Not One More Damned Inch

I am a member of the United Methodist Church. As such it pains me to talk about the recent events in the Pacific Northwest Conference. Before I delve into this to much, let me quote the UMC's Book of Discipline.

Paragraph 304.3: "While persons set apart by the Church for ordained ministry are subject to all the frailties of the human condition and the pressures of society, they are required to maintain the highest standards of holy living in the world. Since the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be accepted as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in the United Methodist Church."

Well that seems pretty clear to me. Unfortunately the people of the Pacific Northwest Conference don't seem to care what the Book of Discipline says. Like all good liberals, when the law doesn't fit their world view, they ignore it.

Karen Dammann, while on a leave of absence, sent a letter to her bishop stating that she is a self-avowed homosexual in a committed relationship with another woman with whom she has an adopted child. In her letter she stated she was living in a, "partnered, covenanted, homosexual relationship".

Charges were of course brought against her, and she was tried by a jury of her peers, according to the United Methodist Code.

The jury of her peers in the Pacific Northwest Conference concluded: "While sustaining that she is a self avowed homosexual, we, the trial court, do not find the evidnce presented to be clear and convincing that sh has engaged in any practices 'declared by the United Methodist Church to be incompatible with Christian teachings.' We cannot sustain the charge."

You see, when the liberals quote the same law they are ignoring, that's a problem.

We are at war. First the Presbys fought this fight. They didn't stop it. Next it was the Episcopaleans. They also failed to stop it. So now the fight comes to the UMC. I for one have seen enough. It's time for the Church to end this offensive. It's time for the Church to stand up and and shout, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

The Church must not schism. The Church must not cower from the fight. The Church must amputate the infected parts of the body, so that it may get about the business of healing itself.

We have to be the ones to stop this, because if we fall, someone else will fall after us, and how can we not be held responsible then?

We must surrender no more.

I should point out that in spite of the verdict, Karen has been removed from the church she was previously mininstering to. She has not, and will not be assigned another church. This is something like firing someone by simply not hiring them to do any more work. It's more than I expected from the infected conference, but it is still cowardly in the utmost.