Lesbian Methodist minister may be "defrocked".

[Liberator_Rev]

Liberal United Methodists like myself have been fighting a losing battle to remove legislation currently barring openly gay persons from serving in the ministry. Although "two regional investigative panels not to pursue a complaint against Dammann," there's what might be called "a vast right-wing conspiracy" of outside groups funded by people like Scaiffe agitating to either enact or enforce conservative legislation in various Protestant denominations.
SEATTLE -- "A United Methodist minister who told her bishop that she is a lesbian will likely face a church trial that could mean her removal from the pulpit, but says she prefers that to hiding her sexual orientation.

"I take this over one minute in the closet," the Rev. Karen Dammann said Tuesday in a telephone interview from the First United Methodist Church in Ellensburg, about 100 miles east of Seattle.

The denomination's Book of Discipline (Official Rule Book) bars "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals" from being ordained or serving as pastors. On Monday, the church's highest court -- known as the United Methodist Judicial Council -- said the book must be upheld.

The council's ruling reverses decisions by two regional investigative panels not to pursue a complaint against Dammann. The council said "it is an egregious error" not to bring charges when church law is being violated, and sent the case back to the regional committees for a new hearing."
from http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/sns-ap-gay-pastor,0,1738948.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines/

http://www.LiberalsLikeChrist.Org/ChurchvsGays/

[theivoryqueen]

1. I know this is a serious subject

But I can imagine guys all over the site frantically scrolling for photos of the defrocked lesbian!

[TAH6988]

4. Why? She may

be ugly...

[amlouden]

2. surprised

i'm kind of surprised hearing about this, i was baptised a methodist, and i always thought they were more liberal in their ideas than most other protestant religions, but i guess i've been fooled

[Rowdyboy]

3. They are more liberal than "most" other

protestant (ex-Methodist, current Episcop here). Episcopalians, Quakers, Church of the Brethren and some Lutherns are the only protestants to the left on Methodists. Just not quite ready to accept openly lesbian ministers.

[Liberator_Rev]

5. In some "Conferences", at least, Liberals may prevail,

but over all, legislation is enacted on a Democratic basis and we Liberal United Methodists have yet to prove that we are in the majority. The next quadrennial conference in Pittsburgh next year will be another test.

[Wapsie B]

6. We Lutherans defrocked

a minister several years ago for being gay. Our society will not move forward one step until we stop removing ministers for their sexuality.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Wapsie B]

8. Who said gays & lesbians

don't believe in God?

Nice try.

[Tyler Durden]

9. Local Lutherans here openly preach discrimination.

In our li'l "slice of Heaven" (sarcasm off), I thought that I would at least expose my 3 kids to religion and let them make up their own minds.

The Lutheran Church my extended family belongs to is Missouri Synod and not known for liberal attitudes. I excused the anti-abortion tracts in the lobby, but that was as far as I was prepared to go.

When they started TRYING to teach my then 13 year old son that it was perfectly OK to discriminate against people who were "...going against the teachings of the Bible..." (example: OK to fire gays, or refuse to rent to gays or even unmarried hetero couples) that capped it. He said "Dad, do I have to listen to this shit?" and I said "Nope. You are outa there."

We are going to try UU in Canada.

[Wapsie B]

10. I was baptized into the Missouri Synod

and took my first year of confirmation class there before I found out how right wing those people really are. What an eye opener that was to hear the preacher teach us youngsters about absolutism.

Which reminds me of a joke I saw on another site. St. Peter meets a new group of people just arriving at the pearly gates. He leads them past a high-walled, heavily guarded compound and tells the newbies, "SHHH! Be very quiet. Those are the Lutherans. They think they're the only one's here!"

[Tyler Durden]

11. Me also...

...but I think it was the only remotely tolerant parish in the entire denomination. The Pastor taught us to ask questions, and stress all of the New Testament that preached tolerance and inclusiveness.

I heard that joke, except it was "BAPTISTS!"

[Some Moran]

14. Missouri Synod in Canada?

I guess it wouldn't surprise me...The goddamn Southern Baptists are opening a church soon where I live.

[Tyler Durden]

15. I'm not a Canadian (yet)...

...But I play one on TV!

[Some Moran]

13. Moran...

I reported this post.

[LeahMira]

12. Tired of hearing this nonsense!

"A United Methodist minister who told her bishop that she is a lesbian will likely face a church trial that could mean her removal from the pulpit...

A church trial? Honestly. Some people haveentirely too much time on their hands and they need to get real jobs.

Let the woman alone! If nobody had any problems with her before she came out to her bishop, nobody should have any problems after she came out to her bishop.

Methodists... just grow up.

[TacticalPeek]

16. The problem is that damn rule in the Discipline.

Keep her, and you are ignoring your own rules, and hypocritically undermining them.

Changing the rule requires turbulent confrontation (and a majority).

Over time, I sometimes find myself longing for slightly hypocritical peace. :)