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 RELIGION  June 2000; Volume 24 Issue 06 Methodists reject pressure to affirm homosexuality
"When the relatively liberal controlled United Methodist Church refuses to compromise on homosexuality, our nation should take notice," observed Mark Tooley, of UMAction, a committee of The Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD). IRD is working for renewal in several mainline denominations. "Perhaps the political power of the homosexual movement has peaked, both in our mainline churches and in our culture." Delegates meeting at the quadrennial General Conference voted by margins of 65-80% to reaffirm the church's declaration that homosexual practice is "incompatible" with Christian teaching, the prohibition against ordaining practicing homosexuals, the prohibition against same-sex unions, and the ban on denominational funding for pro-homosexual advocacy. The ten day conference was held in May in Cleveland, Ohio. In last minute desperation tactics, pro-homosexual demonstrators occupied the floor of the convention center, disrupting the proceedings after delegates rejected their legislation. Despite extreme patience by the General Conference, which included a vote to allow the demonstrators to remain on the convention floor if they were not disruptive, the police were ultimately called upon to remove them. "The delegates of the General Conference should be commended for their patience and their perserverance," Tooley said. "They said ‘no' not only to the intimidation of the demonstrators. More importantly, they said ‘no' to the even more pervasive intimidation of America's current popular culture, which has increasingly embraced the pro-homosexualilty movement."
© Copyright 2000 • American Family Association, all rights reserved. |
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In several dramatic but decisive votes, the governing General Conference of the United Methodist Church rejected intense pro-homosexual lobby movements by reaffirming traditional Christian teachings about marriage and sexuality.