‘We Follow a Jesus I Do Not Recognize.’ Rev. Colin Coward in a Facebook Rant
The Rev. Colin Coward, MBE, director of Changing Attitude England, recently wrote on Facebook about his displeasure with homophobia in Africa and the distortion of Christianity by those who are anti-homosexuality. Read below.
‘I feel incredibly angry today. I’ve been chatting for the last hour and a half with a gay Nigerian friend, a quiet, thoughtful, stable young man who allowed himself to trust a ‘friend’ who invited him to a café this morning. It was entrapment. They went to a place that was more rooming house than café which was a set-up, finding himself in a room where other guys were waiting to assault him. He has been attacked, threatened with a machete, kicked and punched, burnt with cigarettes, forcibly stripped naked, clothes torn, photos and a video taken, beaten, and those in the room were joined by guys he had seen playing football earlier.
‘He is a Christian and those assaulting him were Christians. He feels suicidal now, fears the police and further exposure, can’t seek medical treatment, is in deep pain physical and emotional.
‘Assaults like this against LGBTI people are a daily event in Nigeria and other homophobic African countries. I am seethingly angry at the distortion of Christian teaching that encourages and supports the abuse of LGBTI people.
‘I’m furious at the failure of [Archbishop of Canterbury] Justin Welby and other Primates and bishops to have the guts to proclaim the love of God and condemn all abusive action.
‘I’m sick of the corruption of the church in this country which also abuses LGBTI people, but in a spineless, devious, underhand way, blocking vocations, colluding in the appointment of people who flout the rules whilst blocking those judged to be inconvenient – because they would upset the African churches.
‘Christianity has become so sick, following a Jesus who I don’t recognise but who gets trotted out by the [Archbishop of Canterbury] as if he is the magical answer to all our needs. Welby’s Jesus isn’t the answer to the need for love and protection of LGBTI Africans or the need for just recognition of LGBTI members of the Church of England.
‘My friend needs help but I am impotent. African Christianity needs to be transformed from corruption to love and justice and truth, and I thank God for all those friends of mine who work with passion for such a transformation.’
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28 Comments
Max
November 30, 12:38“African Christianity needs to be transformed from corruption to love and justice and truth”…, word
BigAfricanDicks
November 30, 12:46dis is xactly y many gay ppl quit church. Wayyyy 2 much hypocrisy
Dennis Macauley
November 30, 14:03The hypocrisy is choking! I don’t have time for church again!
I have been researching buddism; and it keeps looking more and more attractive to me. Its values outline the things I stand for.
Having said that; your moniker tho
BigAfricanDicks
November 30, 14:11😉 why, thank u.
s_sensei
November 30, 12:47Finally, proof! That one can be a coward and not be a coward simultaneously!
FKA Chizzie
November 30, 13:17‘He is a Christian and those assaulting him were
Christians.” Profound! As is often the case, dogmatic and Bible trumping, overtly pious, monday-sunday church going people are the ones to throw the first stone, completely oblivious of the fact that they themselves are just as sinful.
To be honest, so called born agains make me sick, their religious facade, the know-it-all gleam in their faces, everything about them irritates me. And observing their lives carefully doesn’t take u too long to notice that they are sinners too,if not more sinful
Christianity today is joke. it needs a revolution. even Jesus would be ashamed at the present state of the church
As it is today, I’d rather be gay than Christian
Dennis Macauley
November 30, 14:00Oh wow! I thought every gay bashing was reported online?
This clergy man obviously has an over reaching imagination “akin to dennis'”
Khaleesi
November 30, 14:18Good day Rev, in case you didn’t know, all your fury and ranting wont change anything. Nigerians have this weird inexplicable steel-hard core of homophobia which isnt going to change any time soon especially as it is endorsed officially/unofficially by the churches. The Church of Nigeria broke away from its Mother, the Church of England on account of this, just so she wouldn’t have to be associated in anyway with a gay-accepting, female-bishop-ordaining church. The catholic and other Christian denominations aren’t much better. Homophobia is like life-giving elixir to them. Please save your ranting and emotions as it won’t shine a single beam of tolerance or acceptance in their hearts.
Dennis Macauley
November 30, 14:39Khaleesi!
LOL!
The kind of words you use!
Chai! May you never have to cross examine me as an opponent in a court room!
Khaleesi
November 30, 19:42Hehehehee @Dennis.; ****lifts fluffy skirts, curtsies and bows deeply ***
pinkpanthertb
November 30, 16:35Open letter to Rev. Colin Coward from Khaleesi. 🙂
A-non
December 01, 06:03@khaleesi, it is troubling but true!
If only some of these Anglican priests in Nigeria knew how many of their kids are gay and the Catholic bishops know how many of their priests in NIgeria are gay as well.
‘let he who has no sin cast the first stone’
‘if the hospital has only healthy people in it, of what use is the hospital and the doctor; if the church is for saints of what use was the death and resurrection of Christ’
Legalkoboko
November 30, 14:43In a country where christians lynch common cupcake and pencil thieves, while defending with the last drop of their blood any politician who embezzles billions of naira as long as he belongs to the correct political party, do you expect them not lynch LGBTI people also? like seriously?
