Bp. Orama: "Insane, Satanic Gays Not Fit to Live"

From the UPI:

The Anglican Bishop of Uyo, Rt. Rev. Isaac Orama, has condemned the activities of homosexuals and lesbians...

..."Homosexuality and lesbianism are inhuman. Those who practice them are insane, satanic and are not fit to live because they are rebels to God's purpose for man," the Bishop said. He noted that the Anglican Church in Nigeria had continued to lead the fight against the practice especially in the US where it led the opposition to same sex marriages...

"Not fit to live..." Harsh.

So, is this just an isolated rant from an obviously disturbed man who happens to be a bishop of the Church of Nigeria? Perhaps.

Or perhaps this bishop is taking the lead from the Archbishop of All Nigeria (before he started using an editor), who set the example for him:

Peter Akinola, leader of the 17.5 million-strong church in Nigeria, hit out at the recent election in America of the first openly gay bishop.

"This is an attack on the Church of God - a Satanic attack on God's church," he told the Lagos-based Guardian newspaper.

"I cannot think of how a man in his senses would be having a sexual relationship with another man. Even in the world of animals, dogs, cows, lions, we don't hear of such things.

When we sit down globally as a communion, I am going to sit in a meeting with a man who is marrying a fellow man,' he added. 'I mean it's just not possible. I cannot see myself doing it."

Unfortunately, this is not the only time that Abp. Akinola has made derogatory statements about a particular minority group in the Church:

...To opine that, unknown to humans, God had hitherto created some people to be homosexuals and lesbians (i.e., sexual orientations) is tantamount to creating God in our own image and introducing a cancerous element into the fabric of the African understanding of marriage and family.

Homosexuality and lesbianism, like divorce, breed a society of single parents which gives rise to a generation of bastards. And in the context of much poverty and lack of education, this further produces an ill-bred generation of hooligans, portending much terror to the peace and stability of the society...

The Abp. did not claim that gays were "unfit to live," as his bishop did. But it seems to me that he shares in the responsibility for such an ugly statement being made by one under his authority. By his example, he has given his bishops the green light to engage in rhetorical violence.

Will the Archbishop discipline Bp. Orama for such hate speech? We'll have to wait and see.

And while we're waiting, it will be interesting to note the reactions of Bishops Minns and Bena of CANA, Abp. Akinola's beachhead in North America which now includes congregations in Virginia as well as Colorado.

I hear crickets.

J.

UPDATE: UPI has been pressured into pulling the original article. However, it can still be viewed here.