Get up, Stand up, Stand up for the Right

Get up, Stand up, Stand up for the Right
Matthew 23:1-4

Rev. Dr. Wilfredo Baez

11/2/14

Says Jesus, “See that group of Theologians, Pastors and Church Leaders (point to left): Listen to what they teach and follow it, but don’t do as they do for they do not practice what they teach. “

I wish it were so simple.  If those who believed that homosexuals were sinners, shouldn’t be married or shouldn’t be ordained as clergy were hypocrites, we could heed their teachings and ignore their behavior.  But they aren’t hypocrites.  They believe what they teach and act upon it.  

But in the case we have to disregard what they teach. Our denomination’s teaching on homosexuality is wrong.  It is dangerous and it does harm.  Our denomination defies reason, science and the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association and American Medical Association’s in its stances about homosexuality.  On no other issue does the church ignore science, medicine, psychology and psychiatry.

“Look at that group of Theologians, Pastors and Church Leaders (point to left).  They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.” 

Our denomination produces heavy burdens, hard to bear and lays them on the shoulders of GLBTQ people.  That burden is placed on children and adolescents who hide their natural tendencies so not to be found out, bullied or scrutinized. It places that burden on the shoulders of adults who are told that their very normal sexual inclinations are pathological. It invalidates calls to licensed and ordained ministry.

Our denomination has said that our hearts are open, our minds are open and our doors are open.  It has said “Come as you are.”  But the fine print to our slogan is: “We will fix you” or “We will pretend that you are like us and ignore this aspect of you.” “You have to conform to our dogma about sexuality. “In order to be a good Christian you have to be celibate for the rest of your life or get married to someone of the opposite sex.” “I’m okay the way I am. You’re okay but you can’t be married or be licensed or ordained as clergy.”  It’s a good thing that our denomination has gone away from the “Open hearts. Open minds.  Open Doors” campaign because it made us hypocrites! 

Look at our denomination’s Book of Discipline. On one hand it says GLBTQ people are people of dignity, made in the image of God.  On the other, it says that homosexual behavior and love is incompatible with scripture.  It tells our GLBTQ that they cannot serve the God who made them unless they deny their identity and their desire to marry the person they love.  They tell them that they need to be celibate since they can never marry.  Otherwise they cannot be licensed as Local Pastors, as Deacons and as Elders.  We tell them to ignore their seminary education in historical-critical approach to biblical interpretation; that this does not apply to the parts of the Bible that reference homosexuality.

Mark my words, “Someday we are going to have a service of repentance for our acts of religious discrimination against GLBTQ people and their allies.”  And there will be reparations to be made for the years of therapy from the harm being done, the suicides committed and the loss of happiness experienced as the result of this dogma, our denomination’s practice of “tying up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and laying them on the shoulders of GLBTQ people” and its failure to lift a finger to remove these church imposed burdens.  There may even be hell to pay!

Jesus has modeled an important pastoral behavior.  He has acted the part of an advocate on an oppressed class of people.  He has spoken truth against injustice.  He has called out the Scribes and Pharisees about the wrong they are doing and their ignorance in doing it.   

You know, the church needs Jesus.  But must Jesus walk the walk alone?  The church needs saints now! We’ve got some saints, don’t we, right here in the United Methodist Church.  And they’ve been doing some heavy lifting.  We have the Rev. Jimmy Creech, the Rev. Thomas Oglivee, the Rev. Frank Schaeffer, the Rev. Bishop Marvin Talbert and the Rev. Stephen Heiss,   We have Tabernacle saints who say no to injustice.  Am I right? Then repeat after me: 

“Get up, stand up, stand up for the right. Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight.  Get up, stand up, stand up for the right. Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight.