So who profits in a split of some sort? The Evangelicals. The UMC is ripe for the pickings because of the fragile nature of our connection and the massive underlying financial assets. First, the Cypriot situation Recently, as part of a cruise to the Middle East, we landed on the island of Cyprus for a brief one-day stop. Being one who likes to plan things out well in advance, I tend to pick the tours we will take at any... Read more
I’m now convinced that in nearly every society an anti-Christ has emerged. It’s not a one-time event, but an event that our human nature demands with boring regularity. The charismatic, powerful leader, seemingly emerging from nowhere, who, if we will only trust him/her/them enough to overlook the subtlety of the evil whispers in his/her/their ear, will solve our problems. Silence and clarity Awed into silence over the frescos on the ceiling of the Duomo de Orvieto, the sunrise of clarity... Read more
So, again, guys, grow a set and GROW UP. Because if you don’t, if you continue to treat women as “less then” and the perpetrators of evil, we are going to take over. It doesn’t have to happen: real partnerships can and do exist and should become the full norm. But if they don’t, just remember: we really, really don’t need you. Anyone who follows religious news probably knows by now that John MacArthur, a long-time leader in the Christian... Read more
After every single sexual encounter that could possibly lead to pregnancy, all females, especially including any girls or teens who could possibly conceive, need to make police reports and claim rape. The State of Georgia recently passed a so-called “heartbeat law.” This law prohibits abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be heard, generally around six weeks of gestation. Creators of the bill contend that the unborn should be counted as fully human and thus endowed all constitutional rights, including the... Read more
Here’s the deal: The United Methodist Church is a wrinkled old lady. Just like many aging people do, we bought into our versions of magic skin creams to try to push back the damage. However, when it comes down to it, we need a pair of jeans that fit and flatter us. It’s not that hard to do. A little more give here, a little more stretch there, a more realistic, less idealistic look at just how bloated and wrinkled... Read more
But, two children quit gymnastics. Keep this in mind. Two young people, profoundly gifted athletes with supportive families and who could have gone all the way to the top, walked away. Two young, yet amazingly mature, children said, “I want some sanity in my life. I want some playtime. I want to hang out with my friends, pet my dog, and explore what the world has to offer. I want to sleep in on Saturdays, live without all the pressure... Read more
The centrists and progressives fiddled our love of God and of all and paid no attention to the call for a doctrinally defined church, sure that such an idea would not ever pass sophisticated theological muster, forgetting the people don’t want sophisticated theology that leads to open borders but simple answers and big, massive walls against outsiders. Over five years ago, I warned the good folks in The United Methodist Church that the doctrinal inquisition was soon to come. At... Read more
I grieve that the answer to “Does the UMC have a future” is “NO.” I grieve so deeply that I’ve been unable to write. I’ve spent endless hours in my garden, knowing yet again that there are two things almost guaranteed to break the heart: gardens and churches. And mine is broken. But the “Bible-believers” won. May God, the one they don’t believe in and have excluded from their fellowship, have mercy upon their souls. No. There is no future... Read more
I admit it is difficult for me to identify now with the extremely ununited “United” Methodist Church. Many sit here with me, praying, waiting, watching to see what the power-brokers in the church will do. Part of me wants to contribute to those conversations. Other parts say, “let it go. After all, Remy writes.” After blogging my way through the sad debacle of the specially called 2019 General Conference (i.e., the “sex” conference) of The United Methodist Church, I needed... Read more
Yes, Mark Tooley reveals all. However, I feel sure the Wesleyan Covenant Association people, who now have gotten their hopes fulfilled by continued exclusion of the LGBTQIA community, will be delighted to make sure the African church stays fully funded. It would be unthinkable for them, who hold to the stance that they take the highest of high moral roads, to sever their relationship with the African Methodists now or in the foreseeable future. In an editorial of the Friday,... Read more
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