BREAKING NEWS: Commandment #9 is NOT "optional"

Don't go rushing to Wikipedia to figure out which one is #9 ... it's the "Thou shalt not bear false witness" one ... AKA "Tell the truth, dude" one (as one of my youth-groups-past paraphrased it.)

Readers of this blog will know that I have long maintained that those who believe they have Sole Possession of the (Capital-A) Absolute (Capital-T) Truth also believe they have some kind of "Get out of Commandment #9 free card" ... and can say whatever they want to whoever they want regardless of whether it's actually true or not.

Not!

Well, Jesus famously said, "The truth will set you free." And I think that's partly why He invented the internet (and selflessly gave Al Gore credit.) Because there's pretty much nowhere to go and nowhere to hide from what we've actually said. And so lying about it later and getting away with it is becoming less and less an option.

Exhibit A -- Lou Engle (of "The Call" fame) who just released this press statement:

"TheCall has been wrongfully marked and vilified as an organization promoting hatred and violence against homosexuals ..."

Don't you hate when that happens? When you're wrongfully marked and vilified for something you didn't do or say? Sometimes you don't even know what you DID to give people the wrong impression.

Maybe it was this comment (during the California Prop 8 campaign):

"The gay movement is an evil institution whose goal is to defeat the marriage based society."

Or maybe this one:

It is "a spirit more demonic than Islam -- a spirit of lawlessness and anarchy and a sexual insanity will be unleashed onto the earth"

I know it's a stretch, but do you think maybe -- just maybe -- there are those who would be insighted into hatred and violence based on that kind of rhetoric?
But wait ... there's more. If you have the time ... and the stomach ... for it ... watch this compelling video from "Stop The Call ... and see for yourself what Lou Engle actually said -- over and over and over again:




And then contrast that message with this one -- from Bishop Christopher Senyonjo: an Anglican Ugandan who has lost his license to serve as a bishop in that country because of his message of love and inclusion for LGBT people:


Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo from Claiming the Blessing on Vimeo.

So let's review:
Lying - BAD (See Moses re: 9th Commandment)
Loving - GOOD (See Jesus re: Greatest Commandment)

What to do next?

Sign:

The "Stop the Call to Violence" online petition

Contact:

Call and/or write Letters of Protest to TheCall Ministries and ask them stop exporting homophobia to Uganda. The event they are organizing is dangerous to LGBT people in Uganda.

JoAnna Watson, Coordinator of The Call Uganda
Email: Joannawatsonthint@yahoo.com
Phone: +256 779 864 985

Lou Engle
Email: response@thecall.com
Phone: +1 816 285 9351

Support:

Bishop Senyonjo's upcoming visit to the U.S. -- May 10 - June 17 -- including the All Saints Church Rector's Forum on Sunday, May 16.

Visit the Integrity website for updated tour information and to donate to support this important work and Bishop Christopher's prophetic witness.

And Remember:

Commandment #9 is not optional ... FOR ANYBODY!