We feel the need to give our friends some clarity as to why we are being called homophobes and the propagators of hate on the New York Times. A more comprehensive response will be forthcoming as we are able to get a full viewing of the film.
From what Rachelle and I are seeing in this NYT clip and some other things we have listened to, the premise of the movie is deeply flawed and deceptive in how it is portraying the entire issue. For the record, we do not hate homosexuals nor condone violence against them. This should be evidenced by the fact that we so willingly welcomed Roger Ross Williams into our lives.
One of the major flaws of the film is oversimplifying the homosexual issue in Africa and blaming American evangelicals as the primary fomenters of gay hatred. This premise completely ignores the context of African tribal cultures. It is obvious that Roger does not live here nor understand these cultures.
IHOP-KC’s involvement and influence in Uganda is drastically overstated. They do not have a single missionary in the country that we know of. Lou Engle held “The Call” one time that had a whopping 1,000 people in attendance. IHOP-KC is simply not a major player in Uganda.
There are bigger issues here that are under fire: the nature and law of God and the gospel itself. These need a deeper discussion in their relationship to the state and inclusiveness of the church, instead of just sound bites conveniently molded into a false narrative. We love and forgive Roger and pray for his salvation.
