Recently a Fort Worth newspaper columnist spotlighted a local Tea Party leader for suggesting a local political candidate was likely less conservative, and less supportable, because he’s Methodist. (Photo of Tea Partiers by Abaca Press)
“Methodists tend not to take a stand on issues — anything goes,” the Tea Partier suggested. “Methodists are not as conservative as straight-laced Baptists,” she wrote. “If I have to choose between an uptight, straight laced Baptist for a judge, and a more liberal Methodist, and all else is equal, I’m gonna go with the Baptist.”
The columnist mocked the Tea Partier, of course, and quoted me saying official Methodism is liberal but most Methodists are less liberal. Like many United Methodists, I don’t want to be judged by my denomination’s official pronouncements. But maybe we SHOULD be so judged!
Very few United Methodists know the details of official denominational policies and statements, but ignorance is no excuse. The details are a quick Google search away. And overall theological squishiness should be obvious to parishioners in most churches. All of us who are members of United Methodism bear responsibility, and others are right to challenge us. Our ignorance, indifference and detachment offer no excuses. We’re part of a wider denomination that is only as healthy and responsible as we members insist.
United Methodism has a 1000 page Book of Resolutions, ratified by our governing General Conference, declaring dogmatic stances on scores of controversial political issues, always from very liberal perspective. Nobody reads it outside the Methodist Building on Capitol Hill. But it does represent us when it touts apocalyptic Global Warming, advocates open borders, backs Roe v. Wade, urges elimination of handguns, endorses single payer health care, and supports U.S. military disarmament.
It’s hardly an “anything goes” agenda. Official United Methodism demands adherence to a strict, statist, left-wing brand of political activism circa 1965. Our official theology, based on the Articles of Religion and John Wesley’s Sermons, is solid, but the official practice of it, by many U.S. seminaries, many U.S. bishops and many U.S. clergy, is in fact “anything goes.” Except “anything” often excludes orthodox theology.
And politically, “anything” excludes thinking outside a conventional leftist, liberationist box. This afternoon, the United Methodist Board of Church and Society voted for a boycott of the Israeli firm SodaStream, which operates on the West Bank. Part of the “anything” with which Methodists are burdened is an unrelenting hostility to Israel amid silence about the failings of nearly every other government in the world.
This latest anti-Israel boycott by United Methodism will be ineffectual and mostly ignored, thankfully. But we are all as church members complicit in it and should be challenged for it, even by Tea Partiers. We can do much better, and we will have to do much better if American United Methodism is ever to recover from its 50 year spiral.
Comment by Pastor Jim Tormey on March 1, 2014 at 5:03 pm
Sad but true commentary on the Methodist Church. It should tell us “right wing nuts” the work we have to do. But we must remember God will always win in the end!!!!!
Comment by Kevin Condon on March 1, 2014 at 7:56 pm
I despair, I’m afraid, that we will overcome. Even with semi-orthodox clergy (my church), we are asked to fund youth programs that disallow the mention of Christ.
Comment by don bryant on March 2, 2014 at 4:40 am
I am a pastor. On a Sunday off after Easter two years ago I decided to randomly pick out a church to go to in order to see what is going on out in “churchland” outside my normal boundaries. It happened to be a UM church. The sermon? Why Jesus was not God and why Mary probably was using foul language at the foot of the cross. Of course, the congregation sang the great hymns and repeated the Apostles Creed. Did anyone understand the contradiction? Probably just nice people trying to get along, willingly walking down the theological plank. Very sad. It is time for an intellectually vital Wesleyanism to rise up that can compete in the marketplace of ideas, much as you suggest elsewhere. The UMV has been a poor steward of this vital stream of Christian faith.
Comment by Phil Griffin on March 2, 2014 at 10:02 pm
Sadly, I could not see a path that would ever change the leadership of the UMC to be less liberal. I grew tired of being a de facto supporter via my membership. I am a member no longer.
Comment by polistra on March 3, 2014 at 7:19 am
Classic instance of O’Sullivan’s Law. A cultural organization that has a national headquarters and a top-down hierarchy will inevitably turn into Satan’s playground. It’s dead easy to take over a national headquarters. A little blackmail and a lot of social pressure will do the job.
Not so easy to take over a thousand local churches one by one. Baptists, Muslims, Church of Christ, and many Pentecostal denominations, are decentralized. That’s why they remain strong in their faith.
