Methodist Bishop issues Statement

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,
This is a link to an article by Methodist Bishop Timothy Whitaker:

http://www.flumc.info/cgi-script/csA...024/002460.htm

I reference it on my blog: www.morevile.blogspot.com

Bear in mind that this is a viewpoint of one fairly conservative United Methodist Bishop. I know for a fact that many of them don't think like this.

I am going to be commenting on his article on my blog once I get back from being with Soulforce in Colorado Springs. I'd like you comments and thoughts on what the Bishop has written. Clearly, I view it as spiritual violence with a "sugar coating" of sorts. Trouble is, many "middle of the road" Methodists will consider this kind of statement to be "middle of the road."

At least the Bishop is not for denying membership to LGBT persons--right now our right wing is all for denying membership. But who would want to be a member in a church with a pastor whose attitude is like this bishop's!

Anyway, what do you think?

Steven

[keltic63]

OK, I've just made it about halfway through the section entitled Language and I'm already offended. This bishop has dismissed an entire group of people by using the term "same-sex attraction" with the implication that being gay is not inborn, or as the APA says, the result of a combination of environmental, cognitive and biological factors. This automatically degrades my love for my partner to a sex act, and in doing so, allows the right wing supporters to listen to this bishop to view myself and my actions as something less than human.

[Daniel]

Just read throught the piece and laughed when the writer wrote:

"I believe it is important for the church to take a pastoral approach toward homosexuals. This may include receiving into membership those who are in monogamous same-sex relationships and those who define themselves as “gay” or “lesbian.” As a pastor of people, the church understands there are those who will interpret their same-sex attraction according to the framework of interpretation supplied by the society and surrounding culture. Personal acceptance instead of argument with their adoption of societal identities is the responsibility of a church that proclaims and embodies the grace of God in Jesus Christ."

It's so big of him to say in effect: "We're happy to take your money as long as you're single and celibate...and...oh...don't forget...you've got to become straight and narrow like the real Christians."

Overall, the author's use of the term "Same-Sex Attaction" is akin to what has transpired in the various legal cases the past few weeks: as long as GLBT persons are not viewed as a class, or in legal language, do not deserve "heightened scrutiny", they will forever remain dogs at the table waiting for the scraps, which is what the author has offered this reader.

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

I just posted on my blog -- go to www.morevile.blogspot.com -- an open letter from a United Methodist Pastor who is one of our strong allies. Bishop Whitaker is her Bishop, so she shows some courage and responsibility in challenging what he has to say. By the way, I doubt she is in any real danger of retaliation from her Bishop, but still she shows some courage.

I appreciate hearing your responses. I'm going to be saying more myself on my blog once I get back home from Colorado Springs and the Soulforce action here. Right now I'm only getting 30 minutes of time at a campground computer station. (Our lap top went on the fritz just before we left for the trip.)

So far, friends, your reponses have been "right on." I do think it's important to respond to this Bishop. He's not the same kind of adversary that James Dobson is--I believe he is more open than that to real dialogue.

Still, you are right that what he has to say is demeaning and constitutes spiritual violence. Remember, our Soulforce principles attribute spiritual violence not to "evil human beings" but to ignorance and misinformation--a human condition we all share to some extent.

More later. We head back towards Wisconsin today--it'll be a two to three day drive! Keep us in your prayers!

Steven Webster

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

This is my latest post on Bishop Whitaker:

http://morevile.blogspot.com/2006/07...ual.html#links

I'd be interested in your comments.

Steven Webster

[LGBT FLIGHT ATTENDANT]

Yes, throughout the South and the Midwest, the Scots-Irish Protestant and the Methodist circuit preacher was the alter choice to the Southern Baptists.

The United Evangelical Brethren merger with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1968 to create the UMC gave me several church homes in my youth.

Not unlike the "piscopals" - you had tradition determined by the preacher.

[Dash]

Steven,

In your blog you said:

Originally Posted by Steven E. Webster

We did not know who we were. We just knew that we were strangely different from our peers. Many of us felt isolated. We felt "I'm the only one in the world who feels like this."

It's so true! I remember these exact feelings. My older brother has recounted the same experience as well.

It's one of the strangely universal phenomenons of being gay that we each can think, "I'm the only one in the world." And how sad that, after struggling for so long to find ourselves, so many wish steal our identity away again!

I also note how the Bishop thinks human identity is essentially "theological." He prefers to define humans by his understanding of a book...rather than our true manifestation in the world. Like another who recently insisted that homosexuals and pedophiles are the same...because the Bible says so. In the face of clear scientific study proving that there is no connection between the two, he obstinately preferred his interpretation of the Bible.

And the Sun goes round the Earth....

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,
I responded to an interesting comment on my blog this evening. Here's the link:

http://morevile.blogspot.com/2006/08...ker.html#links

Steven E. Webster