The Gay Embrace
Mainliners Stymied on the Matter of Homosexuality
by James M. Kushiner
Homosexuality: It’s the issue mainliners want to talk about and not talk about, depending on who does the talking and their agenda.
It’s old news that “gay” activists in the mainline churches have pressed their agenda and clamored for dialogue about ordinations and blessing homosexual “unions.” Having earlier secured access to baptism and Holy Communion for practicing homosexuals (largely because few churches have upheld traditional restrictions), the gay lobby long ago moved on to the sacraments of ordination and marriage. (But don’t expect them to embrace more sacraments: They won’t anytime soon be clamoring for more time in the confessional or for access to vows of celibacy.)
Methodist Ploy
Mainline churches have varying “policies” on homosexuality as it pertains to practice, ordination, and “marriages.” None have officially sanctioned the blessings of these “unions.” None (except the United Church of Christ) have officially approved of the ordination of homosexual persons. As to practice, the United Methodists’ Book of Discipline holds that it is “incompatible with Christian teaching.” So what’s a gay activist to do?
Change tactics, for one thing. A working group of the Methodists’ Board of Church and Society, while acknowledging strongly held opinions on both sides of the issue, is now recommending a change in the wording of its Social Principles document on human sexuality. In March the group voted to recommend that the General Conference, meeting next year, replace the sentence that says, “Although we do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching, we affirm that God’s grace is available to all.” The proposed replacement reads, “Although faithful Christians disagree on the compatibility of homosexual practice with Christian teaching, we affirm that God’s grace is available to all.”
The latest tactic is simply to acknowledge that “faithful Christians” can disagree on this issue, a statement that effectively legitimizes the innovation. Methodists aren’t the only ones exploring this position.
Episcopalians, Too
In March, the bishops of the Episcopal Church received “The Gift of Sexuality,” a report of a theology committee, eighteen months in the making and put together by six bishops and seven theologians “who represent diverse theological viewpoints.”
Two questions are raised: “Is it ever appropriate to pronounce the church’s blessing on same-gender relationships as we do on heterosexual marriages and, if so, under what conditions? Is it ever appropriate to ordain non-celibate homosexual persons, and thereby commend them as ‘wholesome examples’ to the church and society, and, if so, under what conditions?”
James M. Kushiner is the Director of Publications for The Fellowship of St. James and the former Executive Editor of Touchstone.
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