If the United Methodists doubt whether the universe even shows evidence of design, the God who isn't there isn't coming to rescue them.
Posted on 01/20/2016 1:12:05 PM PST by SeekAndFind
The United Methodist Church has rejected an Intelligent Design group's request to have an information table at the denomination's 2016 General Conference.
Reaffirming a decision from December, the UMC's Commission on the General Conference decided last week to not allow the Seattle-based Discovery Institute an information table at the Mainline Protestant denomination's gathering in Portland, Oregon.
Diane Degnan, spokeswoman for the UMC, told The Christian Post that this was the first General Conference to allow for "outside exhibitors."
"The Commission on the General Conference determined that the application by the Discovery Institute did not meet the guidelines established for exhibitors in that it was not consistent with the purpose of the exhibitor program," said Degnan.
"[The program] states that exhibits are not to provide a platform to survey or test ideas but to provide products, services and resources which are credible and proven to help local church ministries), and, in their opinion, it conflicted with our social principles."
United Methodism's official position on the Creation vs. evolution debate has been decidedly in favor of evolution, with their website offering links to works calling on Christians to embrace the theory.
In 2008, the UMC passed a resolution voicing opposition to any efforts to have ideas like Intelligent Design or Young Earth Creationism included in public education.
" ... the General Conference of The United Methodist Church [goes] on record as opposing the introduction of any faith-based theories such as Creationism or Intelligent Design into the science curriculum of our public schools," read the resolution.
Last October the Discovery Institute inquired the UMC about having an information table at General Conference.
John G. West, vice president of the Discovery Institute, told CP about the reasons for wanting an exhibit table at General Conference.
"We are a nonprofit educational and research organization, and we have sponsored information tables at a wide variety of conferences and events," explained West.
"A staff member or ours who is a United Methodist brought to our attention the fact that the United Methodist General Conference would be held this year in Portland, Oregon, which is just a few hours away from our headquarters in Seattle."
Last December, the Commission denied the Institute's application and last Thursday reaffirmed the decision, reportedly referencing the 2008 resolution to justify their reasoning.
West told CP that he believed this reasoning was "ridiculous," since his organization "does not favor introducing Intelligent Design into public school science classes" but rather thinks "students should learn about the scientific strengths and weaknesses of modern Darwinian theory."
"More importantly, our information table was not focused on public school policy, but about resources dealing with science and faith; and nothing in the resolution they cited said United Methodists couldn't believe in Intelligent Design or discuss it," continued West.
"I would point out that the UMC's slogan is 'open hearts, open minds, open doors,' and UMC leaders claim to be in favor of open dialogue. But banning us from even having an information table is not open-minded. It's close-minded in the extreme."
Bab the Designer, permit the LGBTer, welcome the muslim refugees, support gun control - is it any wonder the churches in the US are hemorrhaging membership?
The UMC doesn’t believe in God and it hates those who do.
Period.
OK, I will bite ... since this is the second time I have seen this issue ...
Why should the UMC care about intelligent design?
RE: Why should the UMC care about intelligent design?
I think the same question should be asked of all the other groups they ALLOW in their general conference ...
Why should they care about gay marriage advocates?
Why should they care about groups that advocate divesting investments from Israel?
Why should they care about groups that advocate for limits on carbon emissions?
But my answer to your above question would be this — If the Church believes in God, isn’t Intelligent Design INHERENT in that belief?
>>Why should the UMC care about intelligent design?
Because, as an organization, it believes in random evolution. It views any attempt to introduce God as anything more than a disinterested observer as something that goes against their “social principles”.
I’m not a YEC, but I do see the influence of God in creation. Sadly, I do not see the influence of God in the American side of the UMC anymore.
When I was at my last Annual Conference in 2014 and observing rant after rant about various Progressive causes disguised as social justice, my pastor leaned over to me and asked me, “Do you feel the Holy Spirit in this room?” I said, “No”.
He said, “Me either. I wish I had chosen another denomination. I don’t feel welcome here anymore.”
I didn’t either. He was trapped by his pension and years of seniority. As laity, I was not.
A Church will no beliefs! Unfortunately we Catholics have a Pope with no beliefs!
Now, it is simply another big social progressive club where members toss around words like Jesus, forgiveness, tolerance, etc., and think they are Christians.
I’m not Catholic, but I just believe that when this quack passes, the RCC leadership will get back on track.
When I was a child, my best friend’s dad was UMC pastor, and he was a good guy, probably a bit on the liberal side, but he didn’t really get political about anything.
When he moved out of the neighborhood to take a better gig in a small town, the new pastor immediate put a pink triangle and rainbow flag on the church sign, and was known for his habit of jogging around the neighborhood wearing skin-tight, hot pink biker shorts. That was in the late 80s, and it’s only gotten worse since then.
Well, it is good to see. I’m Methodist and a Young Earth Creationist. Taught a few Sunday School classes a few years back. Mostly aimed at teenagers so they had ammunition against atheist teachers.
BTW, Intelligent Design is not God.
I just found it odd that this showed up twice and berated UMC for not wanting intelligent design.
RE: BTW, Intelligent Design is not God.
I’ll modify that to say that Intelligent Design does not FORCE us to conclude God is the intelligence.
But if you believe that God is the MAKER of HEAVEN and Earth, then you HAVE to believe that an Intelligence (the ability to apply knowledge and skill to a creation) is behind the world.
The interesting thing is this — why is the UMC against the intelligent design crowd? Is it because they are against their SPECIFIC view of creation?
If so, then they are mis-understanding the Intelligent Design movement. This movement does not even propose ANY view of creation at all ( whether Young earth or Old Earth ).
Their movement simply wants to present the following thesis -— that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an un-directed process such as natural selection.
PERIOD.
You can posit whatever intelligent cause you like, but I don’t see how their thesis is in opposition to the Apostle’s Creed (for instance ) <-— which the UMC says they believe.
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