Rejected slogan for the United Methodist Church advertising campaign

Cross-posted from my Until blog:

The United Methodist Church will soon begin a multi-million dollar "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors." advertising campaign. Its target will be the younger generation of 22- to 44-year-olds, with a special focus on Internet web sites. Not surprisingly, another considered slogan -- "Methodism. Expelling your lesbian and gay friends from the ministry since 1760" -- was rejected. Truth in advertising doesn't always come first, not even when the advertiser is a church.

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Spiritual mentor, author, poet, and scholar. Joe is best known for his 2007 book Soulfully Gay. one of the first memoirs in the tradition of World Spirituality based on Integral principles. Scholar-in-Residence at the Center for World Spirituality, where he works with Director Marc Gafni in providing leadership to the think tank. He also blogs at Gay Spirituality. Arctophile and ailurophile. A little bit country and a little bit "part and whole." Follow Joe Perez Facebook and Joe Perez Twitter.

Comments

[Benton]

The ELCA likes to tell people how open they are, too.

[Gary]

When UMC came out with that slogan, I emailed them, questioning the contradiction between 'Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Doors' & their stance on gay people. Predictably, there was no reply.

The Episcopal Church, in spite of its general welcoming attitudes toward gays, also continues to be discriminatory by not allowing public same-sex union blessings for couples in most places.

In addition, they continue to have Boy Scout of America troops in their parishes, in spite of the BSA's belief that homosexuality is not a good model or standard for 'family values'. How a church can welcome gays and also include in its ministries an organization that still holds homophobic views is beyond me.

When I have challenged this, I was only told (by lay people) that I am being intolerant & mean-spirited (!) because I am trying to force my own belief re homosexuality on those in that church who disagree. One person told me to keep my 'politics' and religion separate! So much for the Gospel of Christ. If standing up for my 'God-given' sexuality and condemning discrimination against it is politics, then so is their heterosexualism!

Shall we then go back to supporting slavery, racial segregation, anti-miscegenation, denying women the vote & other equal rights, or even back to believing the Earth is the center of the Solar System -- all things that some 'Bible-believing' Christians objected to in their day -- all so that we don't 'force our own opinions' on those who believe in falsehoods?

Gary

[Bill]

Who I am as God created me is much, much more than the singularity of my sexulality. To base one's being and idenity soley on one's sexual preference, seems to me to negate the value and worth of the entire person whom God has created and reduce the value of the spiritual nature to a focus on physical manifestations and expressions of self. Especially when that singular focus is directed in vengeful hate toward one's preceived enemies. God loves all God's children, regardless of sexual orientation.

[brad]

Well I for one am a methodist and we do generally have open hearts open minds and open doors. I grew up going to church every sunday sitting by a man in a dress and this was no big deal. In seattle, there was a lesbian minister for many years in the university district. It is good to challenge old/bad beliefs within a church but it doesn't mean the church is a bad thing in itself...And listen, if someone doesn't understand you that doesn't mean they hate you or anything like that!! it means they dont understand you...and you might not understand them as well as youd like to think either. But back to the methodist church..I once went to a youth summit on a university campus and the guest speaker said that homosexuality is a sin and we need to stop kidding ourselves..He got boo'd off the stage by all of us methodist youth. please stop hating on all christians for what a few of them do...if you do this you are not too different from some conservative christian who sees an offensively flaming gay person and subsequently labels all sexual minorities as such.

[brad]

oh and Benton it sounds as if you excpect the church to not only accept and welcome gay people, but to make gay issues its number one priority!!?? get real. "okay well now that we are accepting of gays, we hate everyone that is NOT accepting and we're going to leave the boyscouts out in the cold" what the hell?? the kids in the boyscouts aren't even old enough to have a valid opinion on gay issues, and I think you are asking just a little bit too much from people. Playing up the old poor me card a little too much bro