That would be Jim Winkler, the General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church. In the latest edition of that agency’s newsletter, Winkler again demonstrates that facility with logic and argument is not a prerequisite for his position.
I’ve always appreciated that The United Methodist Church has never claimed to be a victim of religious persecution. Even though we imposed our religious views on others when we pushed through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibiting sale and manufacture of alcohol nearly 100 years ago, we did not insist our religious liberty was infringed when Prohibition was repealed.
That’s because claiming such would have been absurd. Two reasons: 1) the passage of Prohibition, whatever you think of its success or failure, was a democratic act that involved a diversity of citizens, some of whom had religious motivations, some of whom did not, so that no one’s “religious views” were “imposed” by anyone; 2) the repeal of Prohibition placed no burden on the free exercise of religion in any way. No Prohibitionist was required by the government to start paying for his neighbor’s booze.
We strongly oppose gambling and find war incompatible with Christian teaching. We don’t suggest, however, that the spread of gambling and the constant warfare around the world represent persecution of Methodism.
As far as I know, no Methodist institution is required to pay for anyone lottery tickets or trip to a casino. As for war, Methodism is not pacifist. According to the denomination’s Social Principles:
We also acknowledge that many Christians believe that, when peaceful alternatives have failed, the force of arms may regretfully be preferable to unchecked aggression, tyranny and genocide. We honor the witness of pacifists who will not allow us to become complacent about war and violence. We also respect those who support the use of force, but only in extreme situations and only when the need is clear beyond reasonable doubt, and through appropriate international organizations.
We believe war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ. We therefore reject war as an instrument of national foreign policy.
So the analogy of war, absurd on its face (does anyone really think that, say, Saddam Hussein invaded Iran in 1980 to thumb his nose at the United Methodist Church?), really doesn’t apply anyway.
Yet, when the General Board of Church & Society agreed that religiously affiliated employers have an obligation to provide contraceptive services through the health insurance plans they offer to their employees, we have been accused of thwarting the religious liberty of various groups such as evangelical Christians and the Roman Catholic Church.
You know, those people who are wrong about religion, and who therefore have no claim to practice their faith as their beliefs dictate. This is exactly the same mindset that Winkler supposedly laments regarding Prohibition. Apparently, it’s OK to impose your “religious views” when it has to do with birth control, but not alcohol.
Why is it that the liberty of those who are denied basic health-care services is not at issue?
Because, Jimbo, no one–absolutely no one–is being “denied basic health-care services.” Contraception is universally available, and extraordinarily cheap. Please note the confusion of free health care services with access to health care services. That confusion is utterly deliberate, and has been the basic tactic that both the political and religious left has been using for weeks now to try to bamboozle the citizenry, which they assume is too stupid to know the difference.
Contraception benefits society. It reduces the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, reduces the need for abortions, and assists families to plan the number and spacing of their children.
Fine. So pay for it out of your own pocket. Birth control is one of many health care items I could name that has benefits for society as well as the individual. I don’t see Winkler pounding his spoon on his highchair demanding that Lipitor (increases productivity by lowering the incidence of heart attack and stroke), Enbrel (reduces claims for disability by preventing destruction of joints by rheumatoid arthritis), or Norten (an ACE inhibitor that helps lower blood pressure and thus reduces the likelihood of a person being struck with any of a number of diseases) be given for free to anyone. For that matter, why not make all medicines available for free? Why not all medical procedures?
Just because someone says their religious liberty is being infringed upon does not make it so. Just because the Catholic hierarchy says that birth control is a sin against God does not make it so.
So what Winkler wants is for the federal government to adjudicate theological and moral questions–is the use of birth control a sin against God?–and then base its formulation of public policy on the answers. No First Amendment problems there.
This is one area where The United Methodist Church is in clear disagreement with the Roman Catholic Church: “People have the duty to consider the impact on the total world community of their decisions regarding childbearing and should have access to information and appropriate means to limit their fertility” (United Methodist Social Principles, 162K, 2008 Discipline). “We affirm the right of men and women to have access to comprehensive reproductive health/family planning information and services that will serve as a means to prevent unplanned pregnancies, reduce abortions, and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS” (Social Principles, 162V, 2008 Discipline).
Fine. Terrific. Then it will in no way bother the consciences of United Methodists that their church agencies have birth control among the covered medical items in their health insurance. Gotta wonder, though, how Winkler would feel if in January, the new Santorum administration mandated that Methodists had to include reparative therapy for homosexuals in their health insurance. Anyone suspect he’d be on the phone to his friends at the ACLU and Americans United within minutes, screaming about the separation of church and state?
A compromise has been offered that enables religiously affiliated institutions to refuse basic contraception coverage to their employees by mandating that insurance companies offer these services to women who opt for them. Catholic leadership has rejected the compromise.
If Winkler actually understood how insurance works, I’d say he was deliberately misconstruing what the “compromise” is about. Since I’m sure he doesn’t, we’ll put this down to ignorance.
Why? Because they don’t want women to have the liberty to choose to use birth control. They want to deny that freedom to women.
Right. And after that, they want to make us all subjects of their papist master. Who knows, maybe they’ll even bring back…THE SPANISH INQUISITION!!!
There were those who argued that racial segregation was biblically mandated, that keeping women out of church leadership was sanctioned by God, and that destruction of the environment is approved by God. All of these notions were and are wrong.
At this point, Winkler appears to have simply stopped thinking altogether, and just let his fingers wander across the keyboard. What do any of these things have to do with religious freedom? The state is not in the business of desegregating churches, nor does the state force churches to hire women, and as for environmental regulation, I just have no clue why he brings that up.
Religious freedom is not violated by denying religiously affiliated hospitals, universities and other institutions the right to discriminate on the basis of race or gender.
Birth control has a race or a gender? Who knew? And did you know that birth control was something only women use? Someone really had better tell the condom manufacturers that they are wasting their time.
The wonderful thing about a column like this is the clarity it offers, even despite the author’s apparent intentions. Though Winkler is trying to obfuscate, confuse, and misrepresent what this entire debate has been about, it comes through loud and clear. He, and his allies in the religious and political left, are determined to impose the correct view of sexual morality on the United States, no matter what the First Amendment has to say or the electorate thinks. If your faith leads you to disagree with that morality, that’s your tough luck. You’re wrong, and you’ll do as the Winklers of America tell you. You’ll pay up, or else.
The Reformed Pastor 
February 22, 2012 at 4:52 pm
And we wonder why when Winkler speaks out, we are reminded of classic charlie brown scenes in which the teacher speaks…Wau, wau, wau, wau, wau (come on, you know what I mean…) the more he says the more people say, “do we even need Agencies, Boards, Bishops…”
February 22, 2012 at 5:57 pm
It has been obvious that Winkler is a fascist. Now it’s clear he is also a bigot. And he has tarnished the United Methodist Church with his bigotry.
February 22, 2012 at 8:13 pm
The damage that Jim Winkler has single-handedly done to United Methodism is immeasurable.
He is a man who has convinced himself that his own personal political agenda is also God’s. He speaks against alcohol (because he, sort of, has to since his agency was founded around the idea of temperance) and tobacco use, but is comfortable putting articles on his webside by sexologists who suggest that our young teens need coaching on how to have a sexual relationship, whether it be opposite-sex or same-sex.
And his agency is comfortable endorsing radical pro-abortion agencies like the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (as long as that “choice” involves abortion).
Winkler is an intellectual and spiritual embarrassment to the UM church. Why he remains in his position is one of the great mysteries of United Methodism.
February 23, 2012 at 6:16 pm
THis really boggles my mind.
I would have to Methodist of all people whose Gospel Social message is so important to them would see the threat of the GOVT now entering new unchartered terrain designating what is “religious” and what is not. It appears not so much outside the 4 wall of the Church or Youth Camp.
It must occur to someone there with education that even if you agree with the sort term gain that the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice wants the long term precedent is very bad for the Methodist Faith. At times I really wonder who some of these people really work for and SERVE.
February 23, 2012 at 10:50 pm
Prohibition was big government over-reach into the personal decisions of Americans. When we begin using government to “control the vices” of adults — one man’s vice is another man’s virtue.
The govt has no business playing God. Christians have no business playing God through Government. Government is not God nor are Christians. Unless a crime of violence or theft is committed, a virtue or a vice is an area of personal choice and decision. It doesn’t matter who vice virtue or virtue vice or virtue virtue or vice vice. Intruding on the domain of an equal in his/her own sphere of liberty and responsibility before God is simply being a busybody and a meddler in other person’s business.
The Government has no business telling anyone they must pay for contraception.
The Government has no business telling an adult they may not drink alcohol either.
Whether one man comes to my door, or a community of men, to tell me how to live my life in my won house when I am not committing a crime of violence or theft, they are meddlers, busybodies, and gossips. Government makes them same no less.
