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Petition to the General Conference, 2004, In accordance with the instructions for preparation of petitions, PAGE NUMBER: Page 1 of 1 SUGGESTED TITLE/SUBJECT MATTER: God's Grace and Sexual Orientation PETITION CONCERNS: Discipline Para. # 161 G FINANACIAL IMPLICATIONS: None Petition Text: Proposed Revision of Paragraph 161, G Delete: "Although we do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching, we affirm that God's grace is available to all." Add in its place: "Differences of opinion among faithful Christians regarding sexual orientation continue to deeply divide the church. We stand before God admitting that we have thus far been unable to reach common ground. As we continue to discern God's will together, we are united in declaring our understanding that God's grace is available to all." RATIONALE: For more than thirty years United Methodists have found themselves deeply divided around the issue of homosexuality. We cannot continue to batter each other. We believe the time has come to focus on healing our church and moving forward together. We further believe that a first step toward such healing requires us to honestly name where we are. DATE: November 24, 2003 SUBMITTED BY: Kathryn J. Johnson, on behalf of PETITIONER IDENTIFICATION: Methodist Federation for Social Action TELEPHONE: 202-546-8806 |
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