Liberals have had success rewriting U.S. law, but their attempts at rewriting God’s law are proving a lot more difficult. Yesterday, despite intense pressure from homosexuals, the largest Protestant denomination in America refused to bend on the Bible’s view of sexuality. At the convention of the United Methodist Church, more than 1,000 delegates engaged in a fierce debate over an issue that has shattered more than a few American denominations in recent years. But unlike the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), and Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Methodists held their ground–thanks in large part to a major influx of African and Asian membership. Every four years, the convention has debated whether the church should relax the language in its Book of Discipline, which states that homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.” But after a morning of emotional back and forth between the two sides, the delegation voted 61% to 39% to yield to Scripture–not society.
The Left took two stabs at watering down the church’s position. Another amendment would have officially acknowledged the dispute in the church by adding a line about members disagreeing “whether homosexual practices [are] contrary to the will of God.” It failed. Afterward, the liberal delegates protested so loudly inside the convention hall that the leadership had to cancel the rest of the session. “I think you’re actually hurting your point,” the chairman warned. Despite what the Left would have us believe, the trend of truth is not moving. In the words of an African delegate, “We allow homosexuals to change the church rather than the church to change homosexuals… If we say no [to these amendments], it doesn’t mean we don’t love that person. I stand to say that the grace of God is for all people but the grace of God does not allow us to sin.”
Outside Tampa, the push to protect marriage drives on. In Raleigh, FRC’s Ken Klukowski took on attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in a vigorous debate over the North Carolina marriage amendment. You can hear more about his arguments at the Federalist Society in the ABC news coverage here or watch the debate in its entirety here. Also, don’t miss the special showings of FRC’s documentary, The Problem with Same-Sex Marriage, starting tonight on North Carolina’s WGGS-TV 16 at 5:00 p.m. WHFL at 6:30 p.m., and on WHFL on Saturday at 6:00 p.m., and Sunday at 6:00 a.m.