Out Of The Silent Culture

Sean Smuts

Dr. David Biberstein

Pastoral Theology II

4/24/02

Out of The Silent Culture

Once in a while there is a segment of the culture that is neglected or worse yet persecuted beyond belief. This is where we as the church and as Christians on a whole have placed homosexuals and their practices. They have become a "silent culture" because we have taken away their voice and made them hide in shame. However I believe that through understanding and Christian tolerance that we can bring this persecution to an end.

In this paper I intend to explore three areas (not in order of importance):

1.Homosexuality and the Influence on the Church (specifically the United Methodist Church).

2.Homosexuality and the Influence on Family.

3.Homosexuality and the Influence on Self.

Homosexuality and the Influence on the Church

In 1996, the debate about whether homosexuals should be allowed to serve in ordained ministry hit the floors once again. This is a debate that has stemmed back to the beginning of the United Methodist Church in 1968.

In the beginning the Methodist Social Creed (1968) stated this:

"6. Sex in Christian Life. --- We believe that sexual intercourse within holy matrimony with fidelity and love is a sacred experience and constitutes a needed expression of affection. We also believe that sexual intercourse outside the bonds of matrimony is contrary to the will of God. The outrageous exploitation of the strong forces underlying sexual experience is a destructive element of our culture. It not only distorts the meaning of sex experience but constitutes a blasphemous disregard of God’s purpose for mend and women. A case in point is the distribution of hard-core pornographic and other sex-exploitative material. We advocate through educational efforts in home, church, and school designed to elevate our whole understanding of the meaning of sexual experience."

While the creed does not directly mention homosexuality, there is an implicit condemnation of it with all other sexual activities outside of the bonds of marriage (J. Gordon Melton, The Churches Speak on: Homosexuality, p.240).

The denomination’s first dealings with homosexuality were in passing as part of the "Resolution on Health, Welfare, and Human Development." It did not take an official stand on the issue outside of the assumed position which limited sexual intercourse to marriage. It did however call for treatment of problems arising from homosexuality through counseling rather than through criminal prosecution. (Melton, p.240).

The next time the denomination decided to tackle the issue of human sexuality was in 1972, when the issue of homosexuality was brought to the floor of the General Conference of that year. The Board of Christian Social Concern wrote an affirming statement that they hoped would make it to be part of the denomination’s Social Principles. However, the Board’s proposal was rejected and in a heated session, the document was rewritten by the conference delegates and passed. (Melton, p. 241)

This proposal says in essence that all sexual acts outside of marriage (specifically mentioning homosexuality) were sin and that anyone that was a practicing homosexual was not to be allowed to be an ordained minister. However, the proposal made the stipulation that all have sinned and thus homosexuals were welcomed into the church and into church membership, as per church policy.

Though the debate has continued through the 1980s and into the 1990s, no proposal that hoped to alter the position made in 1972 has survived through the General

Conference. (Melton, p. 241)

In 1988, the Social Principals had adapted and with them, the section on Human Sexuality. With the decision of the General Conference of 1972 to include homosexuality in the social principals, the written proposal was taken almost verbatim and was added to the Human Sexuality section. It reads,

"Homosexual persons no less than heterosexual persons are individuals of sacred worth. All persons need the ministry and guidance of the Church in their struggles for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship which enables reconciling relationships with God, with others, and with self. 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. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons." (Melton, p. 242)

Also in 1988, the denomination had come to a standstill and put together a task force to study homosexuality for the following three reasons:

1.To find consensus among biblical scholars, theologians, and ethicists and where there is not.

2.To seek the best biological, psychological, and sociological information and opinion on the nature of homosexuality, noting consensus and nonconsensus.

3.To Explore the implications of the study for the Social Principals.

The three reasons were brought before the General Conference of 1988 and were passed (Melton, p. 243).

In 1996, the United Methodist Church reaffirmed its doctrinal statement that the practice of homosexuality was incompatible with Christian teaching. This announcement caused some heated debates . Thus, they needed some tools to help sort things out. (Don Thorsen, Revelation and Homosexuality)