Who does God love?

Not since I realized that God loved me even though I am gay have I considered that all are not loved by God. But I guess that just as I did not always believe it, maybe I should allow others to believe it too. No, I will recognize it, but I won't agree with it.

But I would have thought that thoughtful United Methodists (meeting in Tampa at the General Conference) would easily agree about God's love.


No, they didn't. They debated today on whether or not God loves everyone. At least that is how it seemed, before they agreed to add this to the Preamble to the Social Principles of the Book of Discipline.

"We stand united in declaring our faith that God’s grace is available to all that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus."

My interpretation of that is that neither my sexual orientation, nor my love for my partner, nor our intimacy, can separate me from the love of God. Further justification for this is that love comes from God, so our love must be good.

Furthermore I will declare that my love, and my expression of it, is not incompatible with Christian teaching. 

Currently the United Methodist Church says that it is. 

But they also state that they oppose “all forms of violence or discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual practice or sexual orientation.”

And every time I read that statement I want to scream, because there is discrimination written into that very document, just a few paragraphs away, and elsewhere.

Discrimination against gays and lesbians in not allowing their ordination.

Discrimination against gays and lesbians with hurtful statements calling us "incompatible" that harm young people and others and leads them to believe that God does not love them (and that the United Methodist Church is hypocritical).

And they wonder why young people are not staying with or coming to the church. They wonder why their numbers are dwindling.

During this General Conference it is hoped that these wrongs will be righted, that the hurtful statement will be taken out of the Book of Discipline, and that other changes will be made that are just and reflect the love that God has for all of us.

I have sent two letters to each of the delegates from the North Alabama Conference urging them to support inclusion during this conference. I shared my story with them, personal things, so they would know how words can harm people and how tough it is to belong to a church that misrepresents the love of God.

We won't know how delegates vote since voting is done on hand held devices this time. That may be a good thing, but it also means there is no accountability for their votes. We can only hope and pray and watch on livestream as the General Conference 2012 proceeds.

Here energetic young people (and others) broke out in song, a flash mob, at General Conference.