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United Methodist General Conference Takes Steps to Affirm Life
Christian Newswire ^
| 5/3/08
| Christian Newswire
Posted on 05/03/2008 9:59:15 AM PDT by wagglebee
FT. WORTH, Texas, May 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- The United Methodist General Conference, the Church's governing body that meets every 4 years, overwhelmingly adopted several petitions affirming the sanctity of life during its quadrennial meeting in Fort Worth.
Conference delegates voted to:
- "Affirm and encourage the Church to assist the ministry of crisis pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers that compassionately help women find feasible alternatives to abortion."
- "Respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child."
- Support for adult "notification and consent" when a minor is seeking an abortion.
- "Reject euthanasia and pressure upon the dying to end their lives."
- Delete language from a previous United Methodist statement that had been used to support abortion as a means of back-up birth control.
- Decrying the international problem of gender-selective abortions, while describing abortion as "violent" and opposing "trivial reasons" for abortion.
Mark Tooley, Executive Director of IRD's UMAction Committee, commented:
"These incremental steps continue a trend from the last several General Conferences towards an increased acknowledgement of the sanctity of all human life."
"The United Methodist Church is slowly moving towards the historic Christian concern for the most vulnerable."
"These latest moves continue this positive trend."
TOPICS: Mainline Protestant; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: abortion; christians; euthanasia; generalconference; methodist; moralabsolutes; prolife; umc
"The United Methodist Church is slowly moving towards the historic Christian concern for the most vulnerable. And it is LONG overdue.
1
posted on
05/03/2008 9:59:15 AM PDT
by
wagglebee
To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; narses; 8mmMauser
2
posted on
05/03/2008 9:59:41 AM PDT
by
wagglebee
("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
To: 230FMJ; 50mm; 69ConvertibleFirebird; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; An American In Dairyland; ...
3
posted on
05/03/2008 10:00:05 AM PDT
by
wagglebee
("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
To: xzins
4
posted on
05/03/2008 10:00:43 AM PDT
by
wagglebee
("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
To: wagglebee
5
posted on
05/03/2008 10:08:02 AM PDT
by
markomalley
(Extra ecclesiam nulla salus)
To: wagglebee
6
posted on
05/03/2008 10:10:23 AM PDT
by
Kolokotronis
(Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated)
To: wagglebee
I’m a Methodist. I like my local church, but I just assumed that the higher-ups were a bunch of narcissistic self-congratulatory leftists. It’s good to read something like this.
To: wagglebee
UMC must be losing members these days.
8
posted on
05/03/2008 2:18:00 PM PDT
by
paltz
To: wagglebee
Sorta like gas prices, sudden leaps in the wrong direction, and slow, incremental steps back.
9
posted on
05/03/2008 3:26:36 PM PDT
by
chesley
(Where's the omelet? -- Orwell)
To: wagglebee
I can only attribute this to the stopped clock syndrome.
To: Coleus; nickcarraway; narses; Mr. Silverback; Canticle_of_Deborah; TenthAmendmentChampion; ...
Pro-Life PING
Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.
11
posted on
05/03/2008 8:48:53 PM PDT
by
cpforlife.org
(A Catholic Respect Life Curriculum is available at KnightsForLife.org)
To: wagglebee
12
posted on
05/04/2008 3:25:26 AM PDT
by
8mmMauser
(Jezu ufam tobie...Jesus I trust in Thee)
To: wagglebee
Is this the same Methodist Church that sent a plane over,courtesy of their favorite Methodist, Hillary Clinton, to take Elian Gonzalez back to Cuba? If so I still want little or nothing to do with them.
13
posted on
05/04/2008 5:06:24 AM PDT
by
rodguy911
(Support The New media, Ticket the Drive-bys, --America-The land of the Free because of the Brave-)
To: Our man in washington
I too have been Methodist all my life but when you think about it this is a rather easy issue to glom on to. What religion would be
for baby killing. When they send the plane back to pick Elian up and bring him back to the US I will be impressed. Probably not until than.
14
posted on
05/04/2008 5:08:39 AM PDT
by
rodguy911
(Support The New media, Ticket the Drive-bys, --America-The land of the Free because of the Brave-)
To: wagglebee; AppyPappy; Corin Stormhands; Revelation 911
This General Conference took us in more Christian directions regarding life and sexuality. In many ways it is hamstrung by its insistence on meeting only once every four years and that for only 10 days. With thousands of petitions to deal with, there is no way that can be done in 10 days no matter the amount assigned to various committees.
Many petitions never saw the light of day. A few were vigorously debated for hours. Too many were just packaged in bundles and voted on in an ill-advised desire to get things done.
The Africans were a true blessing.
15
posted on
05/04/2008 6:08:41 PM PDT
by
xzins
(Retired Army Chaplain -- Those denying the War was Necessary Do NOT Support the Troops!)
To: xzins
To: paltz
Yes, I left the UMC last fall, but remain dear friends with several of the members. That local church has seen dramatic drop offs in attendance.
I spoke with my Minister about my concerns a couple times before leaving, and received less than encouraging answers. That’s what ultimately led me on a search for a new church.
There are many, many great Methodists out there, and many great Methodist Congregations. But all to often they’re not the onese getting the headlines.
17
posted on
05/05/2008 6:12:54 AM PDT
by
Deut28
(Cursed be he who perverts the justice)
To: xzins
xzins - months ago you predicted to me that the African delegates would be the saving grace.
Good call, and I’m glad to see you were correct.
18
posted on
05/05/2008 7:40:39 AM PDT
by
Deut28
(Cursed be he who perverts the justice)
To: Deut28
Thanks for your kind words, D28.
We will continue to pray for the UMC to head back in the right direction.
19
posted on
05/05/2008 7:13:13 PM PDT
by
xzins
(Retired Army Chaplain -- Those denying the War was Necessary Do NOT Support the Troops!)
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