Fr John Kiwanuka
19 March 2008
Kampala — THE Vatican has issued seven new sins which have been brought about by the continued process of globalisation and consumerism. They include polluting the environment, being obscenely rich, taking drugs, abortion, social injustice, genetic engineering and cross-generational sex.
They are called new sins because some of them such as genetic engineering did not exist in the past. Others, such as drug abuse, are more common today.
Do these sins have any relevance to Ugandans? They do.
Pollution is common in Uganda. There is cutting of wood, burning of trees for charcoal, destruction of forests and poor disposal of toxic wastes. Industries activities produce dangerous gases that pollute our environment when emitted into the air.
The Bible, in Genesis 2:15, expresses God's wish that mankind in the person of Adam, take care of or guard the Garden.
"The time has come...for destroying those who destroy the earth (Cf., Rev11:18).
Abortion has become so rampant. Abortion is caused by early unwanted pregnancies that girls acquire while in school and are not ready to care for a child.
The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is not only the expulsion of the immature fetus, but also the killing of a human being. The Bible teaches that human life, created and nurtured by God, is present in the womb of the woman from the very beginning (Ps139:13, 15). Only God has the power to open and shut the womb (Gen 29:31; Gen30:22). The Bible further teaches that abortion is wrong. A human being is an image of God. This is what it means to be human. A child is a gift or reward from God.
There is social injustice in Uganda. Related to this is the sin of accumulation of wealth by few individuals amidst a sea of deprived people such as refugees, destitute and abused children.
Sin is not a sin simply because the Pope proclaims it so. Sin is an offence against reason, truth and right conscience. Some of the new sins are relevant to our situation in Uganda. It is time for us to stop being insensitive to these sins and become concerned for one another to make Uganda a paradise and a good country to live in.
The writer is the assistant parish priest of Nakulabye Catholic Parish, Kampala Archdiocese
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I totally agree, why should people try to play God. They shouldnt and that is exactly what these new deadly sins are pointed at. If God didnt want a child to be born into this world he wouldnt have given us the child in the first place. Abortion is murder, if aperson killed someone they would get punished well what is the difference. A child at any stage during a pregnancy is still a living breathing miracle so why take its life. If a woman doesnt want a baby then the solution is no sex. If for some reason she… [Read Full Text]