I used to dislike this song, thinking it disrespectful of
the Bible. But now, if the lyric is changed slightly to read:
the things that people think they read in the
Bible
ain't necessarily so,
I have to agree, especially when considering the traditional
view of the New Testament and homosexuality.
The United Methodist Church has relied on the traditional view in limiting
opportunities for homosexuals. Homosexuals may not be considered for the ordained ministry, nor may ceremonies celebrating
homosexual unions be held by United Methodist ordained ministers or in United Methodist churches. These limitations
are contained in the United Methodist Book of Discipline.
Every four years, there is an opportunity to amend the Book of Discipline,
and the next opportunity will occur at the 2004 General Conference. It will be held in Pittsburgh, PA, from
April 26 through May 7. By clicking on the last link at the bottom of this page, "United Methodist Information," and
then clicking on that page's "General Conference 2004" graphic, you can find out more about the General Conference.
My name is Don Malone, and I have filed a petition (No. 41495) with
the 2004 General Conference to amend the Book of Discipline to bring its provisions on homosexuality closer to the
teachings of Jesus. I believe the traditional view of homosexuality takes too myopic a view of the more general teachings
of Jesus, and overstates teachings--in which the Apostle Paul opposed certain homosexual acts--by treating them as a
general condemnation of all acts by homosexuals, even those sustaining a lifetime, monogamous, committed relationship.
The myopic view occurs in part because the message of a critical parable is not understood by most today as it was
understood by those who heard it almost 2000 years ago; literally, Jesus' message has been "lost in the translation"
into English.
The petition is in two parts: 1) Petition to Amend, which contains
requested changes in the language of three paragraphs of the Book of Discipline, a brief summary of the
rationale for the changes, and a brief explanation of the purposes of the changes; and 2) Supporting Statement,
which cites New Testament chapters and verses of teachings of Jesus, and explains why they support the Petition
to Amend; relying in part on a book by Prof. Robin Scroggs of Union Theological Seminary, it also explains that
Paul's teachings are taken too broadly by the traditional view. You can click on links at the bottom of this
page to view these documents.
If you hold the traditional view, I hope you won't just move to another
site, but will at least read the Supporting Statement. George Will wrote an op-ed column in The Washington Post
for October 15, 2003. It stated that some in the Episcopal Church, in voting to confirm a gay bishop, responded to arguments
based on the traditional view by saying "...it was time to move on. The Bible simply hadn't kept up." While I
differ from the traditional view, I'm just as upset with that sentiment as are those who support the traditional view.
I believe that the more general teachings of Jesus are as applicable now as they were when taught; but we need
to work harder to apply those teachings to new situations presented to us today. In particular, Christians
must continually reexamine differences in treatment of persons who differ from the majority, because Jesus wants His
followers to love those who are different as we love ourselves. It is not the Bible that hasn't kept
up; it is our understanding and application of its message to a changing world.
Thanks for visiting. I hope you will give the Supporting Statement
your careful and prayerful attention.
Please note that I have edited the petition documents for presentation
over the internet, but their basic texts have not been changed. They were written before, and filed in, early October,
2003, and did not anticipate the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage.
Yours in
Christ, Don Malone
