Huffington Postさんのインスタグラム写真 - (Huffington PostInstagram)「A group of Nebraska teens has publicly declined to participate in an important ritual of the United Methodist Church ― stating that they are upset about their denomination’s non-affirming attitude towards queer Christians. The eight teenagers from Omaha’s First United Methodist Church spent one year preparing for confirmation, a service during which young members typically reaffirm their Christian faith and take a vow of membership in the UMC, America’s third-largest religious group. But when Confirmation Sunday arrived this week, the junior high school students stood up and announced that they were not going to join the UMC at this time ― protesting that its policies towards LGBTQ members are “immoral.” The teens read out a joint letter explaining their stance during the service, Religion News Service first reported. “We are disappointed about the direction the United Methodist denomination is heading,” the teens wrote in the letter, which was published on First United Methodist’s Facebook page. The teens were referring to a decision made by a special session of the UMC’s General Conference in February. About 53% of delegates to the conference voted in favor of what members call the “Traditional Plan,” which reinforces church doctrine prohibiting same-sex marriage and the ordination of queer clergy. The plan also strengthens penalties for clergy who perform same-sex weddings, according to RNS. Last week, the UMC’s top court upheld most of the Traditional Plan. It is expected to go into effect in January 2020. // Read more at the link in bio. // 📸: AP」5月2日 21時25分