Subscribe to Breaking News
Loading ...Methodists bar gay marriage ceremonies
04.29.2009 4:13pm EDT
(Denver, Colorado) United Methodist clergy cannot perform same-sex marriages or gay civil unions even if their regional church district supports the idea, the denomination’s high court ruled.
The Judicial Council said that a church district or annual conference cannot “negate, ignore or violate” churchwide discipline, even if they disagree with the policy.Last year, the top church legislative body, or General Conference, voted to retain its ban on same-sex marriages and ban clergy from performing the ceremonies or consecrating same-gender unions in the church. Pastors who violate the discipline risk losing their clergy credentials.
The council decision, released Monday after a court meeting in Denver, came in the case of two regional Methodist groups that had issued resolutions supporting clergy who perform same-gender marriages.
The California-Nevada Annual Conference had backed retired pastors who perform the ceremonies. The California-Pacific Conference had recognized “the pastoral need and prophetic authority of our clergy and congregations to offer the ministry of marriage ceremonies for same-gender couples.”
The state Supreme Court in California had approved gay marriage last year, but voters reinstated a ban on same-gender marriage last November through the Proposition 8 ballot measure.
Blah blah blah, ya they “welcome” you here, but somewhere across the globe your CHURCH dollars are going to help some poor lesbian girl (perceived even) or some poor gay kid to get tortured, raped of even beat to death.
so keep believing in your fairy tales and think about what your CHURCH(es) are doing Globally to people like us!
shame.
I am not saying don’t believe in “god” or something but just watch who and or what you take up with. They will shake your hand in Church and RUN as fast as they can to the Ballot Boxes and vote for shit like Prop 8.
just tired of LGBT people being dooped!
Stupid Methodists. Behind the times, as usual.
I was a life long (52) Methodist until this past month when I joined the United Church of Christ. The issue of being gay is simply not an issue with us. My church has an openly gay pastor who does not have to live in fear of someone “ratting” on him and bringing him up on charges. The main church hierarchy has endorsed marriage equality. How refreshing.
Methodists are pre-occupied with their silly rule book to really see the whole issue. Church trials, rulings… what the f* is that all about… oh yes of course…power.
I hope that some of us do not make the mistake of going after the churches. As long as we get marriage, we need to leave the religions alone.
But I am sure there will be some gays/lesbians out there that want nothing but a fight and they will challenge these people.
Yesterday the Presbyterians voted (once again) there could be no gay pastors. I wrote to them and told them how the church was my life when I was young and how this was now barely a blip on my radar. I left the church in 1977 because of their narrow-mindedness. My entire (straight) family eventually left the church. Tell the church to feel free to keep their prejudices and exclusions, their bigotry. My question: who’s left to preach to? Message of love? How about practice what you preach.
That’s cool.
I’ve always said, I don’t care what these people do behind the closed doors of their fantasy land houses…as long as they don’t try to shove their fantasies down my throat through legislation which directly effects me.
It sounds almost like I’m echoing their supposed viewpoint about gays, doesn’t it?
Oops…wait…except the legislation I’m trying to help shove down their throats WON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM OR TO THEM.
Funny they don’t get that distinction.
This is actually great news for marriage equality. No court is going to force the methodists to perform gay weddings. So right wing scare tactics will be called out for what they are: outrageous lies.
I go to an open and accepting Church in Long Beach. I will not waste my energy dreaming that some big old top heavy denomination will change. I have been through so many churches. God is Love.
(When you choose to make that leap of faith). Two greatest commandents ect.
That is all I really believe. The rest is politics and tradition.
Tom in Long Beach
My parents go to a Methodist church, and they are supportive of me. There are some things about religion which are good. For example, I respect what my parents’ church does to help the victims of hurricane Katrina. They also have a mission in mexico that feeds the poor. On the other hand, these are things wehich the government does, also. Only, the government is able to do so without attempting to convince people of their supersticious “beliefs”. Enter socialism. It’s about people helping their neighbors, without reguards to who their neighbors are. I often wonder whether my parents’ church would stop helping a Katrina victom if they found out that person was a practicing homosexual who refused their church’s teaching. The way I see it, is that churches only pretend to offer help to people when what they really want is to transform those persons into what they think is best. They call it “saving the children” when what it really ammounts to is “christianising the children”. They always go after the children, because they are the most impressionable.
Is “spell check” too much to ask for?
Gee, and I thought they were the ones with the ads that said they welcomed everyone. Everyone but those they decide not to welcome. Special. Thankfully, the UCC means it when we say everybody’s welcome, and we have marriages in our churches. If you are looking for a church home where you will be welcomed, try the UCC.