“It is surely harmful to
souls
to make it a heresy
to believe what is
proved.”
Galileo
“The idea that
homosexuality is a mental disorder
or that the emergence of
same-sex attraction and orientation
among some adolescents is in any way
abnormal or mentally unhealthy
has
no
support
among
any
mainstream
health
and
mental
health
professional
organizations.”
*Homosexuality and Youth
“. . . homosexuality is
incompatible with Christian teaching.”
The United Methodist Church
Bishop
Webb (Upper NY Conference) has referred the complaint he received against me
(from the Rev. Dick Barton, district superintendent of the Finger Lakes
District) to the Counsel for the Church who will determine if there is enough
evidence to support a chargeable offense and then forward his conclusions to
the trial process.
In
short, I am going to a church trial.
The
following words are extracted (slightly edited) from my final e-mail to
Rev.
Barton and Bishop Webb, sent October 23. 2013
__________________________
My
great grandmother was so deaf that visitors needed to write down on paper their
side of the conversation so she could read it and respond.
I
clearly remember, when I was about 10, visiting her apartment.
Attempting
to “catch her up” on what her great grandson had been doing, I printed on her
writing pad something about a Halloween party our youth group had had the week
before.
I
wrote something like this:
Everybody dressed up
for Halloween.
We played games.
We dunked for apples.
We went trick or
treating in the neighborhood.
We had a blast!
She
took up her writing pad and with the help of an over-sized magnifying glass
(pressed almost on
her forehead) she slowly read my words.
All
of a sudden, a bit aghast, she looked up at me and asked in a tense voice:
“Was anybody hurt?”
It
was the word “blast”.
For
my great grandmother, the meaning of the word “blast” in the context of a party
for children was cause for concern.
It
would never have occurred to her that a blast could be a good thing.
- - - - - - - - -
In
1972, United Methodists added words to the Discipline to the effect that
something called “homosexuality” was incompatible with Christian teaching.
During
that conference, those who supported the statement likely presented biblical
evidence against this “homosexuality”- perhaps a story or two about people who
were “homosexual” – and probably a few anecdotes about “the homosexual
lifestyle”. Doubtless the word “promiscuous” came up.
Bishop Webb and Rev.
Barton, my brothers in Christ - you need to know
I have never officiated
at the wedding of people
who were homosexuals
as homosexuality
was understood by most
church folk
when the “incompatibility”
language
was added to the Discipline
in 1972.
Nor
would I.
It
would be wrong to do so.
Although
the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder
in 1973, in the year 1972 homosexuality was still considered a mental disorder.
In
that era, this so-called “mental disorder” was popularly (though not scientifically)
associated with pedophilia, neurotic sexual obsession, violent behavior,
promiscuity, drug and alcohol abuse, emotional abuse, psychosis, and the
breakdown of social and of family life.
Officiating
at a wedding for two people who were mentally disturbed, and had a propensity
toward promiscuity, sexual obsession, and pedophilia would be a gross violation
of my ordination.
I
think you would agree.
- - - - - - - - - - -
I
also want you to know
I have never officiated
at a homosexual wedding
which violates the Bible’s
teachings about homosexuality.
Why
would I?
It
would make no sense !
That
is because every Bible verse addressing “homosexual attraction” assumes that
all people are obviously and naturally “heterosexual”.
For
Bible writers, heterosexuality was a given reality - true for all people - no
exceptions. All people are heterosexual.
That
“truth” was simply taken for granted in the biblical world. It would never have occurred
to a Bible writer that a person would
be other
than heterosexual.
Obviously
then, when the ancient biblical authors and editors addressed what we might
call “same sex attraction”, they were astonished that anyone would even be
tempted
to “fool around” with members of the same sex.
In
their view, such uncanny behavior would not only be odd – it would be crazy!
The
notion that a person may have a “sexual orientation” other than heterosexual
was not thought of as “wrong” in the Bible – nor for that matter as “right”.
It
was simply never thought about at all.
No
wonder Paul was upset!
He
must have suspected that some “dark side” was involved when he discovered men
seeking relations with men.
He
can barely find words by which to register his disbelief and confusion about
these “men with men working that which is unseemly”. KJV
Had
we lived in his sandals - and his culture - we would likely have been confused
with him. How or why could heterosexual men even consider such things!
So,
here is some more good news.
In
accord with Paul and all other biblical witnesses who were against heterosexual
people having sex with other heterosexual people,
I
unequivocally state -
I have never officiated
at the wedding of
two heterosexual men who
are,
nevertheless,
sexually attracted to
each other,
nor have I ever
officiated at the wedding of
two heterosexual women
who are,
nevertheless,
sexually attracted to
each other -
nor will I ever do so.
I
guess what it comes down to is this:
If,
in 2013, one still believes homosexuality is best understood as it was
doubtlessly understood by a majority of those who wrote the “incompatible”
clause in 1972, then
I
am in violation of section 2702.(b)
and, perhaps more
seriously,
I am in violation of
Scripture.
On
the other hand, if one believes homosexuality is best understood in 2013
as
a normal and harmless expression of sexuality,
as
received unbidden,
as
neither morally superior nor inferior,
not
better, not worse than heterosexuality then
I
am not in violation of section 2702.(b)
and, perhaps more
importantly,
I have applied a
helpful biblical exegesis
in a way which honors
the Bible as the word of God
in the context of
what it means to follow Jesus in 2013.
Obviously
you, bishop, have the last word on this.
Should
you ask me,
I
would recommend dismissing charges on the grounds that
the
Discipline is contradictory and duplicitous about
what
constitutes homosexuality,
who
homosexual people are, and
how
gay and lesbian people,
justice
making, and
non-judgmental
compassion
correlate.
As
evidence, you might note that
“sometimes
a blast,
harmful
in one century,
means
joy in the next”.
____________________________________________________
So,
that was the letter I sent.
Even
at that late date in our negotiations, I was naïve.
I
was hoping that by presenting yet one more biblical insight,
someone
- anyone with authority in our
church conference
might
yet have pushed a PAUSE button,
named bigotry for what it is,
and
stalled
this unholy
crusade against gay people.
That
just did not happen.
- - - - - - - -
* the source of
quote at beginning of article:
Homosexuality
and Youth
a
publication for educators endorsed by:
American
Academy of Pediatrics
American
Association of School Administrators
American
Counseling Association
American
Federation of Teachers
American
Psychological Association
American
School Counselor Association
American
School Health Association
Interfaith
Alliance Foundation
National
Association of School Psychologists
National
Association of Secondary School Principals
National
Association of Social Workers
National
Education Association
School
Social Work Association of America
