152 according to the last five quadrennial editions of the United Methodist Book of Discipline, homosexuality is declared 'incompatible with Christian teaching'. ..
since McGovernization, every mainline protestant denomination (presbyterian, episcopalian, united methodist, united church of Christ, disciples of Christ, among others) have faced a repeated challenge from proactive advocates of the moral legitimacy of self-avowed, practicing H. it is sometimes argued that any genitalia of any sex interfacing with any body orifice is compatible with christian teaching, just as long as a condom is used.
in response to claims for moral legitimization of behaviors widely though displeasing to God, each of the mainline denominations has dutifully appointed elaborate study commissions to report back to the general legislative body on how the church might respond to this for of sexual orientation practice and advocacy. the typical procedure has been, first, that a study commission had been formed McGovernistically
153with an assumed race and gender balance of moral and biblical experts. second, these study commissions typically report back to the general body in favor of relaxing moral constraints on H. usually they are confident of winning a majority. third, the general legislative body then promptly rejects the recommendation of the study commission. no mainline denomination better illustrates this recurrent pattern than the beleaguered united methodists.
every general conference..since 1972 has been tested..
the report rightly pleaded once again, as have christian traditionalists repeatedly pled, for a stop to violence against those who practice same sex intercourse. the civil rights of those with 'alternative sexual orientations' must be vigilantly protected without conceding the moral viability of their claims to social or moral legitimation. 'chistian gay-bashing' is no more excusable than the 'homophobe-bashing by gay rights advocates...
the fact that H practice is not a weighty moral matter was asserted by the united methodist sexuality report as a 'consensus among christian ethicists', yet without any evidence to support this...all the conspicuous christian teachers who have resisted same sex intercourse (john chrysostom, augustine, thomas aquinas, martin luther, john calvin ...) ..are weighed in such a debate less heavily than selected modern proponents of moral relativism and utilitarian permissivism.
154...the normative moral force of all biblical texts on same sex intercourse may be explained away by their cultural context. this leads to the conclusion that any statement in the bible can be reduced to culturally equivocal ambiguity and indeterminacy on the premise of cultural relativism...an..evasion of the normative character of scripture
157..ordinary christian laity know that any behavior is incompatible with christian teaching insofar as it blatantly defies clear scriptural mandates.
158 they wonder why this is so difficult for the professional exegetes on the sexuality study to grasp. (note: every man to his bible, his knees...his house fellowship!)
..suppose a caucus of fornicators was to petition the church to legitimize fornication as a sexual orientation and a lifestyle toward which many christians are prone...
..both homosexual and heterosexual sinners are invited to the Lord's Table on the same basis: repentance and trust in God's forgiving grace and the determination to amend, insofar as possible , by acts of reparation, injuries done ..
..shall a child molester who has no intent whatsoever of changing his predatory behavior and who views his behavior as quite inoffensive to God also be welcomed again and again to the Lord's Table?
159...i am tempted to quit using the term homosexuality altogether, rather, i think that a more graphic phrase would be same-sex oral or anal intercourse, or more inclusively, anal/oral/-either/or-both/and-any-gender-all-orifice orgasm.
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