5 Reactions to the United Methodist Church's Ruling Against Lesbian Bishop
The evangelical United Methodist publication Good News magazine released a statement Saturday expressing "some dismay" over what they called the Judicial Council's "convoluted and ultimately unsatisfactory ruling."
"In its dense, 19-page ruling the Council says many of the right things, but as so often is the case with the institutional Church, it fails to take the necessary action," stated Good News.
"Because of past decisions and statements, we have little confidence the Western Jurisdiction bishops will properly handle a case where the facts are obvious to all. It is unlikely that a penalty commensurate to the breach will be meted out swiftly."
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The magazine also suggested that rather than resolve the complaint, the ruling "has sown further confusion across the connection."
"Many rank-and-file United Methodists will conclude no branch of the Church is actually willing to defend its biblically rooted, time-honored, and widely shared teachings on sexual practice and marriage," added Good News.
"Concerned United Methodists will find it strange that we do not permit our clergy to conduct same-sex unions in our sanctuaries but that a bishop was consecrated after having performed dozens of them and is herself party to one."
