In My Own Little Chair I Can Be Whatever I Want to Be!

In favor of the minority report from the Church and Society committee. What does that mean? I will explain…I think…Betty just explained it to me.

When a committee recommends a petition to the plenary, they then say either, “We recommend you reject this petition” or “We recommend you adopt this petition.” If there are at least 20 signatures and a creation of a different petition, then the committee presents a Majority Report (the petition as passed/rejected by the committee) and a Minority Report (the one from 20+ other people). It’s similar to a committee saying, “We present Option A, but there’s also an Option B now.”

So, this afternoon, while Grace and I were still at the Zoo (which was a good thing, Betty said, because a 5-year-old didn’t need to be around some of the anger that was used in the ‘discussion’ today), the plenary voted on Petition 80449–Human Sexuality as found in the Book of Discipline 161 paragraph G. They presented the Majority Report (which is found in an earlier post) and then the Minority Report. The Majority Report then gets amended, and then it moves on to the Minority Report. The Minority Report gets amended AND debated, and then voted on. If the Minority Report passes, that makes the Majority Report a lovely piece of paper that no longer has any meaning and gets thrown out and the Minority Report is what gets added into the latest edition of the Book of Discipline. If the Minority Report doesn’t pass, then the delegates debate the Majority Report. If the Majority Report fails, then the Book of Discipline doesn’t change from 2004 till now.

This Minority Report passed, and here’s what it says (I’m copying it in without the strike-through formatting that is used on the conference website because it’s annoying):

The Petition is amended as follows:
G) Human Sexuality-We affirm that sexuality is God’s good gift to all persons. We call everyone to responsible stewardship of this sacred gift.
Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are affirmed only within the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage.
We deplore all forms of the commercialization, abuse, and exploitation of sex. We call for strict global enforcement of laws prohibiting the sexual exploitation of children and for adequate protection, guidance, and counseling for abused children. All persons, regardless of age, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation, are entitled to have their human and civil rights ensured and to be protected against violence. The Church should support the family in providing age-appropriate education regarding sexuality to children, youth and adults.
We affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God. All need the ministry of the church in our 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. The United Methodist Church does 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 will live together in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving, and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us.

Here is a link for you to check out:

The conference play-by-play of the petition. To find the various reports, click on the link on that page that says “full text” immediately above the heading “Plenary Action Status.”

Honestly, I’m disappointed I missed the discussion, but I completely agree with Betty that Grace didn’t need to be there and since my “job” is to be with her, I’m glad I wasn’t there. The debate still rages on, however. At the very beginning of the session tonight, a delegate from West Ohio stood up and asked to suspend the rules to revisit 80449. He got shot down, 66%-33%, which is the exact opposite of what he needed to get. Then, a petition to revise the language for church membership came up–whether or not a local church has to let people join, or if it is the pastor’s discernment and/or congregation’s decision. The minority report failed (pastor and congregation’s decision), and then the majority report failed (everyone gets in), but it was a 49-51 split. Basically, it was still “code” for “You have to let me in even if I’m a practicing homosexual” and so conservatives were cool with everything failing. I think. That’s my analysis from the upper deck.

The fight still rages on. They have over 100 calendar items to still complete, and two days to do it. Friday is going to be pure chaos.