gays

United (for now) Methodists and the same-sex debate

June 8, 2014 by Bobby Ross Jr.

Amid talk of a possible schism over homosexuality, the United Methodist Church is back in the news. On the heels of an exceedingly positive profile of Methodist gay-rights advocate Frank Schaefer, the Washington Post reported this weekend: Hundreds of American pastors from the United Methodist Church have signed a proposal released Friday that aims to keep the global [Read More...]

Filed Under: gays, Journalism, Politics, Religion, Same-sex marriage, Social Issues Tagged With: Florida Today, United Methodist Church, United Methodists, Washington Post

Let them eat cake and — in Colorado — make others bake it

June 2, 2014 by Jim Davis

I’m no expert on baking, but I suspect that a layer cake should stand straight, not lean to one side. The Denver Post should have followed that recipe for its latest story on the man who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. The Post article is brief and mostly factual, especially [Read More...]

Filed Under: Ethics, gays, Journalism, Same-sex marriage, Sex, Social Issues, Uncategorized Tagged With: Denver Post

United Methodists stand at a ‘tipping point’ — once again

May 27, 2014 by tmatt

Yes, it’s time to head into yet another oldline Protestant summer of sex. This leads to a painful, and very old, oldline Protestant question. Here it is: Just how long have United Methodists been debating whether (a) local bishops have the right to ignore passages in the denomination’s Book of Discipline linked to homosexuality and [Read More...]

Filed Under: gays, Mainline, People, Religion, Sex, Social Issues Tagged With: Good News movement, RNS, Sarah Pulliam Bailey, United Methodist Church

Instructing v. reporting on gay clergy from The Times

May 24, 2014 by geoconger

What’s the difference between advocacy journalism and classical, liberal, some would say “objective” journalism? Advocacy journalism tells you what you should think about a news story while old-school liberal journalism sets out the facts of the story and lets you make up your own mind. The first method produces copy that fits a pre-determined template. [Read More...]

Filed Under: gays, Journalism, Mainline, World Tagged With: Church of Scotland, media bias, Scotsman, The Times

Worst religion story of the year? AP trashes Phil Robertson

May 23, 2014 by Bobby Ross Jr.

Sigh…no context, just a quick Associated Press gotcha blurb. Yep, that reader’s email to GetReligion pretty much sums up an atrocious, 135-word piece of AP “journalism” on Phil Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” fame. The headline: New anti-gay remarks by ‘Duck Dynasty’ star emerge The lede: NEW YORK (AP) — A&E has declined to comment on [Read More...]

Filed Under: Evangelicals, gays, Journalism, Radio & TV, Religion, Same-sex marriage Tagged With: A&E, Duck Commander, Duck Dynasty, entertainment news, Phil Robertson, The Associated Press

Baptists ‘unofficially’ changing doctrine on homosexuality?

May 20, 2014 by Bobby Ross Jr.

Southern Baptist leaders are seeking a “softer approach on homosexuality,” reports National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” While noting that “the country’s largest protestant (sic) group … still preaches that marriage can only be between one man and one woman,” NPR points to a recent, vaguely identified meeting of pastors to back up its headline: The Southern Baptist [Read More...]

Filed Under: Baptists, Evangelicals, gays, Journalism, Religion, Same-sex marriage Tagged With: Baptist doctrine, homosexuality, NPR, same-sex marriage, Southern Baptist Convention

What rights should parents of gay children have in Maryland?

May 13, 2014 by tmatt

Here we go again. The Baltimore Sun — the newspaper that lands in my front yard — recently published a very provocative piece about the next round in our state’s battles between conservative religious believers and gay-rights organizations. In this case, the battle is over the work of the “ex-gay” ministries and, in particular, the [Read More...]

Filed Under: Education, Evangelicals, gays, Marriage & family, Pentecostalism, People, religious liberty, Science, Sex

NYTimes leans to the right in Christian legal profile?

May 13, 2014 by Bobby Ross Jr.

No, the “socially liberal” New York Times didn’t lean all the way to the right. But it’s difficult to imagine a conservative Christian legal organization receiving fairer, more serious coverage than the Alliance Defending Freedom did in Monday’s newspaper. With the headline “Legal Alliance Gains Host of Court Victories for Conservative Christian Movement,” the Times [Read More...]