Culture

The United Methodist Church's (UMC) General Conference is currently taking place in Tampa, Fla., and will feature its continuing debate on gay clergy and same-sex marriage. Some have suggested that, in order to keep its membership from dwindling, the Methodist church must come to a compromise on its long-held doctrines on such issues.

Nearly 1,000 delegates, 40 percent of whom live outside the United States, are present at the General Conference, which happens once every four years. At each assembly for more than 40 years now, the UMC has debated its position on homosexuality. The conference, which takes place between April 24 and May 4, announced that this year there are more than 70 petitions on homosexuality, many of which seek to rewrite articles 161F and 161B in the 2008 United Methodist Book of Discipline that address homosexual clergy and same-sex marriage.

The UMC supports the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, and requires clergy members to adhere to "the highest standards of holy living." According to the church, "The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church." more >>

The latest poll from Pew Research on the hot-button political issues of gun rights and same-sex marriage shows that Americans are becoming more conservative when it comes to protecting the rights of gun owners, but more accepting of same-sex marriage.

Of those surveyed on the issue of gun rights, 49 percent say it is more important to protect the second amendment rights to own guns, while 45 percent say it is more important to control gun ownership.

For the past 19 years the majority of Americans have supported gun control. But since President Obama took office in 2009, a dramatic shift has taken place in the public's opinion over gun rights. more >>

Pastor Terry Jones has once again threatened to burn Qurans, this time in protest of Iran's continued imprisonment of Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. The Florida minister, whose previous protests attracted violent reaction, tells CP why he is once more taking such a controversial stance.

Jones and his organization are calling for supporters worldwide to burn copies of the Islamic holy book and images of the faith's founder the prophet Muhammad. The controversial pastor plans to carry out his own torching this Saturday, April 28 at 5 p.m. ET in front of his church, Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla.

Jones told The Christian Post Wednesday that the service will be roughly an hour long, during which he will speak on "the last 1,400 years of Islamic persecution of Christians, believers, nonbelievers, homosexuals, and women." more >>

In a rare full-page editorial, Hugh Hefner is warning his readers that Republicans are waging a "war on sex" in the May edition of Playboy magazine.

The 86-year-old publishing tycoon, who is known for his casual, pajama wardrobe, helped introduce what has been termed the "sexual revolution" in the 1960s. He is now challenging the GOP on a number of fronts, including the party's challenge to President Obama's contraception mandate and its push to defund the nation's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.

The column, titled "The War Against Sex," claims repressed conservatives are "pounding on America's bedroom door." more >>

A church in New Jersey held a demonstration during which they took a large number of mailed credit card offers and set them ablaze in the parking lot.

First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset had congregants bring offers for credit cards they had received and then stuffed the letters into a silver bin and burned them up on Sunday.

The event was overseen by the Rev. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., senior pastor of First Baptist, and was done to protest predatory lending practices. more >>

Connecticut officially became the fifth state in the past five years to abolish the death penalty after Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed the bill Wednesday at a private ceremony.

Earlier this month the state's Senate voted 20-16 in favor of removing capital punishment and making life imprisonment the maximum possible sentence for convicts – in the U.S., 16 other states in total have abolished the death penalty.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Malloy said he called the bill a "historic moment" for the state, and that it was a time "for sober reflection, not celebration." The ceremony was attended by lawmakers, members of clergy and the families of victims, The Associated Press reported. more >>