Crumpled Notebook

I was reading an "http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCategory=33&idsub=128&id=2071">
article this morning about a ruling in the "http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.484771/k.7BD7/UMCorg_The_official_online_ministry_of_The_United_Methodist_Church.htm">
United Methodist Church. Actually it was a reversal of a
previous ruling about a lesbian preacher. It actually talks about 2
different cases in that article. One I agree with, one I do not.
The first, and main one, is about the church’s judicial council
reversing a ruling back to the original ruling that resulted in
this minister losing her credentials. Now I know, usually I take
the liberal side of issues to some degree. Sometimes because I
believe it, sometimes just to debate. However, on this one, I
actually agree with the ruling. I agree because she is a
“practicing” lesbian. Now, if she was just gay, and decided not to
do anything about it, thats a different story which I’ve "http://www.crumplednotebook.com/archives/34">blogged on
before. I agree merely for this reason. No, I don’t expect my
pastors to be “sin free.” However, I do expect them to be role
models and examples for me and my church. So I would expect that if
there is a sin they are struggling with, that they are working on
it and not showing it off to the rest of the world (since they are
role models, leaders, etc…). I expect this in the same way, I
wouldn’t want a pastor who was an alcoholic or compulsive gambler
or cheating on his/her spouse. I guess I took notice of this
article since it was about the Methodist church and I grew up in
the Methodist church (and still believe what they believe). And
yes, I believe homosexuality, as well as the other things I
mentioned and many more, is sin. If I didn’t believe that, I
wouldn’t have any ground to stand on this issue. The 2nd case talks
about a ruling from the same coucil that says “ministers do have
the power to decide who becomes a member of the local church.” This
was in support of a minister who prevented an openly gay man from
joining that church. Now, if we’re gonna open THAT can of worms, I
totally disagree with that. Aren’t churches that place for sinners?
The weak and weary? I mean, if I never sinned (as if that could
happen), why would I need a church, other than the occassional
fellowship with other believers (but, if I was sin-free, you can
bet I’d feel better than those “sinners” and not want to hang out
with them). If you’re going to kick out the gay man, shouldn’t you
kick out the adultress woman that everyone knows about and no one
talks about, the alcholic dad, the liar in the choir, and all those
teenagers that are doing all those things they shouldn’t be doing?
How can we say, homosexuality is worse than lying or cheating or
pre-marital sex or getting drunk? Shouldn’t God be the judge of
that? God doesn’t turn these people away, what gives us the right?
Anyway, there’s my conservative take and my liberal take, if it has
to be seen that way. Personally, I think they are both common
sense, at least for a Christian, but I’m sure there are lots of
people who would disagree (like apparently the Methodist church on
one of the issues).