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Ninety-six Methodist bishops -- that's about 60% -- have signed a Statement of Conscience decrying the war in Iraq.
I love our bishops! This week the Council of Bishops also unanimously released a pastoral letter affirming that homosexuality is not a barrier to membership in the UMC.
It's pretty embarrassing that that had to be said, though. It came on the heels of a shocking Judicial Council ruling that pastors have the authority to deny church membership to people they believe do not intend to uphold their membership vows -- in this particular case, a gay man. I'm dumbfounded as to how the pastor concluded that a gay man wouldn't uphold his membership vows, since when I joined the UMC I was asked, "Will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church and uphold it by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service?," not "Do you promise not to have gay sex?" Is the Judicial Council implying that loyalty to the UMC requires upholding everything in our Social Principles? How un-Methodist is that?!
All in all it's been a very up-and-down week to be a United Methodist. I hesitated to even write about this, because I'm so ashamed of my church's ruling. But hey, at least our bishops rock.
I love our bishops! This week the Council of Bishops also unanimously released a pastoral letter affirming that homosexuality is not a barrier to membership in the UMC.
It's pretty embarrassing that that had to be said, though. It came on the heels of a shocking Judicial Council ruling that pastors have the authority to deny church membership to people they believe do not intend to uphold their membership vows -- in this particular case, a gay man. I'm dumbfounded as to how the pastor concluded that a gay man wouldn't uphold his membership vows, since when I joined the UMC I was asked, "Will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church and uphold it by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service?," not "Do you promise not to have gay sex?" Is the Judicial Council implying that loyalty to the UMC requires upholding everything in our Social Principles? How un-Methodist is that?!
All in all it's been a very up-and-down week to be a United Methodist. I hesitated to even write about this, because I'm so ashamed of my church's ruling. But hey, at least our bishops rock.