The very fabric of Nigerian Christianity is intolerance. They play the sheep when relating to the muslim. community . But when you get closer to them, you realize how intolerance defines them. Anyone with a dissimilar belief is “an unbeliever ” who should be avoided. They don’t even tolerate each other. The centuries old rivalry between Catholics and Protestants is still alive.
And you expect them to tolerate gay people? Hmph! story for the gods.
'We Follow a Jesus I Do Not Recognize.' Rev. Colin Coward in a Facebook Rant | Christians Anonymous
November 30, 17:15[…] Source: ‘We Follow a Jesus I Do Not Recognize.’ Rev. Colin Coward in a Facebook Rant […]
gad
December 01, 01:00Dear Rev this is a very smart strategy towards helping a “friend”. I expect that you don’t waste more time b4 taking the next step for your friend.Pls b4 d close of business today,make sure you forward the video and pictures of the “homophobic assault” on your “friend” to the British embassy for asylum considerations. The plan you chose is the surest,cheapest and fastest but my fear is that your “friend” might have other plans when he crosses over. You might not be in his plan at all but thank God you are a Priest called into the ministry of help.Now to my brothers, I wasn’t surprised that none read in between the lines concerning the reverend gentleman,s story. Attacks against gays must be condemned in the strongest terms but let’s always restrain ourselves from getting carried away easily. I expect people to disagree with my stand on this and I also expect some who were not raised in homes to be raw with use of words. All are choices
pinkpanthertb
December 01, 02:19Yes gad, we all also see your veiled insinuations of the illegitimacy of the reverend’s rant. I suppose the fact that he made Christianity the focus of his umbrage makes all the difference to you between support and scorn
gad
December 01, 02:37If I were a Muslim, my thoughts on this will still be the same. How I wish you will follow up on the reverend in respect to this case. His next move will definitely a call for asylum for his “friend”. I’m not against the method that anyone applies to leave Nigeria. We know what NGO,s and other Africans do to get aids from the chicken-brained oyibos.
pinkpanthertb
December 01, 02:40That is beside the point, gad. What he chooses to do for his friend is you casting stones over the issue he is raising. Which is what I’m saying. That because it touches on religion, you have simply decided to place your focus elsewhere.
gad
December 01, 02:51Your assumption is so wrong
pinkpanthertb
December 01, 02:57Whatever you say.
pinkpanthertb
December 01, 02:20At least thats something that didn’t surprise me
gad
December 01, 02:45You ought to have realized before now that I’m not the type of person to support what I have doubts about even when it’s in my favour.
pinkpanthertb
December 01, 02:48No one’s asking you to support anything. I merely pointed out your bias, thats all.
Legalkoboko
December 01, 03:10Gad please tell us. When you read ” read in between the lines
concerning the reverend
gentleman,s story” what did you see?
I desperately want to believe you are not a big flag waving Christian apologist who supports ALL conservative Christian positions.
simba
December 01, 08:33I know Rev Collin,have visited him, stays few Km from London. He is a nice, gentleman with lots of love for gender equality and etc. Changing Attitude is his organisation he uses to reach out to the world and tries to change people perception abt LGBT.. but we Africans are full of lies and deceit. Most Africans has feigned Kito stories and shits,all in de bid to extort cash or asylum from him. And sometimes he shares those stories with me,.. As a Dr here in Nigeria, I fault his friend story, tht claims he can’t seek for medical help, thts crab cus no Dr will even ask if ur gay before commencing treatment. Same problem I do have when Rev Macauley Jide, says on Facebook tht Hospital refuses treatment to gays.. its all a not true, it’s simply lies, told by gays here to elicit sympathy
gad
December 01, 15:16I’m so happy that someone is not joining the bandwagon of those who are carried away by alleged assault on a gay guy. We shouldn’t allow our hearts to rule our heads at times.
Legalkoboko
December 02, 11:52Simba, its alright for you to sit somewhere infront of the comforts of your nice phone or pc and play the devil’s advocate. I too fancy that game sometimes.
But when the dignity and safety of human life is concerned, you ought to have been more careful than this.
Have you by any chance seen that video where two Nigerian gay guys were being beaten and forced to have anal sex while the criminal gang recorded with glee on their camera phones? You have not?
I think guys like you are the ones who will be quick to dismiss atrocious facts like the ALUU4. Guys like you will readily say rape isn’t common in Nigeria just because the police diary nationwide show comparative scanty rape reports.
While it may be true that a lot of guys fabricate stories for whatever reasons, it will be false to assume that gay guys here don’t get attacked on fairly regular bases.
It may be the case that doctors don’t ask questions before administering treatment to none gunshot wounds, but how many gay guys know this?
How many of us know that gay sex has been illegal in Nigeria even during the colonial period?
How many of our gay teenagers even understand the complexities of the recent government’s fuss over homosexuality?
Fear dominates the Nigerian gay community right now, and I’m sure you appreciate that fact. So why can’t you imagine that out of fear, a young gay guy may want to keep away from hospitals. Who is there to educate him otherwise?
Don’t just make noise because you love throwing the spanner into the works. Get real!
pinkpanthertb
December 02, 12:13Such round admirable chastisement! 😀