If only the Methodists would get rid of celibacy in the clergy, they wouldn’t have these types of problems.
Methodist pastors may marry or are you being sarcastic?
I am Methodist clergy and we do have a rule about celibacy in our clergy.
It is “celibacy if single.”
This ruling by the Judicial Council is no surprise. Dr Holsinger recused himself from the vote due to his pending hearings in the US Senate as Pres. Bush’s new surgeon general. Had he been present he might have voted differently, but it is clear that there is no precisely written rule in our bylaws that specifically says, “transgendered clergy cannot be appointed....”
We also have no specific bylaw that says, “Horse’s Arse’s cannot be appointed as bishops...” I fully expect to see the Kentucky Derby champ presiding in May over some Methodist region.
Without additional church legislation I would expect that a person trained in human physiology would be able to note that lopping off a penis or sewing on an implant does not change XX to XY chromosomes. Nor do hormones accomplish the same. Nor does makeup, haircuts, clothing, breast enhancements or reductions, etc., etc., etc.
The bottom line is that we’ve got this lady walking into the men’s johns in various locations.
I guess the vice police don’t care about that as long as they wear trousers.
If Holsinger (a physician) had been on this panel, had not recused himself, perhaps he would have seen the obvious on that one.
As it stands, I’m in favor of due process for this abomination.
That said, I’m thoroughly disgusted.