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[captainsblog]

I expected this result. The crackers and the homophobic foreign delegates outnumber us Northeastern progressives. I did not, however, expect gloating from the pastor of a church within my own county, one which I have been IN during my certification as a lay speaker:

Delegates at the 2012 General Conference of The United Methodist Church voted on Thursday morning, May 3, to keep the Church’s policy on homosexuality.

The 572-368 vote rejected a proposal to change paragraph 161F, which currently states that “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.”

Through emails, personal interviews and Facebook posts, scores of clergy and laity voiced support for the Church and were elated by the delegates’ decision.

Upper New York clergy delegate the Rev. Larry Baird, who is also the president of Board of Directors of the Confessing Movement, said the vote made him proud of The United Methodist Church.

“We upheld our polity and we did the right thing,” Rev. Baird said, adding that part of the Church’s problem is being in the world without being of it. It’s even more difficult “because of the permissive nature of the world.”

A former district superintendent and now Trinity Grand Island UMC pastor, Rev. Baird said he understood the pain and the emotions of those who were hurt by the decision, but added that “sometimes we have to say no, even to those we love.”

And sometimes we have to call out "injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves."

I am not proud of the United Methodist Church, Lar.  I am sickened that this decision is closer in kind, if not in degree, to the pronouncements of non-Methodist ministers like this guy, or this guy, who had previously sickened me earlier in the day today.

Give me a reason to stay, to "be the Church" if this is the church you want me to be.

Comments

[darksumomo.livejournal.com]

I suggest you do a search for two words, dominionism and steeplejacking. The latter may be what's happening to your denomination and the former is who is likely to be doing it.

[oxymoron67.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. It stinks when the bigots win.

[thanatos-kalos.livejournal.com]

::hugs:: I wish I could say I was surprised. :(

[captainsblog.livejournal.com]

As I said, I wasn't surprised by the defeat, or the margin (it was actually closer than I expected). What surprised me was (a) that a recent leader in our own area agreed with this position, and (b) how elated he was about it. It's all YAY we beat back the you-know-whats! And THAT is what I can't agree to disagree about.

[bluevicksen11.livejournal.com]

"adding that part of the Church’s problem is being in the world without being of it."
That I don't get, and it strikes me as not being very humble. As a disclaimer, I am not religious at all, so maybe I am missing something... but I thought churches are made up of the people in them, who as I understand, are "of this world". The delegates at that conference who voted are all human and "of this world", as is Larry B., right?
It seems to me they are ascribing much of the authority of the Guy Who Is Actually Not Of This World to themselves. Shouldn't god be the only one condoning or not condoning things? Shouldn't they be more concerned with that one big commandment to "love thy neighbor as thyself'?
Just sayin'.
Anyway, sorry you are going through this crisis of sorts, but happy and proud of you for still standing for what you believe in and know to be right.