Methodists uphold policy that calls homosexuality ‘incompatible with Christian teaching’

[Duncan Grant]

Delegate Jo Ann Carlotto (second from left) of the New England Conference wipes her eyes with a rainbow stole after delegates voted to maintain the United Methodist Church's stance on sexuality during the denomination's at 2012 General Conference in Tampa, Fla. RNS photo by Mike DuBose/courtesy United Methodist News Service


The Rev. Will Green helps lead a protest calling for greater inclusiveness in the United Methodist Church on the floor of the 2012 United Methodist General Conference in Tampa, Fla. RNS photo by Mike DuBose/United Methodist News Service

(RNS) Despite emotional protests and fierce lobbying from gay rights groups, United Methodists voted on Thursday (May 2) to maintain their denomination’s stance that the practice of homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.”

Two “agree to disagree” proposals were soundly defeated during separate votes by the nearly 1,000 delegates gathered for the United Methodist Church’s General Conference in Tampa, Fla.

<snip>

After the proposals were defeated on Thursday, gay rights activists flooded the assembly floor and disrupted the session by singing the hymn “What Does the Lord Require of You?” Indiana Bishop Michael Coyner, chair of the morning session, told the protesters, “I think you’re actually hurting your point.” When the protesters refused to stop singing, Coyner closed the session, sent the delegates to an early lunch and threatened to bar protesters from the convention hall in the afternoon.

Church leaders and the protesters later worked out a compromise, according to United Methodist News Service. On Thursday afternoon, the delegates shifted their attention to clergy pension plans, leaving key votes on gay clergy and same-sex marriage to Friday, the last day of General Conference.

Link: Methodists uphold policy that calls homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching"

[hedgehog]

1. Pertinent detail here:

Nearly 40 percent of the delegates gathered in Tampa live outside the U.S.

Thursday’s debate put the denomination's wide diversity on display - as gays and lesbians pleaded for recognition of their “sacred worth” and an African delegate, speaking through an interpreter, compared homosexuality to bestiality.

That proposal was defeated by a tally of 54 - 46 percent.

The delegates defeated another compromise proposal by an even wider margin: 61 to 39 percent. The resolution would have acknowledged a “limited understanding” of human sexuality and called on the church to “refrain from judgment regarding homosexual persons and practices until the Spirit leads us to new insight.”

I wonder what the votes of the American delegates looked like.

For various reasons, homophobia seems embedded into African Christianity. One reason is that the missionaries tended to be from the conservative fractions of North American and European churches. Another reason is the perceived competition with Moslems. Each side is striving to be "purer" than the other. (Note - this Christian/ Moslem conflict in a large part has as much to do with religion as the Catholic/Protestant divide in Ulster.)

A very serious problem for all the mainline Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church is that the homophobes are driving the real Christians away!

[HillWilliam]

2. I swanee, they will never leave the Dark Ages

But woof Pastor Will.

[murielm99]

3. Oh, no.

Not again.

I had not yet heard. We lost good people in our local congregation after the last General Conference voted this way, and may yet lose more.

This has to change.

Thanks for posting.

[msongs]

4. I thought xtian belief = everyone a sinner saved by Jesus so why are gays so much worse? nt

[MNBrewer]

5. I grew up in the UMC, my parents and other relatives still attend

I've asked them whether they think the church will schism over this issue. I think it's only a matter of time. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

[xchrom]

6. Methodists, episcopaleans, Lutherans, etc - therebare schisms

That NEED to happen - let the southern hemisphere churches go their way.

The northern hemisphere churches will survive - & we can get on with things: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, comforting the prisoner, etc.

Other wise everyone is trapped - having the same conversation over & over again.

[Rowdyboy]

7. As an Episcopalian I totally agree that the North American church needs to seperate itself from

domination by the African denomination of the church. They have views that will never be reconciled with ours. I have no problem continuing all programs that provide food, medical care, schools water etc to these people but their religious bigotry can't be allowed to destroy the progressive force that is todays mainline American Episcopal church.

[Creideiki]

8. There are really good African Christian leaders

like Desmond Tutu, who are actually Christian. It would be a shame to exile the next great African Christian humanitarian. Maybe allow groups to freely associate or not. (Strange, I know, coming from someone who wants to renegotiate Appomattox and let the South go with the conservative retro-humans.)

[xchrom]

10. The church separating wouldn't prevent

The northern hemisphere and the southern from forging new relationships.

But now we're chained in conflict - and that's not going to change.

[Zorra]

9. Another Roadside Attraction

“The fact is, what I hated in the Church was what I hated in society. Namely, authoritarians. Power freaks. Rigid dogmatists. Those greedy, underloved, undersexed twits who want to run everything. While the rest of us are busy living - busy tasting and testing and hugging and kissing and goofing and growing - they are busy taking over."

“What an electric heater perched upon the rim of the bathtub of the world that dead Jesus was.”

“This did not annoy Amanda for it had long been her theory that human beings were invented by water as a device for transporting itself from one place to another.”

---Tom Robbins

[Smarmie Doofus]

11. I'd say there's a madness to their Methodism.

Sorry.

[mitchtv]

12. sad day, not unexpected

once again the Xians abdicate their pulpits to the Pharisee christians. Next they will be whining everyone is picking on them. The term Christian is meaningless.