How far can the Church go without ‘meddling’?

EDITOR—I have read Dr Nsaba Buturo’s comprehensive interview with the New Vision of February 12. Sometimes I think Nsaba Buturo should have been a bishop in the Church of Uganda, but he might have been called to politics.

I see among other things that he is concerned about decent ethical behaviour and integrity in public life.

But I am not very disappointed for him not being a bishop because I know he is a staunch Christian and therefore has some direct influence on the Church. I agree with much of what he says about the role of the clergy and the church, although the two are sometimes treated as identical in the interview. I agree that the church “should concentrate on issues morality”, as he says.

I will suggest some issues that are a matter for morality, hoping that others will agree with me. They include marriage and family, contraception and abortion, divorce and re-marriage, being fair, not punishing the innocent, not taking bribes, lying, not discriminating on the basis of gender, ethnicity or religion in the delivery of public services, forgiveness, and prostitution.

Now, just a few questions: can the church be allowed to have a say on the structures or social, political, and economic environment in which any of the above subsist? Can the Church talk about the rule of law for instance?
Can the church push for changing certain laws?

Can the church leadership speak out if they felt that some people pay heavier or lesser taxes than they should as the case may be? Or will all this be interpreted as meddling?

Rev Amos Kasibante
Leicester, UK