Comment by Edward Steutermann on March 3, 2014 at 8:26 am
I am a strong conservative member of a United Methodist Church in virtually total disagreement with the dictates of the Methodist Church heirachy, look at them as doctrine which I ignore and not scripture which I adhere to. I plan to continue to assert my right to oppose them wherever and whenever they are asserted in my Church
Comment by Marco Bell on March 3, 2014 at 9:04 am
I’m not the only one who thinks our denomination hasn’t gone far enough to the Left, to be more Christ-like.
And anytime one even acknowledges the Tea Party, they have to be suspect, as that wing of the Republican party has gone off the rails!
I’d liken the Orthodox wing of any religion to be one of perpetual entrenchment, which may stand firm on some issues that really do need to change!
Comment by Dave Gingrich on March 7, 2014 at 7:37 pm
This TEA Partier loves you, Marco.
Comment by tipster on March 3, 2014 at 2:22 pm
This compelled me to look at the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. Wow. Anything farther to the left would entail communal living and surrendering ownership of all private property. In a church, the repeated use of the term ‘social justice’ should give any rational person reason for pause. After looking at the official UMC positions, I’d vote for the Baptist as well.
Comment by Walt on March 7, 2014 at 2:43 pm
Well, friends, you can say all that about the United Methodists, and you’d be sorta right.
But Baptists may or may not adhere to any particular thing as they are independently governed and led. Need I remind you of Westboro Baptist?
I’ve been voting and speaking against mistakes in UM policy and pronouncements and individuals who ignore our official theological statements for fifty years.
In my opinion our prayers about drifting from Christianity are being answered in a way I didn’t anticipate. Many of our Bishops and members overseas have been stepping up and voting and leading in more classic Christian ways. I for one am praising God, for I didn’t see any way for that to happen … and God made a way. 🙂
Oh, and then, too, I get a much smaller number of rolled eyes than I used to get.
Blessings!
Comment by Matt Hamilton on March 11, 2014 at 2:47 pm
Westboro Baptist is a cult that is completely unaffiliated with the actual Baptist denomination. Look it up.
Comment by Chet Klinger on March 7, 2014 at 5:10 pm
I’m a tea-partier. I’m a frustrated Republican connecting with disappointed Democrats and hopeful Liberterians who remember what America was founded upon — a Constitution not merely written by men who were frustrated with big government and ridiculous taxes, but by men who worshiped God and gave credit in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to our Creator, the universe’s Divine Providence, in pursuit of happiness and freedom. They remember our great universities were established by churches and since are taken over by liberals. They remember the exodus of God-fearing people from foreign lands crossing the sea in search of a promise land to worship as they please and build their lives. families, businesses, and farms in freedom. They remember the mission of the early church to bring salvation to the suffering, hope for the dying, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. They remember when sin was sin and not a politically incorrect word. They know what is ahead for this nation if it continues to pursue a godless social justice system or a Marxist-style one-world government. They remember what happened at the Tower of Babel. We can’t ignore God in building our way to heaven. Or in climbing out of our hell. Methodism flourished under the Wesleyan form of Methodism. Methodism is suffering from building its house on shifting sands, strange interpretations of the gospel, and false teachings. When people start believing it is safe to bring their kids to a church that sees right and wrong and follows the teachings of scripture, Methodism will thrive once again. It is already showing signs of revival among Methodist evangelicals. We must be steadfast and abide in the Word of God. With God’s help, we must climb out of the miry pit and rebuild God’s house on a rock. Then it will withstand the waves and storms that are yet to come.
Comment by Janice on March 7, 2014 at 5:47 pm
Anyone looking for the perfect church or perfect denomination is going to be very disappointed. I’m sure even the disciples in the first century church were in conflict. We are flawed people, and bring those flaws into the house of God every time we enter it. I’ve been in 5 different denominations over my 68 years, the last 20 in the UMC. I saw liberals, conservatives, the prideful, the humble, the active and apathetic in all of them. We must stand strong in our beliefs while loving those who would take issue with them. I am choosing to remain in the UMC until God tells me otherwise because He said we are to be salt and light in a dark world. Sometimes that dark world is as close as our own home, church and neighborhood. Only when we enter heaven may we expect no more conflict.