More Vile

John Wesley (1703-1791), Anglican Priest and Methodist Founder, peppered his prose with an abundance of biblical quotes and allusions. One interesting instance is Wesley's description of his decision to begin field preaching (Wesley's Journal April 2, 1739): "At four in the afternoon I submitted to 'be more vile,' and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation. . . ." Wesley was alluding to II Samuel 6:22 where King David says (in the King James Version) "And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou has spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor."

Here David is speaking to his wife, Michal, who has just rebuked him for dancing before the Ark of the Covenant and exposing himself (David was apparently wearing little more than a ceremonial apron). Michal said (in the New Revised Standard Version), "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!" To which David responded, "It was before the Lord, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord, that I have danced before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible (i.e. "more vile") than this, and I will be abased in my own eyes; but the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor."

Strange tale. For Wesley, Michal's attitude symbolized Wesley's own early attitude: "I could scarce reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields. . . . having been all my life (till very lately) so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin if it had not been done in a church." Field-preaching was as contemptible as David's scanty dancing costume. Michal's apparent disparaging attitude towards the "servant's maids" may have resonated for Wesley with his own British society's ingrained classism. Wesley was not preaching to the "better sort of people" in the fields, coal pits and brickyards of 18th century Britain.

In the 21st century United States lesbian and gay people may be among those who are "vile and contemptible" in the eyes of some church people. The Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church has now given the green light to officially bar lesbian and gay persons from the church. One member of the council, the Rev. Keith Boyette, even suggests in his concurring opinion that pastors and congregations might put lesbian and gay persons who are already church members under official discipline. Break up your same-gender partnership of no-matter-how-many years. Become heterosexual or face forced chastity. Fail to "repent" of your "sin" of being gay or lesbian and you will face the threat of a church trial and removal of membership in the church.

I have named this blog "More Vile" in honor of Wesley's daring to defy the discriminatory attitudes of ruling elites of church and society. I dedicate this blog to the proposition that it is not a sin to be gay or lesbian and United Methodist. I will write in support of those who are working to change the discriminatory laws of the church, especially the Reconciling Ministries Network, Affirmation, the Methodist Federation for Social Action, United Methodists of Color for a More Inclusive Church, the Parents Reconciling Network, Methodist Students for an All-Inclusive Church and Soulforce.

With Soulforce I accuse the United Methodist Church of practicing spiritual violence by using its spiritual authority to demean lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. The United Methodist Church defines "homosexual practice" as "incompatible with Christian teaching." Based on this erroneous idea the United Methodists not only bars "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals" from service to the church in the ordained ministry, but a recent decision the Judicial Council ("Supreme Court") of the United Methodist Church (Judicial Council Decision No. 1032) has given the denomination's blessing to an all-too common attitude amongst United Methodist clergy which defines "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals" as "unrepentent sinners" who are deemed unable to take the vows of baptism and membership, and who may be subjected to disciplinary procedures including church trials leading to removal from membership in the church.

The spiritual violence of the church harms lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons in many ways. Anti-LGBT religious attitudes are used to justify countless laws used to harass and discriminate against LGBT persons in civil society. Perhaps the most egregious example of the harm which results from spiritual violence is the fact that LGBT youth are at greater risk than non-LGBT youth to commit suicide and that those who come from Christian families are at even greater risk because they must live with the disapproval of their families and congregations and are taught to believe they cannot please God and continue to live as LGBT. They may seek to obey their church's teachings and try to "change," and when they fail, they despair of ever pleasing God and their families, and turn to suicide for relief.

The United Methodist Church needs to follow the example of Wesley and change its attitudes about "decency and order." The church needs to "submit to be more vile and proclaim the glad tidings of salvation" to all persons. Following Wesley's first general rule of the the Methodist societies, the church must cease to do harm, in this case the harm of spiritual violence against LGBT persons.