WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2010-04-05 Time: 02:00:03 Posted By: News Poster
Nairobi – The Church on Sunday came under increasing pressure to drop its threat to block Kenya’s draft constitution during the referendum.
Clerics have threatened to mobilise millions of the faithful to vote against the draft because it objects to the clauses on abortion and kadhi’s courts. On Sunday, President Kibaki led politicians, lawyers, and lobby groups in asking the Church not to frustrate Kenyans’ long quest for a new constitution.
Credibility
Reverend Timothy Njoya, speaking on behalf of a consortium of NGOs, warned church leaders that they stand to lose all credibility if they joined up with some politicians to reject the law. The Church’s credibility, he said, was severely dented by the divisive role it played in the 2005 referendum and the disputed 2007 General Election.
As a result, the Church had asked for forgiveness and had been forgiven, but Kenyans “will not readily forgive the clerics” if they lead the rejection of the draft. Reverend Njoya, who read the statement on behalf of the National Civil Society Congress, which leads the “Katiba Sasa!” campaign, asked his colleagues to “hold their horses.”
He congratulated Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, of the Anglican Church of Kenya, for breaking ranks with fellow clergymen and supporting the draft. “If the Church campaigns for a “No” vote and fails to garner support among Kenyans, that will be the end of its responsibility for the Kenyan society. It will have caused its own abortion,” Rev Njoya said.
“There is no doubt that the Church will lose this vote because it is going counter to the aspirations of the people,” he said. The proposed constitution, he added, is meant to resolve the concerns of Kenyans and deal with the instability that came out of the conflicts of 2007 and 2008.
At the Consolata Shrine in Nairobi, President Kibaki declared his support for the proposed constitution passed by Parliament last week. Addressing the congregation, the Head of State called on Kenyans to tolerate one another and respect the opinion of others as the country approached the July 2 referendum.
“Most Kenyans are aware that Parliament voted for the proposed constitution. I support and congratulate Members of Parliament for passing the motion,” the President said. He added that it was his wish that the country supports the draft which he said will “help in its development and make it a more stable nation”.
Be tolerant
“Now is the people’s turn to make a decision at the referendum. Let us respect one another’s opinion and be tolerant of one another as we approach the referendum, where the sovereign will of the people will be exercised,” the president said. The National Civil Society Congress noted five aspects of the draft that make it better than past attempts.
These, they said, are: the preamble that recognises Kenyan people as sovereign, a progressive Bill of Rights, a means of equitable resource sharing, devolution through the counties, and gains for women, youth, the disabled, and children. The society’s head, Mr Morris Odhiambo, said that by asking Kenyans to reject the draft, the Church would fall into the plans of politicians who want the old law for their selfish ambitions.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) insists that both the Committee of Experts and the the Parliamentary Select Committee paid no attention to its views during the writing of the new laws, and has vowed to rally Christians to reject the draft. They have based their opposition to the law on abortion and the inclusion of the kadhi’s courts.
The inclusion of the kadhi’s courts, they say, amounts to the elevation of one religion over another in a secular state. The courts, which handle divorce, inheritance, and other minor civil disputes for the Muslim community alone, are provided for in the current Constitution and would remain even if the draft is rejected.
Last Friday, NCCK general secretary Canon Peter Karanja said the Church remains opposed to the kadhi’s courts being in the draft. “We will not accept a draft that promotes one religion over another. We had not anticipated a confrontation, but we are being pushed to one,” Rev Karanja said.
But Rev Njoya on Sunday said: “On the issue of kadhi’s courts, the Church is simply wrong and must reassess its position if we are to build a united and democratic country.” On abortion, the church leaders are opposed to Article 26 (4) on the right to life which reads:
Abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law.
They wanted this clause deleted because, according to them, it gives room to legalisation of abortion. Bishop Cornelius Korir of the Eldoret Catholic Diocese asked worshippers during Good Friday mass to reject the draft at the referendum. “Since the abortion clause touches directly on the beliefs and teachings of the Catholic faithful, and as long as I am still a Catholic, I will advise our people to reject it,” said the bishop.
The Rev Njoya asked fellow clerics to avoid siding with politicians who are likely to reject the draft with the focus being on the next election rather than the future of the country. President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga were in the House on Thursday to ask MPs to vote for the draft law.
Ms Grace Maingi-Kimani, the deputy executive director of the Federation of Women Lawyers, asked Kenyans to register as voters and also read the draft so they can “vote from a position of knowledge.” Elsewhere, Internal Security minister George Saitoti said it would be a huge disappointment if Kenyans failed to vote for the draft constitution after the many years spent trying to get it.
Good document
“There is no perfect constitution anywhere in the world and although there are issues in the draft we passed in Parliament this week, we should pass it since it is a good document overall,” he said in Magadi. Sports assistant minister Kabando wa Kabando also asked Kenyans to vote for the new laws.
“To honour the sacrifices of heroes of the democracy struggle, those assassinated, maimed, and impoverished during the repressive past, I appeal to the Church to help Kenyans get this new law”.
Original Source: 
Original date published: 4 April 2010
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201004050036.html?viewall=1