Picture taken of my mother for church directory recently put together
by
First United Methodist Church of Prescott, Arkansas.
"Oh he's a Muslim."
~(Rubin/Bridge Player)~
"What did you say after hearing Rubin saying that?"
~(Jim Ed)~
"I didn't."
~(My Mother/Bridge Player)~
"WHAT!
WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL HER
OUT
ON THAT ONE?!"
~(Jim Ed)~
"You just don't do that. It's not polite."
~(My Mother/Bridge Player)~
"SHE DID!
Didn't STOP her!"
~(Jim Ed)~
"Will never do that."
~(My Mother/Bridge Player)~
"Well next time you play bridge with Rubin,
you tell her I told you to ask her
this
question for me:
'What is she wanting to believe
defines
her as a Christian
but
excludes Barack Hussein Obama?'"
~(Jim Ed)~
"Nope.
Not going to do it."
~(My Mother/Bridge Player)~
"Well then.
May come home for a visit just to ask Rubin
this question myself."
~(Jim Ed)~
"You wouldn't do that?"
~(My Mother/Bridge Player)~
"Why would I not?"
~(Jim Ed)~
***
Just an idea for a blog entry inspired by a comment made by one
of
my mother's friends during a game of bridge.
Biographer Heike Görtemaker notes that women did not play a big role in the politics of the Third Reich. Braun's political influence on Hitler was apparently minimal. She was never allowed to stay in the room when business or political conversations took place, and was sent out of the room when cabinet ministers or other dignitaries were present. She was not a member of the Nazi Party. Her main interests were sports, clothes, and the cinema. By all accounts, she led a sheltered and privileged existence and seemed uninterested in politics. One instance when she took an interest was in 1943, shortly after Germany had fully transitioned to a total war economy. Among other things, this meant a potential ban on women's cosmetics and luxuries. According to Speer's memoirs, Braun approached Hitler in "high indignation"; Hitler instructed Speer, who was armaments minister at the time, to quietly arrange for production of women's cosmetics and luxuries to cease rather than instituting an outright ban.
***
After mother telling me about this incident during one of our routine long distance phone calls,
led to an argument leaving me extremely disappointed with her.
Well that's the problem with opinions...
how they put people of a different opinion in the awkard position
of
feeling the need expressing their opinion.
Mother knew hearing that comment was going to get me worked up!
"You and I think a lot alike."
~(My Mother)~
"Mother! Will you stop staying that!
We're NOTHING alike!
You've given in!"
~(Jim Ed)~
What if...
instead of Rubin,
my mother was playing bridge
with
Eva Braun?
"Oh he's a Jew."
or
"Oh he's a Fag."
Although this argument ,
between me and my mother over the phone,
took place roughly five years ago just after Obama elected president;
only just now,
when playing this hypothetical game using Eva Braun as an example,
was I reminded of a conversation between me and my mother two years after
I
first told her I was gay.
Was still in veterinary school just home for a weekend visit.
We had just returned home one evening and were now sitting in the car,
out in the dark, talking.
First time the topic of me being gay had come up since that night two years before,
mother
made a vague threat of killing herself.
"I could handle you being deaf
easier
than I can handle you being gay."
~(My Mother)~
"Mother.
I'm already hearing impaired.
How would me being
DEAF
made any of this more bearable?
~(Jim Ed)~
Now,
I'm reminded of something I remember reading
I'm reminded of something I remember reading
about
Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church response to the retired Bishop's letter
regarding
homosexual as ordained ministers.
Table to make a recommendation regarding Glenn’s response to the retired Bishops’ letter, dated
January of 2011. The retired Bishops’ letter recommends the repeal of Paragraph 304.3 of the
Book of Discipline which provides that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with
Christian teaching and bars self-avowed practicing homosexuals from ordination within The
United Methodist Church (“UMC”).
Based upon the Common Table’s months of study and discussion and its assessment of the
opinions, beliefs and desires of the members of Glenn, the Common Table recommends that the
Church Council endorse the retired Bishops’ letter (attached) and take all appropriate steps to
support said letter as it and related legislation are considered during the General Conference of
2012.
While the Common Table recognizes that such a letter does not represent the position of every
member of Glenn UMC, it is our conviction that we can and must continue to worship as one
family. Failing to respond to the very strong sense of injustice Paragraph 304.3 raises among
many of our members will irrevocably harm our sense of church family and hinder Glenn's
opportunities for evangelism and growth going forward. In addition, the retired Bishops’ letter
provides a compelling description of the many problems generated by this paragraph in the
Discipline. The Common Table affirms the shared ministry of clergy and laity regardless of
one’s sexual orientation.
The Common Table recognizes that while we do not all share the same beliefs, we all share one
foundational belief: Jesus Christ, Son of the one true God, was born, lived, died and was raised
from the dead that we might live.
The Common Table was formed in May, 2011, at which time the Common Table began its work
in earnest. The Common Table met for an hour and a half most weeks through the summer, and
held a five hour retreat one Sunday
.
Bob Gary, trained in facilitating the reconciliation of factions having divergent views on
important issues within an organization, led our Common Table. Bob is recognized nationally as
a leader in this art, especially among churches. He graciously donated his time and skill for this
task to Glenn. The Common Table acknowledges with heartfelt thanks and affection his work
and guidance, and urges the Church Council and Glenn to recognize his contribution to our
church in this endeavor.
We considered the views of other congregations in our North Georgia Conference and those of
Methodist churches throughout the United States and the world. We also considered whether a
repeal of the provision could impact the national and worldwide Methodist church. We discussed
the fact that ordained Methodist ministers are guaranteed a position as pastor in a church and
whether that factor should be considered relevant to the consideration of the issues raised by the
retired Bishops’ letter.
The Common Table does not claim that it has touched upon all relevant issues or has
exhaustively explored all the issues considered on this complex subject. But we all feel we
understand better the issues involved and each member of the Common Table has developed a
deeper appreciation for the views of others. The Common Table process brought clarity to many
of our thoughts and positions
.
We reached our recommendation because we believe that Jesus’ new commandment “[t]hat you
love one another as I have loved you,” predominates over all other concerns elicited in our
discussions. Loving God and loving neighbor must be our practice, even when honest and
intelligent minds may disagree on lesser issues. On the issue of Paragraph 304.3, or any other,
when we speak or act presumptively, dismissively, or even disparagingly of any viewpoint that is
not our own, we are failing to love our neighbors.
At the General Conference of 2012,
this topic never made it to the floor
being
debated/considered.
Why?
Because all across America,
the Methodist Church is a dying congregation.
Only in Africa
is
the Methodist Church growing.
With the African congregations being more conservative with their views on the issue of homosexuality,
not wanting to risk alienating these African Methodist Churches was considered more important.
What happened to this,
"We reached our recommendation because we believe that Jesus’ new commandment “[t]hat you
love one another as I have loved you,” predominates over all other concerns elicited in our
discussions. On the issue of Paragraph 304.3, or any other,
when we speak or act presumptively, dismissively, or even disparagingly
of
any viewpoint that is not our own, we are failing to love our neighbors."
The Methodist Church choosing inaction on this issue,
definitedly
left me feeling as a homosexual,
I've been
dismissively
labeled
"a lesser issues"
okay
for
"honest and intelligent minds"
to
"disagree"
over.
Well I have this question to ask of the Methodist.
From the perspective of the Christians...
Would
a
HOMOSEXUAL
stop being
a
JEW
just because he's
a
FAG?
Why then...
Would
a
FAG
stop being
a
METHODIST
if just
a
HOMOSEXUAL?
***
Supplemental Reading:
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