Those Limping Methodists

California's high court challenges the USA with respect to marrying of homosexual couples. Two United Methodist Annual Conferences challenge the UMC by supporting homosexual marriages and seeking no sanctions against over sixty retired clergy who are willing to violate church law to marry Gay and Lesbian partners.

In an article for United Methodist News Service by Marta Aldrich, the two approaches to the issue are clearly drawn. On the one side which the conferences have affirmed is the view that our image as an open Church requires pastoral sensitivity to the experience of the love between same-sex partners. The other side says that Scriptures are clear about the practice of homosexuality being against God's will.

The basic argument between the two sides is no less resolved on the national church level. The General Conference affirmed both in its quadrennial meeting in Fort Worth in late April.

The supporters of the authority of Scripture argue that 98% of world Methodists are against same-sex marriage. Those supporting such legal bonds say they find it hard to take seriously those who choose only some Scripture to be taken literally and others to be interpreted in other ways.

One anti-Gay marriage proponent reminds us through the Aldrich article that the issue seems to lay in the experience of the "pro" group but that there are three other grounds to examine an issue, Scripture, tradition, and reason.

General Conference was offered a resolution from the "Reason" approach but rejected it. In essence, the resolution (yes, it was mine) described how modern science has determined there are some genetic grounds for homosexuality to exist and some research showing that hormonal conditions of a mother at birth strongly determine the sexual orientation of her sons. If we are willing to accept this new scientific evidence, then we must admit that some homosexuals are God-made.

Social scientists have long known of how different cultures have dealt with homosexuals, many having good ways to integrate homosexual relationships (one being the "birdache" system among Native American tribes).

Social scientists have also observed that some homosexuality has its basis in psychological or socialogical pressures (such as needing to be "homosexual" in order to gain access to certain levels of some specialty vocations). So some homosexuality is man-made.

Since the Church has ministry to all, there really is no reason to be saying one side or the other is right.

Both sides have to look at what they have to offer to the various kinds of homosexuals.

The General Conference voted against a resolution which would have granted respect for two different views. Maybe when the science (Reason) is given its appropriate respect, we will move away from the kinds of fear and antagonism generated especially by those who are against same-sex unions of any sort and toward loving our neighbors as ourselves.