Posted on 04/15/2008 4:35:41 PM PDT by wagglebee
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading United Methodist Church bishop is coming under heavy criticism for wanting to keep the Protestant denomination as a member of a pro-abortion coalition for religious groups. The UMC has been dogged from pro-life advocates within the denomination for decades.
San Francisco-area United Methodist Bishop Beverly Shamana, the president of the church's Washington lobby office, is urging UMC officials to keep the group involved in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.
The Washington-based RCRC defends unrestricted abortion in the name of its members and actively lobbies against pro-life legislation on Capitol Hill.
The United Methodist Board of Church and Society and the United Methodist Women's Division both belong to the pro-abortion coalition.
Last year, the North Carolina and Mississippi Conferences, along with the regional bodies representing United Methodists in eastern Tennessee, Southern Indiana, and Northwest Texas passed resolutions calling on the denomination to withdraw its membership in RCRC.
The United Methodist General Conference meets April 23-May 2 and a debate is expected on resolutions from the Methodist groups and others against RCRC involvement.
Mark Tooley, the executive director of the United Methodist Action Committee of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, told LifeNews.com the UMC involvement in the pro-abortion group makes little sense.
"RCRC claims that no unborn child ever deserves legal protection. Why would any 'religious' group wish to endorse such an outlandish perspective?" Tooley asked.
"Bishop Shamana claims that 'God offers the freedom of choice to the human family.' On what Scripture or Christian tradition do she and other pro-RCRC church officials base their draconian and absolutist claims that no abortion anywhere should ever be restricted?" he added.
"RCRC is not a faith organization," Tooley added. "It is a radical political lobby that advocates limitless abortion on demand. It is funded primarily by left-wing foundations, while borrowing the credibility of mainline churches in order to slap a religious veneer on abortion rights extremism."
In January, another pro-life group, LifeWatch, the unofficial United Methodist pro-life caucus, urged members of the church to ask it to withdraw its membership in RCRC.
LifeWatch sponsored Bishop William Willimon of Birmingham, who delivered a speech at the annual March for Life.
Two years ago, Bishop Timothy Whitaker of Florida made history at the LifeWatch service by publicly criticizing United Methodist pro-abortion rights policies
In 1972, leaders of the United Methodist Church narrowly voted to adopt a position broadly in favor of legal abortion. But there have been several incremental improvements in the years since then.
For instance, in 2000 the denomination adopted a position against most instances of partial-birth abortion.
Related web sites:
LifeWatch - http://www.lifewatch.org
The bad news is that fear makes liberals even more dangerous.
Also, with respect, ConservGG, the issue is not the NCC and the WCC. They are symptoms of an underlying problem as are all such administrative/policy type issues.
The issue at the heart of everything is faith in a truly resurrected Christ as revealed in a Divinely inspired, complete, and authoritative Old and New Testament.
The issue has always been deviation from scriptural Christianity.
Jesus said, “Be of good cheer. I have OVERCOME the world.”
Christianity is a Good News faith. :>)
The Lord also warned us about wolves in sheeps clothing and it seems that all churches have more than enough of them.
But you’re correct, we have always known that it would get VERY BAD before His Return, and that is Good News.
Absolutely but I still do not know how you can expect these people to go away. You’re outnumbered greatly. You know the problem but I’m amazed at the ignorance of people occupying pews in churches. They truly are like the frogs in a pan of warming water. They’re more loyal to a church name or building than the true word of God.
We have our huge, every 4 year gathering (General Conference) next month. I expect more progress to be made this year.
We will continue our refusal to appoint proven homosexuals as ministers. We will, hopefully, strengthen our statement on life.
One big plus this year is the addition of some very conservative delegates from an African region recently allowed full status in the UMC.
How will we do it?
It will be God who will do it. If it will be done, it will be from our Almighty Sovereign Lord.
I wish you well. I really do. A few years ago, the Methodist Bishop in our state formed a PAC specifically to help fund the Democrat woman running for governor because she was proabortion. I know that because he told me himself.
ping
God has not yet moved me out of the UMC. He might not in my lifetime.
However, if it ever becomes apparent that He has removed their candlestick, then Christians still within should seek to be lights elsewhere.
• African Methodist Episcopal Church
• The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
• Alliance of Baptists
• American Baptist Churches in the USA
• Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
• Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
• Church of the Brethren
• The Coptic Orthodox Church in North America
• The Episcopal Church
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
• Friends United Meeting
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
• Hungarian Reformed Church in America
• International Council of Community Churches
• Korean Presbyterian Church in America
• Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
• Mar Thoma Church
• Moravian Church in America Northern Province and Southern Province
• National Baptist Convention of America
• National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
• National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
• Orthodox Church in America
• Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA
• Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
• Polish National Catholic Church of America
• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
• Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.
• Reformed Church in America
• Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. and Canada
• The Swedenborgian Church
• Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America
• United Church of Christ
• The United Methodist Church •
Many Christians (for certain Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists) have been truly blessed by the leaders that have been coming from Africa over the past few decades. They possess an orthodoxy and moral clarity that often seems missing from American and European bishops and other church leaders.
The Africans are so threatening to the liberals in our church that they have offered legislation to END our position as a world-wide Methodist church and to redesign us as a group of regional churches.
They are desperate to remove conservative elements from United Methodism. They figure if they only had to worry about the USA, then they would not as weak as they are becoming.
It’s really not that surprising that leadership would start coming out of Africa. They have seen their continent torn apart by various warring factions and Christians there have clung to their faith in the face of persecution that Europeans and Americans have never faced.
Agreed! I do know that these other churches are a part of the NCC as well. The chaplain from Planned Parenthood could just as easily been a minister from the other denominations from the list. Any minister who becomes a “chaplain” for PP needs to be defrocked.
IIRC, there was a couple of Reformed “ministers” who blessed a newly opened abortion facility in NY.
A woman bishop.
Their feminist agenda supercedes any concern for the Christian gospel.
How will we do it?
It will be God who will do it. If it will be done, it will be from our Almighty Sovereign Lord.
AMEN!
RIGHT ON!!!
It is possible for a brand new Christian, but it shouldn't take long for them to come to understanding that abortion is outright murder.
You are not alone. Sadly, there hasn't been an uprising among Methodists as yet to toss these anti-Christians out on their ears.
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