The UMC makes my atheist heart leap with joy.
From the sermon by Rev. Croy on 5/18 at Maple Grove UMC in C-bus:
Want to be proud of your United Methodist denomination for once? Tired of only hearing us criticized for our
controversies? A little known action taken at the just completed 2008 General Conference bears repeating this
morning.
The section on God’s Creation and the Church reads: “As disciples of Christ, we are called to be good stewards
of God’s creation. Accordingly, we call upon The United Methodist Church to adopt fresh ways to respond to
the perils that now threaten the integrity of God’s creation and the future of God’s children.
Specifically, The United Methodist Church: (and then among a litany of things) endorses The Clergy Letter
Project and its reconciliatory programs between religion and science, and urges United Methodist clergy
participation.”4
Two other resolutions were also added to the Book of Resolutions and these read thus: “We find that science’s
description of cosmological, geological, and biological evolution are not in conflict with theology.”5 and
“Therefore be it resolved that the General Conference of the United Methodist Church go on record as opposing
the introduction of any faith-based theories such as Creationism or Intelligent Design into the science
curriculum of our public schools.”6
4. http://calms.umc.org/2008/Text.aspx?mode=Petition&Number=990.
5. http://calms.umc.org/2008/Text.aspx?mode=Petition&Number=50.
6. http://calms.umc.org/2008/Text.aspx?mode=Petition&Number=839.
For the full text go here. The whole thing isn't a bad read.
Want to be proud of your United Methodist denomination for once? Tired of only hearing us criticized for our
controversies? A little known action taken at the just completed 2008 General Conference bears repeating this
morning.
The section on God’s Creation and the Church reads: “As disciples of Christ, we are called to be good stewards
of God’s creation. Accordingly, we call upon The United Methodist Church to adopt fresh ways to respond to
the perils that now threaten the integrity of God’s creation and the future of God’s children.
Specifically, The United Methodist Church: (and then among a litany of things) endorses The Clergy Letter
Project and its reconciliatory programs between religion and science, and urges United Methodist clergy
participation.”4
Two other resolutions were also added to the Book of Resolutions and these read thus: “We find that science’s
description of cosmological, geological, and biological evolution are not in conflict with theology.”5 and
“Therefore be it resolved that the General Conference of the United Methodist Church go on record as opposing
the introduction of any faith-based theories such as Creationism or Intelligent Design into the science
curriculum of our public schools.”6
4. http://calms.umc.org/2008/Text.aspx?mode=Petition&Number=990.
5. http://calms.umc.org/2008/Text.aspx?mode=Petition&Number=50.
6. http://calms.umc.org/2008/Text.aspx?mode=Petition&Number=839.
For the full text go here. The whole thing isn't a bad read.