Posted on 06/15/2003 12:18:19 PM PDT by aruanan
Highlights of text:
...human sexuality is a good gift of God...This was sent to me by a friend familiar with the goings-on of the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church.
...homosexuality, heterosexuality and bi-sexuality all share that gift...
...we commit to proclaim that homosexual orientation (no less or more than heterosexual orientation) can be compatible with Christian teaching...
We encourage clergy to preach this from our pulpits ...
...we encourage lay people to teach it in our Sunday school classes and tell it to our children...
...we affirm that loving, monogamous, intimate relationships between persons of the same or opposite gender, are an expression of God's love...
...we affirm that persons of all sexual orientations are equally called to ordained ministry...
...as lay persons we will similarly affirm that call and we will offer ourselves fully in mutual ministry with pastors of our churches regardless of that person's sexual orientation....
700-23 REFLECTING THE LOVE OF GOD Passed as amended in Plenary, June 7, 2003.
WHEREAS, as Christians we are called to embody God's love in the world, and as United Methodist Christians, we are united in our faith in God, our love of Christ and our commitment to seek and do God's will as empowered by the Holy Spirit; and
WHEREAS, for the past two decades General Conference actions have added increasingly condemnatory and exclusionary language to the Book of Discipline concerning the full participation of gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons in our denomination; and
WHEREAS, the church is deeply divided on issues related to God's gift of sexual orientation, and any pretense that we are of one mind only serves to deepen the estrangement and isolation of those who are excluded, and imposes premature closure upon the church's search to faithfully discern the will of God;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church affirms that human sexuality is a good gift of God and understands that homosexuality, heterosexuality and bi-sexuality all share that gift; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we believe that the current statement in the United Methodist Book of Discipline that "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching" is: not reflective of the historic Wesleyan unwillingness to limit prerogatives which belong solely to God, and is not representative of every Biblical/theological perspective; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we commit to proclaim that homosexual orientation (no less or more than heterosexual orientation) can be compatible with Christian teaching. We encourage clergy to preach this from our pulpits and expose our parishioners to the fullness of the Scriptural witness on related matters in our Bible studies, and we encourage lay people to teach it in our Sunday school classes and tell it to our children; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we affirm that loving, monogamous, [sic] intimate relationships between persons of the same or opposite gender, are an expression of God's love; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we affirm the historic charge of United Methodist clergy to be in ministry according to their best discernment among the people entrusted to their care.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, we affirm that persons of all sexual orientations are equally called to ordained ministry. As clergy we will affirm God's call to ordained ministry as experienced by candidates for ministry regardless of a person's sexual orientation and welcome them into the clergy covenant, and as lay persons we will similarly affirm that call and we will offer ourselves fully in mutual ministry with pastors of our churches regardless of that person's sexual orientation.
Methodist Federation for Social Action Rev. Bob Campbell, Legislative Coordinator
Give them ten years, then polygamy will also be a gift of God.
1 Corinthians 6:8-10 :: New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Listen to this
1 Corinthians 6
8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [1] effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
Now scoot on back to DU where you belong. You won't have much luck cruising here.
Mixing races of people would not result in higher incidences of STDs, what does "celebrating" people who define themselves by who they have sex with have to do with Christ anyway? Why not have pedophile or beastiality churches while we're at it, since apparently who someone is attracted to and chooses to sleep with no longer matters, it's all equal isn't it?
....non-freeper just signed on today!
Why because you and others of your ilk will try to convolute and distort what a normal, healthly relationship is?
With a selfish, fantasied theory like yours I guess our grandchildren will embrase pedophilia too?
Not only is your statement twisting comparisons, it's totally schizophrenic!
Your thoughts resemble circular files...
The UMC has already lost the batttle.
Read the UMC Book of Resolutions and Social Principles. They're straight from the hand of Karl Marx.
12. Overture 19 from Philadelphia Presbytery and Rocky Mountain Presbytery (“Endorse Marriage Amendment to US Constitution”) was answered with the following statement: The church now declares to the world the teaching of God’s word concerning the family as summarized in the WCF 24.1-2.
1. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman: neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband, at the same time (Gen. 2:24; Mat. 19:5-6; Prov. 2:17).
2. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the Church with an holy seed; and for preventing of uncleanness. (Gen. 2:18; Mal. 2:15; 1Cor. 7:2, 9).
Furthermore the Scriptures warn of the danger to any nation that defies God’s law regarding the family (Proverbs 14:34).
For non-Presbyterians: WCF=Westminster Confession of Faith.
I took look about a year ago and I have never seen so many "funds" in my life. Millions of dollars in every fund. The pension fund was 6 or 7 billion.
The few, and I mean few Ministers who have a true calling can barely keep the local church doors open while the idiots who pass resolutions like this one have access to all the money.
The natural reaction is one of: Well, we have had to home school our kids in order for them to get a proper education. Now it has come to the point where religeous instruction must also be taught in the home.
The homosexuals who have found a home in the churches of America must be evicted and never allowed wear the cloak of the church.
Polygamy is Biblical, and far less "weird" than homosexuality and pedophilia. I'm really surprised it didn't come first on the list.
Armando Valladares, the Christian poet who served 22 years in Castro's gulag, testifies that Cuban officials used pro-Castro statements by NCC representatives to torment their prisoners. According to Valladares, being forced to listen to the sanctimonious lies emitted by Marxists in clerical collars "was worse for the Christian political prisoners than the beatings or the hunger." http://www.geocities.com/nccwatch/
I like this line. It CAN be compatible with Christian teaching. Well, I can only ask these people: is it or isn't it?
"Can be" ties right into situational ethics. I define situational ethics as dishonest and unethical.
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