Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson is a distinguished New Testament scholar and explained his position in an article on homosexuality and the Church. He teaches at Emory University, a theological school of the United Methodist Church, which has the mission to train church leaders "grounded in the Christian faith and shaped by the Wesleyan tradition of evangelical piety, ecumenical openness, and social concern." Unfortunately, Emory rejects biblical authority,
[unlike Wesley], supports the ordination of women, and seeks to be at the forefront of institutions valuing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.
To quote him:
I think it is important to state clearly that we do, in fact, reject the straightforward commands of Scripture, and appeal instead to another authority when we declare that same-sex unions can be holy and good. And what exactly is that authority? We appeal explicitly to the weight of our own experience and the experience thousands of others have witnessed to, which tells us that to claim our own sexual orientation is in fact to accept the way in which God has created us.
[unlike Wesley], supports the ordination of women, and seeks to be at the forefront of institutions valuing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.
To quote him:
I think it is important to state clearly that we do, in fact, reject the straightforward commands of Scripture, and appeal instead to another authority when we declare that same-sex unions can be holy and good. And what exactly is that authority? We appeal explicitly to the weight of our own experience and the experience thousands of others have witnessed to, which tells us that to claim our own sexual orientation is in fact to accept the way in which God has created us.
