Posted on 07/05/2011 11:11:48 PM PDT by Cronos
The Rev. Amy DeLong, a Methodist pastor from Osceola, Wisconsin, decided to come clean. She brought to the attention of her local bishop that she had officiated over the same-sex union of a lesbian couple... She also told the bishop that she might as well be prosecuted for something else: she is in a lesbian partnership.
And so, last week, DeLong, 44, faced a jury of church elders in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. At issue was whether she violated the Book of Discipline, which guides the church's teachings, by blessing the same sex union and for being a "self avowed, practicing homosexual." The 13-member jury acquitted her on the second charge. But it also found her guilty of the first. But that's where something historic happened. The elders handed down the first sentence in 20 years of United Methodist jurisprudence that did not indefinitely suspend or defrock an elder for officiating a same-sex union.
Instead, DeLong's sentence is a 20-day suspension that also calls on her to draft a document that will outline procedures for the Methodist clergy to resolve issues that "harm the clergy covenant, create an adversarial spirit or lead to future clergy trials." ...
DeLong's trial materialized just as hundreds of U.S. Methodist clergy have been signing petitions declaring they would officiate over same-sex unions. It's creating a rift in a church that's increasingly looking more conservative than its mainline Protestant peers, which have become more accepting of gay leaders and practices. ...
The ranks of professing U.S. Methodists have been shrinking, with 2009 membership down 1.22% from 2008, at 7.8 million... "My trial doesn't change anything at all," DeLong says. "We just don't have the votes to overturn the rules right now."
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
I;m surprised the bishop didn’t see she was lesbian from the start — I took one look at the pic and thought that!
Yep, I’ve always wondered about that. Lesbians are female, and are supposedly females who simply love other females. Yet many, not all, but many, seem to go out of their way to present a mannish appearance to the world.
I’ve almost made the mistake of thinking a mannish woman was really a man. Certainly these females know that they appear to be very mannish, and want to appear that way.
Communist goal #26.
Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as normal, natural, healthy.
27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with social religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize
the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a religious crutch.
http://www.uhuh.com/nwo/communism/comgoals.htm
Like they say, it’s not rocket science.
Before I had even read the story, I saw the picture and said to myself, “no wonder she did this,she’s a lesbian” and sure enough it was confirmed.
I knew that there are some churches that have women pastoresses for the past decade and disavow gay marriages, but I think, putting on a logical, non-denominational hat that there is a linkage and it is better not to even step on that road.
Isn't it curious that homosexuality involves a denial of one's sex but not one's sexuality? Gender confusion is at the core of the homosexual experience. It is a mental illness, not a biological condition.
Are you claiming that women in the pastorate is linked with homosexuality?
Take any denomination that has added in pastoresses.
Let's take for instance the ECUSA, here is a timeline
One can hardly deny that there seems a direct causal link between first getting pastoresses to eventually "gay marriages"
first pastoresses allowed in the 70s, then by 1997 an Amendment to allow ordination of those not faithful in marriage or chaste in singleness and finally now gay marriages.
There is a link, don't you think so? If not, I welcome your thoughts
Don’t get me started. My ministry was obliterated due to the influence of homosexuality in the UMC.
Actually I would like to get you “started” as you say — I probably completely misinterpreted your comment in post 11 thinking that you supported either pastoresses or gay ministers or both — I apologize. Please could you elaborate more? Thank you!
PS(And, while we're ranting, Democrats should stay in New York and not come "south" to get away from the taxes!).
Or, they could become Unitarians....where they could worship gay unicorns and it wouldn’t matter. - The upside would be they aren’t polluting the use of the word Christianity.
Or, they could become Unitarians....where they could worship gay unicorns and it wouldn’t matter. - The upside would be they aren’t polluting the use of the word Christianity.
Once a faith group starts disregarding God’s Word by allowing women as pastors, allowing homosexuality as normal is not that far of a step.
Stay true to the Word in all things!
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