Tutu blasts Anglican
church for gay 'obsession'
London, United
Kingdom, M&G Online November 18, 2007
Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu has
slammed the church for being "obsessed" with homosexuality, in a BBC radio
programme to be broadcast Tuesday.
The South African 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner, 76, said he felt ashamed of his
church for its attitude towards gays.
He also criticised Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the leader
of the world's Anglicans, for not demonstrating the attributes of a "welcoming
God".
"Our world is facing problems -- poverty, HIV and Aids -- a devastating
pandemic, and conflict," Tutu said.
"God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against
one another.
"In the face of all of that, our church, especially the Anglican church, at this
time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality."
He said the Anglican church had appeared "extraordinarily homophobic" during the
row over whether the openly gay priest Gene Robinson should be allowed to become
the bishop of New Hampshire.
Tutu said he was "saddened and "ashamed" of the church over the row.
Asked if he still felt ashamed, he replied: "If we are going to not
welcome or invite people because of sexual orientation, yes.
"If God as they say is homophobic I wouldn't worship that God."
Tutu hit out at those religious conservatives who believe homosexuality is a
choice.
"It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual," he
said.
"You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred.
"It's like saying you choose to be black in a race infected society."
Criticising Williams, he added: "Why doesn't he demonstrate a particular
attribute of God's which is that God is a welcoming God."
-- Sapa-AFP
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