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PERSPECTIVE
General Gayety
by Leslie Robinson . Contributing Writer
Religious rebels
Here in 2008, it’s old news that mainline
Protestant denominations are struggling-inter-
nally over homosexuality. But the big gay news
item of the year, the California Supreme
Court’s decision to overturn a ban on same-
sex marriage, has ratcheted up the conflict
within at least one denomination.
The United Methodist Church is lately
looking more untied than united.
A story in The Los Angeles Times described
how “scores” of Methodist ministers in
California have conducted or plan to conduct
same-sex weddings, in open disregard of
church rules.
In other words; Methodist ministers are
making matrimonial mischief. Miscreants are
misbehaving by marrying members, making a
mockery of Methodist mandates. Mercy.
The denomination’s “Book of Discipline”
lives up to its austere name, at least where gay
ness is concerned. It maintains that the prac
tice of homosexuality is incompatible with
Christian teaching. So “ceremonies that cele
brate homosexual unions shall not be con
ducted by our ministers and shall not be con
ducted in our churches.”
However, the book also says “certain basic
human rights and civil liberties are due all per
sons. We are committed to supporting those
rights and liberties for homosexual persons.”
We won’t marry you. But, we will support
your right to breathe
oxygen.
While the United
Methodist Church’s
international governing
body reaffirmed the
book’s language on gay
ness last spring, soon afterwards California’s two
governing bodies took a different view; declar
ing support for the state Supreme Court’s ruling.
The Southern California Methodist leaders
officially recognized the need for clergy and
congregations to make marriage available to
everybody. Hold on to your hymnal, Bertha,
it’s a Methodist mutiny!
The Northern Californians praised 82
retired pastors who signed a resolution offer
ing to perform gay weddings on behalf of
_^mlnisters who fear doing it themselves.
“We are willing to put our professions on the
line because this is so central to our ministry^’
said retired minister Don Fado, 74. He might
lose financial benefits and his clerical creden
tials, but his conscience will be spick-and-span.
The active ministers performing gay mar
riage ceremonies risk losing their jobs and
clerical credentials. All so their church will live
up to its slogan: “Open hearts. Open minds.
Open doors.”
It’s a surprising slogan, given the
Methodist view of gayness. At present a more
accurate one would be “Open hearts with car
diovascular issues. Open minds between 2
p.m. and 3 p.m. Open doors with a bouncer
lurking behind them.”
“I’m tired of being part of a church that
lacks integrity^’ said the Rev. Janet Gollery
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McKeithen, who plans to perform gay wed
dings in the months ahead. “I love my church,
and I don’t want to leave it. But I can’t be part
of a church that is willing to portray a God that
is so hateful. I would rather be forced out.”
We’ll see if she is, along with all the pastors
rebelling against church rules. We’ll also see
whether the change in California state law
hastens a change in church law. And, whether
other mainline denominations find them
Rhodes-Wickett of Claremont United Methodist
Church. Two men, together 40 years, had been
members of her congregation for 22 years. She
didn’t want them to go elsewhere to marry.
She and a retired deacon co-officiated the
ceremony, held at a complex for retired clergy
so as not to break the rule about gay unions in
churches. Rhodes-Wickett led the Lord’s -
Prayer and provided the homily, but didn’t
pronounce the men married, in order to avoid
Although some Methodist ministers are breaking the Book of Discipline to bless
sanie-sex unions, the denomination is holding fast to its traditional stands. Soulforce,
an interfaith organization working to combat religious prejudice, gathered for their
own 10 year anniversary, conference and direct action in Ft. Worth, Texas, at the
same time as the United Methodists convention. Photo Credit: Soulforce
selves in the same dilemma or will it be just
the Methodists in California who don board-
shorts and surf a wave of defiance?
Then there’s the sort of compromise
approach recently taken by the Rev. Sharon
discipline. The deacon did that and signed the
marriage license.
Completely understandable. But gymnas
tics are for young people. I
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