Five members of the U.S. Congress are calling on Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to reject proposed anti-gay legislation that imposes harsh penalties, including execution, for certain acts of homosexuality.

The five representatives — Chris Smith, Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts, Trent Franks and Anh “Joseph” Cao (all Republicans) — have written a letter to Mouseveni pressing him to stop the bill, saying their religious faith requires them to oppose the legislation because it contradicts the “foundational Christian belief in the inherent dignity and worth of all men and women.”

In their capacity as Republican Executive Committee members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in the U.S. House of Representatives, the congressman write that their aim is to “advocate for human liberty and dignity around the world.”

Interestingly, the letter invokes the Manhattan Declaration, a statement of religious principles by three prominent Christian leaders, Charles Colson, Robert George, and Timothy George; the Declaration itself calls homosexuality immoral and includes a long explanation of why gays should be denied the right to marry.

A copy of the letter can be view here.

Tags: Anti-gay, Manhattan Declaration, Politics, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, U.S. House of Representatives, Uganda

Filed under: National Headlines