My Response - Should the Methodist Church Accept Gay People?

This is my response to an article, Should the Methodist Church Accept Gay People?, posted in The Visionary, a periodical of the Universal Life Church.

It never ceases to amaze me how the "faithful" know so much of the scripture they profess to believe in and, seemingly, understand so little of what they claim to know.  It would seem the Christian agenda is to interpret the Bible as they see fit in order to meet their criteria for salvation.  So serious is the church to maintain control over the "faithful" they actually have trials to pass judgement over those accused of the interpreted sin.  Funny, I thought only the Roman Catholic Church were allowed "by God" to interpret scripture but, hang on, here come the Protestants thinking they can do the same, against their own beliefs, and equally guilty of interpreting what the Almighty really means to say.  I'm sorry; I thought God was perfect and not prone to saying what things without clarity.  Shows how much I know.

I'm going to reprint an excerpt from Catholic Answers - Scripture and Tradition, which I used in a previous post, A Word from Our Sponsor?  I have highlighted pertinent parts in red:

Protestants claim the Bible is the only rule of faith, meaning that it contains all of the material one needs for theology and that this material is sufficiently clear that one does not need apostolic tradition or the Church’s magisterium (teaching authority) to help one understand it. In the Protestant view, the whole of Christian truth is found within the Bible’s pages. Anything extraneous to the Bible is simply non-authoritative, unnecessary, or wrong—and may well hinder one in coming to God.

Catholics, on the other hand, recognize that the Bible does not endorse this view and that, in fact, it is repudiated in Scripture. The true "rule of faith"—as expressed in the Bible itself—is Scripture plus apostolic tradition, as manifested in the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church, to which were entrusted the oral teachings of Jesus and the apostles, along with the authority to interpret Scripture correctly.

-- Catholic Answers - Scripture and Tradition

God does not need interpretation by the Catholics, and the Protestants should not be going against their own principle of not interpreting.

I began my ministry of religious tolerance due to the lack of tolerance shown by most of the mainstream Christian religions.  Christianity is not about control, threats, or condemnation, nor is it about that which is written in stone.  Once again I offer up a quote I used in a previous post:

"I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts." This is one of the most glorious promises that ever fell from the lips of infinite love. God said not, "I will come again, as I came on Sinai, and thunder at them." No, but, "I will come in gentleness and mercy, and find a way into their hearts." He said not, "I will take two great tables of stone, and with my finger write out my law before their eyes." No, but, "I will put my finger upon their hearts, and there will I write my law." He said not, "I will give promises and threatenings that shall be the safeguard of this new covenant;" but, "I will with my Spirit graciously operate upon their minds and their hearts, and so I will sweetly influence them to serve me,—not for reward, nor from any servile motive, but because they know me, and they love me, and they feel it to be their delight to walk in the way of my commandments."

-- C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), Baptist preacher

God's new covenant with man is about tolerance and forgiveness.  As for the gay Christian culture, "I will with my Spirit graciously operate upon their minds and their hearts, and so I will sweetly influence them to serve me,—not for reward, nor from any servile motive, but because they know me, and they love me, and they feel it to be their delight to walk in the way of my commandments."  I guess all the gay Christian culture wants to do is know Him, and love Him, and feel the delight of walking the path.  

How about the rest of us start practicing what we preach, stop being hypocrites, and for goodness sake, stop speaking for God, all you end up doing is fostering bigotry, divisiveness, and hate.  We need to, all of us, tear up our memberships to the League of the Perpetually Offended.  This is another group that fosters everything that is bad about humanity.  Change is not easily accepted.  It takes work, time and, most of all, the desire.  Until the time arrives when a willing acceptance for change can be realized, how about starting a "Protestant" church that accommodates the LGBTQ+ community and welcomes all non-LGBTQ+ in a spirit of true tolerance, love, and understanding?  Maybe it's a concept, or just a start, a new beginning, or maybe it can be a realization of the "new covenant" God promised and wrote across our hearts and our minds with the Holy Spirit.

For those of the LGBTQ+ community, there are numerous links to assist you in delight in walking the way of God's commandments.  I have listed two to get you started:

Gay Affirming Christian Churches

The Gay Christian Network

For those of you still unconvinced, weak in your own faith, or simply determined to excise the gay community from Christianity due to the aforementioned interpretations, I offer this final thought from the Holy Scripture:

But offer a hand to the one who is weak in faith and do not be divided by your disputes. For there is one who believes that he may eat everything, and he who is weak eats vegetables. But let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge a Servant who is not yours? For if he stands, he stands to his Master, and if he falls, he falls to his Master, for it is appointed to his Master to be able to establish him.

-- Romans 14:1

Editor's Note 

(re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.