Liberal Baptist Rev

 John Wesley

Sadly, on May 2, 2012 United Methodists at their General Conference voted to maintain their denomination’s stance that homosexuals acts are “incompatible with Christian teaching.”  Of course, the issue is not homosexual acts.   The issue is whether or non-heterosexual sexual orientations are a sin.

An effort was made at the General Conference to at least acknowledge that Methodists differ about whether homosexuality is a sin.  Rev. Maxie Dunnam, former president of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky. Argued against such an effort, noting that Methodists” disagree on almost every issue we consider.”

Well, I can tell you some reasons you make the change.  Methodist gay Christians have committed suicide because of church condemnation.  This issue is the primary civil rights issue being discussed in the United States.  You value the “United” part of “United Methodist” and you pass such a statement or you risk losing a large chunk of people.  Finally, and most importantly, it’s a small step in the direction of being faithful.

Yes, Methodists do have cause for concern.  ”United Methodism is shrinking in the U.S. and growing in Africa and Asia, shifting the balance of power to overseas conservatives. Nearly 40 percent of the delegates gathered in Tampa live outside the U.S.”  (HuffingtonPost.com)

So here is a word of encouragement to Methodists.  In my opinion, the best Biblical work on the Bible and sexual orientation has been done by a Methodist, Theodore W. Jennings, Jr.  His three books are outstanding:  Jacob’s Wound:  Homoerotic narrative in the Literature of Ancient Israel, The Man Jesus Loved:  Homoerotic Narratives From The New Testament, and Plato or Paul?:  The Origins of Western Homophobia.  The last one is more difficult than the first two, which are accessible to non-seminarians.  Of course, with respect to Plato or Paul? I may just need to brush up on my Plato.

I hesitate to provide any quotes from the books because all three are must-reads.  Don’t settle for quotes from them.  But here are two quotes for distressed and disappointed Methodists:

“[T]his unnatural joining of Christianity and homophobia must be undone if Christianity is not to continue to be guilty of the true crime of Sodom:  the violation of the vulnerable.” (Plato or Paul?:  The Origins of Western Homophobia, p. 223)

“For years Ronna Case, to whom I have had the good fortune of being married for nearly thirty years, has exclaimed upon discovering some or another writing project upon which I am engaged, ‘Oh dear, we’ll have to pack!’  Of late she has been keeping an especially close eye on the luggage.  Although I don’t plan on going anywhere, it has been my joy to play Ruth to her Naomi.”  (The Man Jesus Loved:  Homoerotic Narratives From The New Testament, Preface)