Should missionaries
ever seek to change social practices and work to make laws that would change
what is thought unacceptable in the countries to which they go? Most Christians
now would probably say No, although perhaps they would allow for some
exceptions, such as in cases such as sati
(suttee) in India and foot binding
in China.
Sati,
the practice or burning widows on the pyres of their dead husbands, was
strongly opposed by English Baptist missionary William Carey for 25 years, and in
1829 it was finally banned in India.
Partly as the
result of considerable opposition by Christian missionaries in China, the cruel practice of mutilating the feet of young
girls, usually called “foot binding,” was outlawed
there in 1912.
In both of
these cases, missionaries were opposed to customs that were unlike Western
practices because of the perceived harm done to people they wanted to liberate
from inhumane practices.
But in very
recent years there is the odd phenomenon of some missionaries promoting
legislation that most Western countries now reject. The main case
in point is the anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda. It was exactly a year
ago, on Dec. 20, 2013, that the Ugandan legislature passed a harsh law
authorizing severe punishment for homosexual activity in that African country.
As has been
widely publicized, and severely criticized, by many Westerners, some of the
impetus behind that Ugandan anti-gay legislation was the outspoken support of some
Christian missionaries and U.S. pastors.
Earlier this
year I watched “God Loves Uganda,” the 2013 documentary about those working for
and against anti-homosexuality legislation in that country.
The movie
starts with scenes from Kansas City and clips of Lou Engle, one of the
co-founders of IHOP in 1999. Throughout the film there are many references to
IHOP missionaries working for the anti-gay legislation in Uganda.
IHOP (the
International House of Prayer) is considered by many to be a Christian cult.
But one of the best students I had one semester three or four years ago was a member
of IHOP, and she had nothing but praise for her “church.”
And in stark
contrast to what is depicted in the documentary, IHOP has disavowed any
connection with the anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda. (Here is the link to an interview with Mike Bickle, the main
leader of IHOP from its beginning, about that matter.)
In spite of
IHOP’s disclaimer, however, it is hard to think that the makers of “God Loves
Uganda” fabricated the footage of IHOP-linked missionaries being strong
advocates of the anti-gay legislation.
On the other
hand, the documentary also shows some Ugandan Christian leaders (especially Christopher
Senyonjo, a retired bishop in the Church of Uganda and Kapya Kaoma, an Anglican
priest) staunchly opposing the anti-homosexuality bill.
At the end of
the film it was noted that the “Anti-Homosexuality Act” was signed by the
Ugandan president on Feb. 25, 2014. In August,
however, that law was declared unconstitutional on a technicality. But an
equally harsh, or even harsher, law is still very much in the works, it seems.
There are some
efforts for cultural change and legislation that are legitimate for
missionaries to be engaged in. That includes, for example, anti-FGM (female
genital mutilation) activities at the present.
People who are
mistreated, demeaned, or treated unjustly need to be liberated from customs and practices that seem clearly to be in opposition to the teaching and example of Jesus. Thus, those born with homosexual orientation are appropriately included with people needing liberation and they should never be made the target of unjust laws.
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