Posts tagged United Methodist Church
"OLD MEN": WHITE, BLACK, and ALL EVANGELICAL MEN, REPENT!
"OLD MEN": WHITE, BLACK, and ALL EVANGELICAL MEN, REPENT!

Once the Methodist/United Methodist Church was viewed as "America's Church." We boasted that Methodism was present in every County seat town. Those of us who are not Dallas Cowboys ("America's Team") fans despite their success this year, believed that we as a Church were more "American" than the Cowboys. But today in a distortion of the meaning of "Globality", we sacrifice the inclusivity, although not yet perfected, of the USA, in order to "use" the biases taught by missionaries, to justify discrimination in the UMC.

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Marilyn BennettGil Caldwell, John Wesley, United Methodist Church, racism, lgbtq, lynchings, evangelicals, Tony Campolo, Shane Claiborne, From Selma to Stonewall - Are We There Yet?Comment
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy (Morning)

This morning I find myself fascinated that my critics are adamant about only one kind of faith-based "traditional marriage", but they accept, uncritically, the diversity that is present in the ecclesiological expressions of the Christian Church! The book of Acts and the Epistles address the beginnings of the Church and give hints of how and what the Church should be in form and function, but there is no agreed upon uniformity of Church ecclesiology. Thus for my critics, the Church can be un-uniform in its diversity of expressions, but marriage dare not be?

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Different Struggle Same FightMarilynBiblical Authority, Countee Cullen, Ecclesiology, marriage equality, Robert Frost, same gen, United Methodist ChurchComment
Marilyn to Gil: Do the millions of United Methodists understand the discrimination their church inflicts?

Gil, how could a simple majority not decisively vote to end the suffering? It was after their vote that the second group that you were a part of was arrested from the stage where you stood between the delegates and the bishops, taken away by officers of the Cleveland police. Later, as I signed the papers for each of the 28 of you to get out on bail, the clerk said to me, “The Klan was here a few months ago. No one arrested them.” I believe Jesus would have wept at this sorrow.

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Different Struggle Same FightMarilyncivil rights movement, gay ordination, homosexuality and religion, lgbtq equality, marriage equality, Selma, United Methodist ChurchComment
An "Open Letter" to my Younger Sister Marilyn: What is the future of the United Methodist Church?

Is the United Methodist Church going to continue to be in partnership with Uganda in its language and legislation regarding homosexuality, or will it soon partner with South Africa? On December 23, 2013, the Ugandan Parliament passed legislation that punishes certain acts of homosexuality with life in prison. (At this writing, the President of Uganda has not signed the bill.) South Africa on the other hand, guarantees in its Constitution gay and lesbian rights and same sex marriage.

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Different Struggle Same FightMarilyngay ordination, homosexuality and religion, marriage equality, same-sex marriage, UMC church trials, United Methodist ChurchComment
Will Hillary Clinton's membership in the United Methodist Church harm her?

The U.S Supreme Court has struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and 17 states and the District of Columbia have made legal same sex marriage and there is growing support for marriage equality in the USA. Will the United Methodist Church continue to support legislation that is at variance with the equality and equal access ideals and practices that are essential to the United States of America?

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Different Struggle Same FightMarilyndemocratic party platform, Hillary Clinton, homosexuality and religion, marriage equality, president, United Methodist ChurchComment
DEAR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: What If the Church Gave a Trial and Nobody Came?

So, for what it’s worth, I’m just “over it” when it comes to anything related to charges and trials... It’s just all so 20th century….kind of like shoulder pads in women’s suit jackets. It’s time to clean the UMC closet. It’s embarrassing every time we wear one of those things out in public. Should someone file a complaint against me I think I’ll just ignore it. Should my bishop call me in to account for my actions (in so far as it relates to performing same-gender weddings) I have a hunch I just won’t go. Should a trial be scheduled, I’ll be hard pressed to participate...

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Guest ColumnMarilyngay ordination, marriage equality, religion and homosexuality, same-sex marriage, UMC church trials, United Methodist ChurchComment
Black Elders of St. Mark's Harlem: Are racism and heterosexism the same?

