More United Methodists Settle Into Satan’s Web

An article in yesterday’s Cedar Rapids Gazette declared that “a growing number of pastors in the United Methodist Church say they're no longer willing to obey a church rule that prohibits them from officiating at same-sex marriages, despite the potential threat of being disciplined or dismissed from the church.”

Is that “potential threat” of discipline really an actual threat?  Well, as I’ve reported before about these goatherds, the Gazette tells us that, “In some parts of the United States, Methodist pastors have been marrying same-sex couples or conducting blessing ceremonies for same-sex unions for years with little fanfare and no backlash from the denomination.”

When denominational leaders fail to do their duty, all they will get from it is more apostasy.  The UMC denomination is pretty liberal as it is, focussing on the “social gospel” rather than on Biblical teachings, so they really don’t have much of a leg to stand on anyway when it comes to enforcing a ban on conducting same-sex unions.  Yet the Gazette also reports that “Rev.” [read “goatherd”] Amy DeLong of Osceola, WI is facing a 3-day trial beginning today; it seems she has ordained homophiles and has “married” a lesbian couple.  She is also in a homosexual relationship and claims to have told her superiors this fact long ago, yet the UMC has done nothing to discipline her before.  So now they a trying her for practicing her known worldview!

Goatherd DeLong officiated at this “wedding” of lesbians two years ago and yet the UMC is just NOW taking action - or at least giving the impression that they are doing so.  DeLong claims that the UMC official stance on homosexual are “unjust laws.”  Interesting that she would say God is unjust for saying homosexual behavior is a sin.  Who gave her this moral authority over God?

The Gazette article reports that there are “hundreds of pastors from areas including Illinois, Minnesota, New York and New England have signed statements recently asserting their willingness to defy the rule.”  The reason given is that, “A number of Methodist clergy say it violates the church's social-justice teachings, and they say they're stepping up their efforts in part because national attitudes toward discrimination against gays and lesbians are becoming more enlightened.”

There you have it: God’s law has not changed but the false social gospel taught by the UMC opens the door to these claims of “social justice.”  And, after all, secular attitudes about homosexuality are more important that God’s attitude towards it.  Then there is the bogus claim about “discrimination,” as if discrimination is somehow always wrong.  With their logic, we should quit discriminating against adulterers and fornicators and no longer call what they do “sin.”  And don’t you love how they frame the acceptance of homosexual behavior by society as being “enlightened”?  Yes, us Bible-believing Christians are in such darkness!

The Gazette’s article ended with this bit of information:

One retired pastor in Massachusetts has been defying the same-sex wedding ban for more than 10 years without drawing any complaints and has no plans to stop. 

The Rev. Richard Harding, 85, said the church is only hurting itself by driving away both talented clergy and younger members who think the policy is out of touch. 

'I'm getting on in years and I may not see the change but there's definitely an uprising taking place,' he said. 'There are signs that the pole of justice is beginning to lean the proper way. I think we'll see even more of this. We aren't going to go away.' 

Proof positive that the UMC’s threat of disciple is harmless.  And to Goatherd Harding, the Church isn’t here to cater to those who want to deny God’s laws so as to be “in touch,” rather it is here to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If that drives people away, so be it.  It has nothing to do with secular justice, but it has everything to do with God’s justice.  I’ll take God over society any day.

If you are a member of a UMC body, why is your assembly still part of that denomination?  Do you like being tangled in Satan’s web?


UPDATE, 6/23/11
Goat herd DeLong got a hand-slap.  Check out Neil's report at Eternity Matters.