I had a peaceful weekend and was surprised yesterday evening to learn that food stamps may get significantly reduced for the American people in short order. I put together a number of resources to try to understand what is going on. Should be an interesting morning!
Nigerian slaughter - https://x.com/AzatAlsalim/status/1981786913016066057 and https://x.com/DineshDSouza/status/1982512102666563618
Food Stamps, Tax Dollars, & Illegal Immigrants - https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/1982683459102621756 and https://x.com/TheLaurenChen/status/1982444875837767973 and https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1982596801929916551 and https://x.com/LokiJulianus/status/1982470773370507648 and https://x.com/chriswithans/status/1982484387028758971 and Howerton comments https://x.com/howertonjosh/status/1982613768761758055
UMC clergy sadness - https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1LgRxoycxC/?mibextid=wwXIfr bringing the gospel to a LGBT service- https://x.com/farmingandjesus/status/1981074560557731880?s=46&t=UGB_bVaMqYnX9gy5jXvGyg
Burge visualizes UM decline - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17dcW4hvgL/
Religious affiliation tracks with educational level & income? - https://x.com/ryanburge/status/1982158390244565261
“Spanish priest acquitted after facing 3 years behind bars for criticizing radical Islam” Fox News - https://www.foxnews.com/media/spanish-priest-acquitted-after-facing-3-years-behind-bars-criticizing-radical-islam
Reflections of a father returning to church- https://x.com/matt_vanswol/status/1980698035916083231?s=46&t=UGB_bVaMqYnX9gy5jXvGyg
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Episode 1 takes up marriage, divorce and remarriage. Going into Johannesburg, our Book of Doctrines and Discipline told the world who could marry and never once used the word "divorce." On the last morning of General Conference, in about fifty minutes of floor debate, that changed. I walk Petition 1020 through its whole life: the language we inherited, Jonathan Lee's petition, the committee's 35–1 vote, and Saturday on the floor. That meant Rich Hoffman's amendment, Matt O'Reilly's rewrite, a motion to send the whole thing away for six years, and a final vote of 329–41.
Then we open Matthew 19 and 1 Corinthians 7 and ask what the church said, and what it chose not to say. I land somewhere between grateful and uneasy, and I want to hear where you land. The free discussion guide sets the old and new texts side by side, gives both sides in the delegates' own words, and has ...
I don't know why the live stream didn't work today. Here is what I did:
Update: I know I said I would start back up this week. I could easily start the morning live stream back up, but I have been feeling like I need to do some wrap-up on General Conference. It just took me some time get clear on what I would feel good about doing. And I finally got some really good thoughts together after a lot of percolation. Early next week, I should be publishing some very decent work on explaining some of the more impactful developments in Johannesburg. For right now, I'm aiming at eleven episodes dealing with:
1. Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage: how the church put words about divorce into our Book of Doctrines and Discipline on the final morning
2. Sex and Gender Identity: the rewriting of ¶302.8
3. Protecting the Unborn and the Mother: our new language on abortion
4. The Racial Theology Resolution: Resolution 1466, adopted and then defeated on a revote
5. The Articles of Faith: a new doctrinal standard for the Global Methodist Church
6. Restrictive Rules and the ...
