| Pilgrimage of Faith |
Questionnaire 1: Question 10 - Responses
Do you have any other feelings/thoughts you would like to share concerning sexuality and the Methodist Church?‘I do not know any gay
people within the church, but
the one I have met outside the church have been kind, friendly and
helpful and
I feel the church can only benefit from having such people in its
congregations.’
‘I do think we should
promote love and loving
relationships above the pressures young people are under today to have
casual
sexual encounters. Our
churches and
ourselves should protest more about the way sex is promoted in the
media.’
‘If people
can’t show their true selves to the Lord
at church, we have no hope for a harmonious world.’
‘Having many gay
friends, my personal feelings are
that it must be awful for people to try to conform to the
“norm” or what is
expected of them. The
trauma and
psychological problems that this can cause not only harms that person
but all
those in relationships with them.
I
believe that if the relationship is filled with love, caring, sharing,
trust
and respect for each other it should be celebrated and recognised
whether it is
same sex or not. In
a changing world
the church should move a little to recognise this change. The church should be
encouraging the
monogamous relationship whether heterosexual or same sex.’
’20 years ago I would
say I was no to everything
here. Now after
more experience of life
and personal weaknesses and those of other people, I am tending to the
in
between of yes and no. There
is a
particular issue of a homosexual working with either boys or girls. However this same problem
could arise with
heterosexuals also and therefore is protected by the same
“Safe from harm”
legislation and Methodist practise.
One
is no more dangerous than the other, therefore to channel same sex
partnership
into an acceptable form could reduce child dangers and not increase it. I like the term
“same-sex partnership”,
rather than a “same sex marriage”.
It
cannot be a marriage with the intention to give birth and raise
children and
make a happy home. A
partnership
between two people is a good term, as in the end any two people living
together
and enjoying each others company and supporting each other and their
interest
is the ideal whether married or blessed.
Ultimately I do not believe that ones sexuality (or any
other sin or
likes) can separate us from God’s love if each of us is ready
to respond to God’s
love and friendship.’
‘I just want to put a
situation down to whether we
should accept gays. What
if when this
person was only a baby, not even born and their mother was considering
an
abortion, but did not because of talking to a vicar and this talk had
an effect
on her. So then the
baby was born and
was able to live and be cared for by God, but as they grew they became
curious
of their sexuality and became gay, God will still love them. And do you really think
our views and
opinions of them should change, they are just human.
And our curiosity, as human beings, does get the better of
us, so
we should not discriminate against them.’
‘If we as a Christian
community can’t accept people
for who they are, not what their sexuality is, how can we expect the
rest of
the world to do the same. We
need to
set a good example of Christian love.’
‘We should respect all
people coming into the church
and welcome all as some people cannot help their sexuality because it
is
genetically inherited and are born that way.
However I feel there are increasingly some people who are
seeking new
thrills, stretching the boundaries and this should be cause for
concern.’
‘Homosexuality: 1.
Both males and females are born
with male and female hormones. 2.
At
puberty, there is a tendency for male to have more female hormones than
normal
and visa versa – but no more than tendencies.
3. Homosexual males practise “anal”
intercourse. 4. The
anus has a thin lining and bleeds
easily, thus transmitting more easily the aids virus, whereas the
vagina has a
thick lining. 5.
Homosexuals,
therefore, more likely to “pass on” aids.
A sin before God.’
‘I do believe we
should not be unpleasant or drive
anyone away from what is the house of God and he is the final Judge
whatever
the sin! Jesus
Christ said “cast the
first stone – if you dare”.’
‘I have always thought
of it [The Methodist
Church] as a good family-orientated church with values to
emulate. I need
values to emulate!’
‘I think as long as
people are Christians it
shouldn’t matter whether they are gay or straight. I do know some very nice
gay people, who although they do not
attend church, still do some very Christian acts for their elderly
neighbours,
which I think is better than being just a “Sunday
Christian”.’
‘I’m a
middle aged married man. I
would not turn away anyone with “same sex”
tendencies but I would also not go out of my way to welcome
them.’
'Gay/lesbians should
be accepted'
‘If people by the
structure of the genes are of a gay
or lesbian persuasion I can accept that they are still part of our
society, but
once again I say that they should have no influence where youth is
concerned.’
‘If you allow lesbian
and gay men to participate in
church leadership i.e. Sunday School, you are going against the words
of Christ,
as it says in the Bible, it is better to have a millstone around
one’s neck
than lead children into temptation, and I feel that lesbian and gay men
would
have an influence not fitting in the Methodist Church.’
'Again, from my limited
knowledge I feel that most
homosexuals would not have chosen to be “different”! The emotional turmoil and
anguish to many must be unthinkable –
often to be despised by family and friends.
