Some more good news:
With these departures, progressives are expected to propose changing church law at the next General Conference in 2024 to allow for same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ people.
Problem is though, if most of the progressive churches left, then the conservative majority that’s left probably won’t be down with this.
The headline makes it sound bad, but the takeaway is that 80% of United Methodists are against exclusion and sidelining of LGBTQ. I’m no fan of organized religion, but thats a surprisingly positive message those 80% remaining United Methodists are are sending.
Ehhh it’s more that 20% have reached the point that their outrage is at the point that they leave. Who knows how many more are seething or unhappy.
There’s a non zero percent who simply can’t afford to disaffiliate. I know the state I’m in was charging them a percentage of the value of the church buildings and some other costs if they chose to disaffiliate. Turns out there’s a lot of small country churches that aren’t as financially well off as a lot of people seem to think.
Reminds me of the classic Emo Philips joke about Protestant schisms:
Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, “Don’t do it!”
He said, “Nobody loves me.”
I said, “God loves you. Do you believe in God?”
He said, “Yes.”
I said, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?”
He said, “A Christian.”
I said, “Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?”
He said, “Protestant.”
I said, “Me, too! What franchise?”
He said, “Baptist.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”
He said, “Northern Baptist.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”
I said, “Die, heretic!” And I pushed him over."
This is a terribly written article that’s not clear on why they are leaving.
Best I can tell, they are leaving because they think United Methodists is not conservative enough. They think that too many individual churches are defying the official United Methodist ban on gay marriage, and I guess they think it’s not being cracked down on enough, so the conservative churches are the ones leaving.
Religion, not even once.