While were in New York City, Truth in Progress dropped by St. Mark's Harlem United Methodist Church, an African American church established in 1871. Gil was pastor there in 1994-1997. We arrived just when a lunch meeting was breaking up. Gil was warmly welcomed back: it was a reunion that prompted a spontaneous and very open discussion about gay inclusion in the church. This type of conversation had never been held in the church before.

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Video BlogMarilyncivil rights movement, lgbt, lgbt religion, marriage equality, rev- gil caldwell, slavery, St Mark's Harlem UMC, United Methodist ChurchComment
Refusing to be Invisible

Marilyn and I share with Anderson Cooper, Andrew Sullivan, our supporters and the nation, these words from Ralph Ellison. No one of us, on this July 4th, for any reason should be expected to make themselves invisible as a response to the bias, bigotry and prejudice of others.

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Different Struggle Same FightMarilynanderson cooper, coming out, gil caldwell, homosexuality and religion, invisible man, lgbt equality, marriage equality, ralph ellison, United Methodist ChurchComment
Gil to all who were crushed and angered by the inaction and action of the UMC

Some of the greatest threats to justice are our short memories, our amnesia and our acts of revisionism as a way to conceal the awfulness of the many ways we as humans harm and hurt each other. If we remembered more clearly the history of the mistreatment of women, people of color and poor people of all races and genders, we might now, not be mistreating LGBTQ persons. We engage in "serial isms" because we have become expert in forgetting earlier isms.

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Different Struggle Same FightMarilyn2012 umc general conference, civil rights movement, gay ordination, homosexuality and religion, incompatible with christian teaching, Love Your Neighbor Common Witness Coalition, same-sex marriage, United Methodist ChurchComment
GC Musings: Is there ground for unity?

But, when I sing, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so..." my grandddaughter joins me in singing with a smile on her face. Could it be that she knows there is something special about Jesus, different from the specialness of a duck?

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Different Struggle Same FightMarilyncivil rights movement, gay ordination, homosexuality and religion, love your neighbor coalition, Renewal and reform coalition, same-sex marriage, United Methodist ChurchComment
GC MUSINGS: Are all people of sacred worth?

Each time I read and hear our declaration that "all persons are of sacred worth" and at the same time recognize how differently we respond to persons of "sacred worth" when they are same gender loving, I remember more than one "racial moment" in my history...

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Different Struggle Same FightMarilyn2012 umc general conference, book of discipline, gay ordination, homosexuality and religion, james lawson, United Methodist ChurchComment
American Sons: President Obama and Trayvon Martin

In response to Newt Gingrich comment, "What the president said is disgraceful. It's not a question of what the young man looked like. At some point we need to talk about being Americans." Gil writes, "There is a strangeness about these still early days of the 21st century, when there are those who believe that their definition and description of "American" is THE definition and description of what it means."

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Different Struggle Same FightMarilynAfrican American, race, Trayvon Martin, United Methodist Bishops, United Methodist ChurchComment
TEAM FAIR IS FAIR: Marilyn describes Gil this time

We've had a few videos from the Fair is Fair in Montana Tour of Gil and Ninia describing their tour cohorts. I want to take this opportunity to describe Gil, his strategic work on the tour, some behind the scenes incidents, and his amazing unflagging commitment to the LGBT equality movement.

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Video BlogMarilynaclu of mt, African American lgbt, civil rights movement, domestic partnerships, fairness, gay straight alliance, homosexuality and religion, lgbt youth, lgbtqi, marilyn bennett, Ninia Baehr, United Methodist ChurchComment
FROM ONE QUEER TO...

Your compassion was formed in the crucible of lawful violent acts meant to demean, demoralize, and defeat, even unto death. You know the reality of such evil and out of that knowing you can imagine what that beating-down does to others. But you offer your hand anyway without knowing if there is mutual respect and commitment.

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Different Struggle Same FightMarilynAfrican American lgbt, anti-gay, BMRC, gay ordination, homosexuality and religion, incompatible with christian teaching, lgbtq, united methodist african american scholars and clergy, United Methodist ChurchComment