Delegates to the United Methodist Church Conference voted today. They voted to strengthen certain prohibitions regarding declared and practicing homosexuals from serving in the Church Leadership and to prohibit the sanctification of same-sex marriage.
As noted in The Atlantic, this result came as complete surprise, especially to the Church Bishops, who had determined a fore-ordained result, just not this particular one.
At a special conference in St. Louis this week, convened specifically to address divisions over LGBT issues, members voted to toughen prohibitions on same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy. This was a surprise: The denomination’s bishops, its top clergy, pushed hard for a resolution that would have allowed local congregations, conferences, and clergy to make their own choices about conducting same-sex marriages and ordaining LGBT pastors.
The Mandarins pushed hard, but came up short. And, as always when defeated at the ballot box, the leftists turned ugly. The below is just part of the Ugly. I watched a live stream of the event. When faced with ballot box defeat, these leftists were anything but Christian in their responses.
In the final hours of the conference on Tuesday, the debate turned acrimonious: One delegate alleged, without clear evidence, that people at the conference were bribing others for votes. Another speaker’s mic was silenced when he threatened to filibuster any vote before the end of the day. And the debate came to an abrupt halt: Delegates had to clear out of the conference hall so that it could be turned over for a monster-truck rally.
Below are the most important paragraphs from the article.
Some Methodists, however, seem determined to keep fighting this battle within their denomination. “I am a 32-year-old, and I am one of the youngest delegates here. For a denomination who claims so desperately to want young people in our churches, maybe we need to reevaluate,” said Alyson Shahan, a delegate from Oklahoma, who seemed to support LGBT inclusion in the denomination. “This body is not where the disciple-making happens. Thank the good Lord, am I right?”
There will be another General Conference again in 2020, where any of these issues or proposals can be taken up again. “With the traditional plan that adds teeth, you’ve not only alienated progressives, but also centrists,” said Hamilton. “Do you think these churches will quietly accept this regressive, traditional plan with teeth? Will these churches protest less, or more, for LGBTQ persons in the future?”
“You’ve inspired an awful lot of people who were not really engaged in this struggle before,” Hamilton said. “And for that, I thank you.”
In short, these leftists won’t quit. They appear to adhere to an old adage from Vladimir Ilyaich Ulanov, AKA, Lenin, “Push out a bayonet. If you touch steel, withdraw. If you touch flesh, push harder.” They will do the same here. They’ve touched some long dormant steel in the Methodist Church and will withdraw (with great wailing and gnashing of teeth) for a short time. But, they will be back.
Mike Ford is a retired Infantry Officer who writes on Military, Foreign Affairs and occasionally dabbles in Political and Economic matters.
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