Comments

Pro-homosexuality Conference Financial Woes May Be Motivation For Attempts To Take Over Christian Campground

From: Carson Lauffer clauffer@mc.net
To: ucmpage@ucmpage.org
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 7:06 PM
Subject: Pro-homosexuality Conference Financial Woes May Be Motivation For Attempts To Take Over Christian Campground

Bob,

Why, o Why, don't you part company with this rebrobate conference?  There are many people who would help you make DesPlaines a spiritual center if only you would break your ties with the UMC.

Dan Lauffer

From: Dr. Sidney G. Hall, III sid@tumc.org
To: ucmpage@ucmpage.org
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 1999 11:41 PM
Subject: Pro-homosexuality Conference Financial Woes May Be Motivation For Attempts To Take Over Christian Campground

This article saddens me. When a campground claiming to be United Methodist not only discriminates based on sexual orientation, but also tries to shut out a straight family who is supportive of allowing the gay couple to stay in the campground, well, something has gone a rye. What is missing in this action is the gospel of Jesus Christ. This article makes it look like the conference is doing the damage. It looks to me like the conference is merely trying to preserve a little dignity for the United Methodist Church when one of its campgrounds takes on actions that are analogous to the Ku Klux Klan. Jesus said "As you've done it unto one of the least of these you've done it unto me." Those at the campground who closed the door on Christians who are protected by the Discipline, regardless of whether one believes in their sexual orientation, are those who have disobeyed the United Methodist Church and have gone against the gospel of Jesus Christ. If they do not repent of their discriminatory actions, they will simply lose what they so desperately tried to hang on to. I pray that they repent, lest they lose a lot more than a campground (see Matthew 25). The article "Pro-homosexuality Conference Financial Woes May Be Motivation For Attempts To Take Over Christian Campground" is another embarrassing public display of a prejudiced group of people trying to justify their sin of inhospitality by pointing the blame elsewhere. Having stayed as guest once at the campground and having grown up in another United Methodist campground in Michigan, I find this case all the more tragic. It also seems ironic that this article is posted on a web page associated with the Confessing Movement, since the Confessing Movement claims that obeying the Discipline is of extreme importance. Does the Confessing Movement want to associate with a group that disobeys the United Methodist Discipline by discriminating against people based on sexual orientation? Deeply Concerned,

Dr. Sid Hall
Austin, Texas
sid@tumc.org

Editor's Note:

1996 Book of Discipline:

¶65G 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 that 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.

¶66H Certain basic human rights and civil liberties are due all persons.

Practicing and promoting a practice incompatible with Christian teaching from within the bounds of a private Christian institution are not basic human rights or civil liberties and were not condoned by the Campground by allowing the same to continue.

(1 Corinthians 5:11-13 NIV) But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. [12] What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? [13] God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

All of the complainants were members of an unofficial United Methodist organization that promotes homosexuality, contrary to Scripture and current Church Discipline. It would be the same as a Christian campground in Nevada asking summer residents to leave because they were determined to continue practicing and promoting prostitution from their cabins.