Posted on 06/15/2003 12:18:19 PM PDT by aruanan
Highlights of text:
...human sexuality is a good gift of God...This was sent to me by a friend familiar with the goings-on of the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church.
...homosexuality, heterosexuality and bi-sexuality all share that gift...
...we commit to proclaim that homosexual orientation (no less or more than heterosexual orientation) can be compatible with Christian teaching...
We encourage clergy to preach this from our pulpits ...
...we encourage lay people to teach it in our Sunday school classes and tell it to our children...
...we affirm that loving, monogamous, intimate relationships between persons of the same or opposite gender, are an expression of God's love...
...we affirm that persons of all sexual orientations are equally called to ordained ministry...
...as lay persons we will similarly affirm that call and we will offer ourselves fully in mutual ministry with pastors of our churches regardless of that person's sexual orientation....
700-23 REFLECTING THE LOVE OF GOD Passed as amended in Plenary, June 7, 2003.
WHEREAS, as Christians we are called to embody God's love in the world, and as United Methodist Christians, we are united in our faith in God, our love of Christ and our commitment to seek and do God's will as empowered by the Holy Spirit; and
WHEREAS, for the past two decades General Conference actions have added increasingly condemnatory and exclusionary language to the Book of Discipline concerning the full participation of gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons in our denomination; and
WHEREAS, the church is deeply divided on issues related to God's gift of sexual orientation, and any pretense that we are of one mind only serves to deepen the estrangement and isolation of those who are excluded, and imposes premature closure upon the church's search to faithfully discern the will of God;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church affirms that human sexuality is a good gift of God and understands that homosexuality, heterosexuality and bi-sexuality all share that gift; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we believe that the current statement in the United Methodist Book of Discipline that "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching" is: not reflective of the historic Wesleyan unwillingness to limit prerogatives which belong solely to God, and is not representative of every Biblical/theological perspective; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we commit to proclaim that homosexual orientation (no less or more than heterosexual orientation) can be compatible with Christian teaching. We encourage clergy to preach this from our pulpits and expose our parishioners to the fullness of the Scriptural witness on related matters in our Bible studies, and we encourage lay people to teach it in our Sunday school classes and tell it to our children; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we affirm that loving, monogamous, [sic] intimate relationships between persons of the same or opposite gender, are an expression of God's love; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we affirm the historic charge of United Methodist clergy to be in ministry according to their best discernment among the people entrusted to their care.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, we affirm that persons of all sexual orientations are equally called to ordained ministry. As clergy we will affirm God's call to ordained ministry as experienced by candidates for ministry regardless of a person's sexual orientation and welcome them into the clergy covenant, and as lay persons we will similarly affirm that call and we will offer ourselves fully in mutual ministry with pastors of our churches regardless of that person's sexual orientation.
Methodist Federation for Social Action Rev. Bob Campbell, Legislative Coordinator
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I'd almost forgotten. 8~)
Until then, there is no hope for this apostate denomination or the theological suckers who remain sitting in the pews supporting this clique of fools.
I think there's a clear connection between the idea of man determining his own fate and man fleeing God's authority. Left on his own, man will always choose the slippery-slope of sin.
But when we believe it is God's domain to bestow grace or withhold it, the church naturally stays God-centered, and not man-centered.
It's that faulty concept of the almighty human free will that is the hole in the dyke. (Am I mixing too many metaphors here?)
umc@umcom.org, jwinkler@umc-gbcs.org, mfsa@mfsaweb.org
Dear Sirs,
The United Methodist Church’s embrace of the gay agenda is reprehensible and socially repugnant. The choice of an individual to turn his sexual habits into an entire lifestyle or a means of defining himself is not an issue for a society or a church to get involved in. This organization’s abandoning of family values in favor of supporting the selfish concerns and agenda of a mere 1% of the population is revolting and completely void of moral continence. Henceforth, I revoke my membership in the United Methodist Church and from now on my family will attend the local Baptist church.
[freepy smurf]
Hillsborough, NC
G-d rest her soul, I hope my gramma forgives me.
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(This one?)
If you are wondering why Canada has all but endorsed same-sex marriage, that is the key -- in the eyes of the Canadian Supreme Court, there is no distinction between race and "orientation." Saying there is something unnatural or wrong about the way one has sexual intercourse is just as off-limits as suggesting that certain races are genetically inferior in the Great Politically Correct North.
It was on that basis that Dr. Laura Schlessinger was found to be "discriminatory" in her discussion of radical gay activism and the greater likelihood of homosexual men to be child molesters. As a result, a Canadian censors' committee placed restrictions on broadcast of her show in Canada, in the same way that Howard Stern was censured for making comments about French people (this was long before talk of an Iraq invasion).
Sick b@st@rds. This is the end result of sick, twisted, misguided and destructive "comp-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-sion" (<- to be read in "Michael Savage" voice).
We recently attended a child's christening at a United Methodist church near a major university in the midwest and were shocked and appaled to see what we saw. The church had to be over 75% gay - with gays and lesbians not only in the congregation, but with CHILDREN!. They were in the choir (of course) and serving in the operations of the church.
The entire family (it's only the parents of the kid that was being christened, who attended this bestial and monstrous "church") was stunned and outraged at being involved in this "ceremony" in this so-called "church"...without any warning as to what was going on there.
It was so deviant, so monstrous, so bestial and so vile, that some of the family members wanted to walk out. As soon as the "service" was over, most of us were out the door before the organ had ceased playing.
This is what's going on in church after church in this country.
Filthy and monstrous, is all I can say without launching into cursing, or other stuff that would probably get me banned from F.R.
Vile, absolutely vile. Thank God I'm a member of the Lutheran Church. They don't play around. No gays allowed, certainly not openly. Never with children. And absolutely no tolerance for it as an "acceptable lifestyle choice". They aren't call the behavior what it is; deviant, aberrant, and an abomination in the eyes of God.
Amen.
Possibly, maybe just the reply deleted; but DEFINITELY if it is directed at the *** organization.
I like Robin Williams' description -- "Canada is like a loft apartment above a really great party."
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