Posted on 12/02/2004 7:18:24 PM PST by neverdem
"all ministers must abide by the decision of the church's members, taken at its quadrennial general conferences, to welcome gays to the pews but NOT the pulpit."
Who would have ever thought this would be become a controversial stance??
Well, what do you know - there is a God. Oh sure, you probably already knew that, but 13 UMC clergy just figured it out.
I can't see how any minister of the God that I know can reconcile faith and homosexuality.
"I can't see how any minister of the God that I know can reconcile faith and homosexuality."
Or abortion. The UMC were the proud co-sponsors of the "March for Women's Live" a pro-abortion march in DC.
This the church of the damned.
This is simply wrong.
I am a Methodist elder who is conservative, and I have NEVER seen nor heard of anyone who wants to ferret out gays.
It is an unwanted and impossible task for a church without enlisting the aid of the FBI to create 24/7 videotape of people in hopes of catching and proving some defect.
Our church position is reasonable and extremely clear. We will convict and potentially remove "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from the ministry. That means that if the person stands and (1) personally claims to be a homosexual, (2) personally affirms that they are practicing, AND (3) personally affirms they have no intention of quitting that behavior, then the church will act.
Interestingly, it is far easier for a bishop to remove a heterosexually adulterous pastor.
: ^ )
"This is the church of the damned"
You're painting with a pretty broad brush there don't you think?? Not every Methodist church is a "church of the damned"---by any stretch. Certainly not my local church.
I'm pleased the UMC actually did the right thing in this case by making the lady step down. You don't think this is a victory??
1st mistake they made was allowing her the position of minister.
1 Timothy 2:12
"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."
And why was a woman ordained in the first place?
My comments were targeted at your denomination, not you or your church.
I'll celebrate this victory with you. Praise the Lord!
Now if we can get your denomination to stop marching with the likes of the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood of America and the National Organization for Women, in support of abortionist to kill the child of my minor daughter, and the horrific crime of partial birth abortion, then we will have a greater victory for our Lord.
Will you now join me in speaking out against your denomination's support of these unconscionable practices?
Sure--if that's all correct. I wasn't even aware of it.
Many good Christians of the denominations I've cited don't know. That's why I make it a point to post it. You can investigate it yourself here.
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/4/afa/232004a.asp#
Freegards, S4T.
"Church of the damned?" It's Hillary Clinton's church, isn't it?
It's also George W. Bush's church. And Dick Cheney's church. And my church. You got a problem with that?
>>It's also George W. Bush's church. And Dick Cheney's church. And my church. You got a problem with that?
<<
Bush is NOT a United Methodist. He's a Southern Methodist living in the north, who detests the liberalism of the UMC churches in the DC area. He's been known to go to AME churches, because they're less liberal! But he does seem to have reached a detente with a UMC church in DC enough to go fairly often.
But you're point is made by this article... The UMC has gone where the ECUSA won't.
This article has another thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1293309/posts?page=1
I noticed. Are there any updates besides a changed title?
President Bush holds membership in his home United Methodist Church in Texas. Southern Methodists are a separate denomination with a separate set of governing bishops.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.