Incompatible With Christian Teaching

From Blazing Saddles where Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) orders his henchman to gather a massive criminal gang and he lists just what sort of people he's looking for.


"I want rustlers, 

cut throats, 

murderers, 

bounty hunters, 

desperadoes, 

mugs, pugs, thugs, 

nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, 

vipers, snipers, 

con men, 

Indian agents, 

Mexican bandits, 

muggers, buggerers, 

bushwhackers, hornswogglers, 

horse thieves, 

bull dykes, 

train robbers, bank robbers, 

ass-kickers, shit-kickers, 

and Methodists!"

 

And speaking of Methodists, that brings us to today's post. 


On Tuesday, the United Methodist Church voted to strengthen its ban on gay and lesbian clergy and same-sex marriages. After three days of intense debate at a conference in St. Louis, the vote by church officials and lay members from around the world doubled down on current church policy, which states that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” a direct repudiation of more progressive members and leaders to open the church to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

 

Well, this could be a problem, creating a divide among the 12 million members of the United Methodist Church.

 

I am one of those 12 million. I am also the proud father of a lesbian daughter.  Am I to remain a member of an organization that invalidates her existence?

 

The United Methodist Church has been a force for good on so many levels, rallying significant resources of people, material and funds to help those in need struck by natural disasters, war and famine. That good work could be jeopardized by a myopic and misguided obsession with “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching”. 

 

Do you know its against the teachings of the Bible go to church if you are menstruating?  Yep, it’s right next to the part that says dudes shouldn’t sex other dudes. What would happen if I got up at the beginning of a church service and demanded of the congregation, “Hey, which of you women are on the rag right now?” If anyone were to raise their hand, what would happen if those women were told to get out because ““menstruation is incompatible with Christian teaching”?

 

If Jesus would show up somewhere to preach a bit, would he say, “Everybody, gather around to hear this. Well, except for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”

 

I can never imagine Jesus saying that or for that matter adding on, “And ladies, if you’re having your period, yeah, that stuff’s gross so stay outside.”

 

It’s the vote by church officials and lay members of the United Methodist Church that seems “incompatible with Christian teaching”.