbian Nigerians with imprisonment, and even punishes those who associate with gays or lesbians. Archbishop Akinola is a vigorous supporter of this legislation. We cannot stand idly by while gay and lesbian Nigerians are suffering, under threat of violence, extortion, extra-judical and legally prescribed criminal sanction. Evil is evil. 'Merry Christmas, and Goodwill to all Men.' Indeed.


Return to BLOG here.