When men truly fear God, they stop filling His shoes. Christians, especially in His name, should know better through humility and true fear of God.
February 25, 2012 at 11:06 am
Below is a copy of the letter I sent to my UMC Bishop in response to Mr. Winkler.
Good Morning Bishop Watson,
I’m a member of First United Methodist Church in Pine Mountain. For some time I’ve been concerned with the conduct of the General Board of Church and Society under the direction of Jim Winkler. I would like to share some thoughts with you before the Annual Conference.
As a Christian and a Soldier, I kept quiet as Mr. Winkler misrepresented the Church’s position related to military matters after 9-11. I did likewise as he called for criminal charges against our nation’s leaders.
I’ve not challenged him or his inner circle when they’ve called anyone who didn’t buy into their political positions, war-mongers, racists, sexists and homophobes.
When he was arrested in the rotunda of our nation’s capitol last year I held my tongue until some began to call his actions honorable and he was called a hero. I respectfully submit there is nothing honorable, or heroic, about getting arrested if the cause is to support continued, unsustainable government spending and bad mouth the military. To my knowledge, the UMC has never called him to account for this so-called act of civil disobedience which violated the UMC Book of Discipline.
I understand the mission of the United Methodist Church is the Great Commission. We are to go out and make disciples for Jesus Christ. The mission of the GBCS, as I understand it, is to help make the world more like the Church. Time after time, the GBCS has made political alliances with groups and people who deny and even detest the Lord Jesus Christ. It would seem Mr. Winkler believes his mission is to make the Church more like the world. By many accounts, the GBCS spends more time, money and energy trying to change our doctrine than they do trying to support it.
Sadly, the GBCS has almost unlimited authority to speak for all of us. Because of this small group of people, the world gets the impression that our official position list reads something like this: War is never justified, most soldiers are ignorant pawns (the rest are cold blooded killers), abortion is none of our business, Israel is evil, socialism is good, business is evil, Jesus was a Socialist, Occupy Protesters are good, Tea-Party folk are evil and ignorant, abstinence is outdated, traditional marriage is gone, and its really time we forget this nonsense about no sex outside of marriage.
Last week Mr. Winkler, speaking for all members of the UMC, took the position that faith groups do not have a right refuse to pay for birth control, abortifacients and sterilization even if it is contrary to their Church doctrine. In this week’s “Word from Winkler,” he writes this is not a matter of religious freedom and saying it is, does not make it so. He argues against Catholic doctrine and for government imposition. He’s signed a petition on our behalf in opposition to the other Churches.
I respectfully advised Mr. Winkler, “If you allow the government to force someone else’s church to do something you do believe in, don’t expect that church to stand with you when the government orders your church to do something you don’t believe in.”
The response I got was, “You’re too simplistic”.
I’m not suggesting we replace the far left Mr. Winkler with a moderate or a conservative. While some might think that would be more in keeping with supporting our Book of Discipline, I don’t agree. My hope and prayer is that the UMC will get out of the business of politics. We’ve allowed the GBCS to speak for us for too long, running away too many good members, alienating us from too many other Christian Churches and making too many unholy political alliances to further an agenda that does not bring glory to God.
I love my Church family and very few UMC members seem to be of the mind of Mr. Winkler. Before moving on to another denomination as so many others have done, I’ve decided to ask, “What can we do together to fix this problem?”
Blessings,
Robert Swanson
Pine Mountain, GA
February 25, 2012 at 11:48 am
Robert: Thank you very much for posting this here. I’ll be praying that your bishop takes the time to give a thoughtful answer to your letter, rather than a knee-jerk defense of either Winkler or the GBCS.
June 15, 2012 at 8:42 pm
I have read several books lately that I want to recommend to all Christians and to all freedom lovers of America everywhere.The first is God Versus Socialism by Joel McDurmon-a biblical critique of the new social gospel. The second is Still The Best Hope by Dennis Prager- why the world needs American values to triumph.The third was a book and DVD set entitled The Rise of Global Governance by the late Henry Lamb. The last one is another book by Joel McDurmon entitled How to Argue with a Liberal and Win. This book is an update of the The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc. book Cliches of Socialism. Mr Winkler never had a chance-considering his work place houses the Nation and Mother Jones publications.The assistant to the Council of Bishops was an Liberation Theologist and his United Nations Ministry was harbored in the Women’s Division’s building across from the UN.This building is filled with left-winged NGOs in support of the United Nations “One World Government”. Even the UMC’s General Board of Global Ministries is located in that cauldron of socialism on the upper west side of Manhattan.