WaPo 'On Faith' Page Features Methodist Preacher Pushing for Gay Clergy
While I'm sure religiously conservative African-Americans would vehemently disagree, the editors of the Washington Post's On Faith page seem to think that the struggle to desegregate the American church in the 1960s and the battle to have openly gay clergy in the pulpit are similar and equally predicated on a notion of fidelity to the teachings of Christ.
The day before the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial was originally scheduled to be dedicated, the On Faith page of Saturday's Washington Post published an obituary of a Methodist minister written by a liberal clergyman who equated a push for gay clergy as akin to struggles within Methodist churches to tear down the walls of segregation that used to keep black preachers out of the pulpits of predominantly white Methodist churches.
"On Faith" did not publish an article to counter that there's a huge difference between discriminating in church on the basis of race or ethnicity and disqualifying an openly gay person from serving in the clergy.
In "His work lives on," Foundry United Methodist pastor Rev. Dean Snyder marked the August 12 passing of W. Astor Kirk, a Methodist minister who played a key role in ensuring that the United Methodist Church would be desegregated.
But Snyder seemed most impressed with how Dr. Kirk went on to become an advocate for openly homosexual and lesbian ministers in the church pulpit, authoring a resolution that will be debated at the United Methodist Church's convention next spring in Tampa which mandates the church “to abolish ecclesiastical institutional discrimination against members of The United Methodist Church. . . commonly referred to as ‘homosexuals.'"
"It has been my honor to be his pastor and friend this past decade. I am convinced his struggle for a truly inclusive United Methodist Church will prevail," Snyder concluded his article.
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Comments
One brick at a time.
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 2:40pm.
One brick at a time.
The Methodist Church has a problem.
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 2:52pm.
The upper echelon of the church is quite Liberal but down at the street level Methodist parishioners are conservative family oriented common folk. If the leaders of the church push their Liberal agenda too hard then a lot of members will walk.
I hope you're right, but I
Submitted by Ken Shepherd on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 2:59pm.
I hope you're right, but I gotta tell you, I really doubt my aunt, who is very conservative, will leave her church unless/until it would get a gay pastor. I think a lot of the sweet old lady types in the UMC are content to keep their heads down so long as things are fine locally, which is a strong temptation in the more conservative parts of the country, where these issues are unlikely to crop up at the congregational level.
right...
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 5:13pm.
I was born and raised into the Methodist Church even though I have never become an official member. Here in a more traditional and conservative part of the country most members are unaware of the restlessness on the part of the ruling tier of the church to become a more 'socially conscious' (Liberal) type of church. But even here in fly-over country if a pastor were suspected of being Gay but still proclaimed a traditional Biblical message, maintained UMC's traditional family focus and his Gayness did not become a part of the identity of the church then it would be tolerated by most folks just as many Catholic Church members do with some of their priests. Don't ask, don't tell.
But you are right about the elderly life-long members, any radical change for them would be very distressing. For some the Church is their second home, the center of their social contacts.
UMC is losing it's way. So
Submitted by Soldat44 on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 3:27pm.
UMC is losing it's way. So sad.
It's not "its" way....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 7:32pm.
It's God's way that it's losing.
I understand that. That's
Submitted by Soldat44 on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 10:01pm.
I understand that. That's what I said.
My understanding is that true
Submitted by buddyc on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 3:37pm.
My understanding is that true gays represent 2-4% of the male population. WHY is the WaPo so obsessed with them? Is it really just because they cry and whine about 100000 times more than other people? Is it the more you cry the more attention you get?
Nobody in their right mind believes that the gay lifestyle is something christianity would support or encourage. You can't serve people a pile of shit to eat and tell them it is steak.
Someone please explain?
Here's my opinion; it's free
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 4:00pm.
Here's my opinion; it's free and worth every penny:
You hit part of it: the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
The other part is that the gay lobby has had an agenda for years, well-organized and based on incrementalism.They never have the attitude that "that's too extreme; no one will accept that." They take every victory, no matter how small, and build on it to go the next step, with a single-minded devotion.
If our government applied that degree of dedication to the goals of balanced budgets and fiscal solvency, we would never have the debt and deficit problems we have.
Finally an issue Duh One will
Submitted by Dan Diego on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 4:43pm.
Finally an issue Duh One will be glad to "lead from behind".
That's what I've heard.
→ It's a Sin Claire.
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 4:47pm.
Or that's what I heard.
Usually nothing to add...
Submitted by loxmyth on Sat, 08/27/2011 - 10:58pm.
I've never posted to NB before, even though i have had my account many months, and read here daily. The thing is, we have such great posters here that anything I would say, someone else usually says this.
This time, however, i just have to put my 2 cents in. My personal opinions about homosexuality is that it is wrong, and a sin. I do believe what the bible says is the word of God. However, before some troll jumps in, let me say that my personal beliefs about homosexuality have absolutely no bearing what-so-ever on the matter.
When one chooses to become a part of a church...chooses, no one forces anyone other than the parents that force young children to attend church services, but those children are not forced to become ministers...they are accepting the tenants and doctorines of that church. If they don't believe in what that church teaches they are free to shop around until they find a church that they do agree with.
THIS is the biggest problem with a christian church saying it is okay for homosexuals to be ministers. The Bible, the book that the church, by definition, uses as the basis of it's whole existance and teachings, clearly states in 1st Timothy, "9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me." Also, let me take a moment to point out there is a reason it is called Sodomy....
Now, again, for the trolls. This has zero to do with homosexuality being right or wrong. This has zero to do with The Bible being right or wrong. By it's nature the position of a minister for the Gospel of Christ is professing that the Gospel is true and the Word of God. How, please tell me, does someone that is clearly violating that Word stand up and try to tell me that his words are inspired by God, when he clearly doesn't believe himself?
Also, what's the deal with anyone, i don't care why, wanting to belong to some group that says they can't belong? Just go find a group that will accept you.
loxmyth---
Submitted by matthewdean on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 6:58pm.
Good post.
Nice job.
MD