Since when the hell do churches in modern society have a court system!?

[NikPreviousAcct]

Text

Methodist jury convicts lesbian minister
Thursday, December 2, 2004 Posted: 2:11 PM EST (1911 GMT)

PUGHTOWN, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A jury made up of United Methodist Church clergy convicted a lesbian minister Thursday of violating church law by openly living with her partner in a committed relationship.

The Rev. Irene Elizabeth Stroud could be defrocked as a result of the ruling, which came on the second day of her church trial. The same 13-member jury was set to meet Thursday afternoon to decide her penalty.

Methodist law bars "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals" from ministry. Nine votes were necessary for a conviction and the jury voted 12-1 to find Stroud guilty.

The last time the 8.3 million-member denomination convicted an openly gay cleric was in 1987, when a New Hampshire church court defrocked the Rev. Rose Mary Denman.

Last March, a Methodist court in Washington state acquitted the Rev. Karen Dammann, who lives with a same-sex partner, citing an ambiguity in church law that the Methodist supreme court has since eliminated.

Before the jury returned, Stroud, 34, told reporters that whatever the verdict, "this case has shown how divided we are" over the role of gays in the church. She had expected to be convicted.

:Q 😕

 

[n0cmonkey]

P&N BiATCH.

 

[Anubis]

sometime before 1987 i woudl say

 

[Zysoclaplem]

What are they gonna do? Stone her? I'd tell them they could go fvck themselves. This stuff just plain pisses me off.

 

[everman]

Most large organizations have a formal way to enforce their laws/ code of conduct, etc.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
What are they gonna do? Stone her? I'd tell them they could go fvck themselves. This stuff just plain pisses me off.

You're not a part of the church, though. They wouldn't put you on trial.

 

[ElFenix]

they've had courts for millenia...

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
What are they gonna do? Stone her? I'd tell them they could go fvck themselves. This stuff just plain pisses me off.

heh if you do not like it then do not join there church. They agreed to fallow there rulles and "laws". The minister didnt and is not in trouble for it.

I see nothing wrong with it. Its not like she is getting stoned or sent to prison. she is being defrocked.

 

[Zysoclaplem]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
What are they gonna do? Stone her? I'd tell them they could go fvck themselves. This stuff just plain pisses me off.

heh if you do not like it then do not join there church. They agreed to fallow there rulles and "laws". The minister didnt and is not in trouble for it.

I see nothing wrong with it. Its not like she is getting stoned or sent to prison. she is being defrocked.

Oh, well that's alright. When they said penalty, I just assumed the worst.

 

[notfred]

this case has shown how divided we are.

12-1 isn't really very divided.

 

[Phoenix86]

WRONG FORUM!

I know the Catholic church has had something similar for eons...

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: notfred

this case has shown how divided we are.

12-1 isn't really very divided.

Not in that sense, no. However, how'd she actually get into a position of leadership with her public lifestyle flagrantly defying the church?

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86
WRONG FORUM!

I know the Catholic church has had something similar for eons...

With a judge and jury and everything? :Q I thought it was just if you pissed off the cardinal or the pope or something. 😛

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: Phoenix86
WRONG FORUM!

I know the Catholic church has had something similar for eons...

With a judge and jury and everything? :Q I thought it was just if you pissed off the cardinal or the pope or something. 😛

Similar, whatever the process for excommunication is would be similar with the Cardinals and Bishops as judge/jury. Of course with the many branches of Christianity, I'm sure each branch developed their own system for dealing with church business, based on societies system (judge and jury).

Remember, esp. with the Catholic church (and I'm sure most Christian churches), it's handled a lot like government. It didn't get the name Roman-Catholic church for nothin'.

I'm not sure how non-christian churches handle things like this...

 

[tnitsuj]

Most large religious organizations have court systems.