And so, I ask myself, as a Christian church would we want
to add to
this? I am sure
there are many who
would disagree with the points I have made, but I will not stand in
judgement
and be part of the exclusion of those whose sexuality is different to
mine.’
‘To my mind the
practise of homosexuality endangers
the physical health of our nation i.e. the spread of aids and disease,
and man
is more prone to vice rather than virtue and therefore the practise
should be
discouraged. Most
people are
disenchanted and indifferent to the word of God, and the spiritual
wealth of
our nation has not been enhanced by the Church’s infighting
over the gay
issue. It is
essential for the church
to preach the word of God that we can continue to grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord.’
'I can only speak for myself but
I would be quite
happy if the *** circuit did take on more gay ministers because it is
only
their preaching and their pastoral care that concerns me. I think they should have
their private lives
kept private.’
‘With regard to my
answer to question 6 [Experiences
of incidents within the Catholic and Church of England regarding child
abuse]. The
Methodist Church as a whole would be
responsible for the actions of anyone individual who behaved badly and
abused a
child. I know this
also applies to
heterosexual clergy, but it seems to be more prevalent with
gays.’
‘I think that I have
made my thoughts reasonably
clear by my answers. I
do know one such
couple (not Methodists) who have been together for at least 15 years,
they are
a loving couple but do not force their sexuality in other
people’s faces and
are treated as an ordinary couple by all their friends and neighbours
– so who
are we to point what could be the finger of scorn, at such
couples.’
'Nothing in particular, but I do
think the church
should keep up to date with changing lifestyles.’
‘What these people do
in their private lives is no
concern of ours, as long as it remains private and not demonstrated in
public.’
‘I do wonder what is
happening in the world, and I
worry about the young people, they must be very confused.’
‘99% are against it,
but when in meetings with a
“high” person, they are 90% with.
Hypocrites or what?’
‘It’s no
business of mine so leave well alone’
'As one of the older generation
brought up to believe
these practises to be wrong I am becoming increasingly confused, as
society now
considers it too be OK. I
think that
most people consider it to be unnatural, immoral, wrong or something to
be
hidden and not talked about. How
much
of the Bible do we believe as Christians?
(Only the New Testament?)
If we
believe all of the Bible then were the laws given in Leviticus 18 given
only to
the Israelites and not us? More
confusion!’
‘Should the hierarchy
in the Methodist Church appoint
known homosexuals as ministers/leaders or consider blessing same sex
unions,
then I will resign my membership immediately.
Further more the church as a whole should be condemning
homosexuality
along with a number of other things that have crept into our society
and which
take us away from God. Finally
“sodomy”
comes from the name of a city that was destroyed by God because of its
unnatural practises. Need
I write
more?’
'If the Methodist Church bless
and accommodate the
unions of gay and lesbians it will create a chasm within the church
that will
not heal.’
‘I feel sexuality is a
personal thing and until an
individual is faced with this situation, they may not know how to
react.’
‘No – as
long as they do not cause any problems, but
I cannot see any problems personally.’
‘Love the person, hate
the sin’
‘The church is split
on this question by age. ‘For
the most part’ the young have no
problem the old do! Give
it 20 years
and the embracing of lesbian and gay men will be academic. The Methodist Church was
born out of
change. Born out of
a man’s views that
some things needed to be done differently against existing wisdom. I think that the Bible is
about different
people’s belief in what God wants.
It
is time was assess what God wants now!
If Abraham can ask “will God not do what is
right”, if Jesus can pick
corn on the Sabbath. If
John Wesley can
ask the questions that will after his death lead to a break away, then
we too
can ask the questions and find answers that surprise and
unite.’
‘My answers to 6 and 9
may seem contradictory. I
believe that if God calls someone to the
ministry for him he sees the whole person, not their sexuality. However I also believe in
the solemnity of
marriage and that this should be a joining of man and woman, not two
people of
the same sex. The
church cannot be seen
as being discriminatory against certain people; it has to be for all,
but on
the other it has to make a stand against practise that is against the
teaching
of the Bible.’
'If these questions had come my
way 5/6 years ago I
would have felt even more strongly to say no.
If I encounter the same questions in 5/6 years time, most
probably I may
feel different. Times,
things, and
people change. God
does not.’
‘There is such a wide
range of opinion on human
sexuality, I’m sure it will remain an on-going dialogue for
many years.’
‘No, I do not have
enough experience of gay men or
lesbians to have comments about them.’
‘I feel as committed
Christians we should stand up
and be counted and not be afraid to speak out against wrong
doings.’
‘I know in this day
and age people want to accommodate
all kinds of people, we are all God’s children but if we
study our Bible I do
not think it agrees with gay and lesbian people.’
‘I find it all very
difficult to comprehend’
‘Should we be the
judge, I don’t know’
‘I believe that the
way a person treats other people
is far more important than their sexuality.’
'Our Methodist Church welcomes
all gay men or
lesbians’