Take action now: Contact United Methodist officials and urge them to overturn their ban on Discovery Institute.

Writing at The Stream, our friend and Evolution News contributor Donald McLaughlin makes a great point about the United Methodist Church and its ban on intelligent design. A United Methodist himself, Donald writes:

Certainly the UMC is free to include or exclude whomever they wish from their conference. However, that doesn’t mean the decision to bar Discovery Institute was right or that the UMC is being consistent in how it is approving who gets to sponsor and have information available in the exhibit hall. Two of the biggest sponsors of the conference are Home Depot and Staples, both of which have been public advocates for gay rights and same-sex marriage.

Staples was one of 30 companies signing on to an amicus brief in support of same-sex marriage to the U.S. Supreme Court in the Obergefell v. Hodges decision. Regardless of where one stands on that issue, the official position of the UMC is that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” Furthermore, UMC clergy are barred from performing or blessing same-sex unions.

Given all that, why do Home Depot and Staples get a pass when both companies have openly advocated for a position that is blatantly contrary to the UMC’s beliefs and principles? Apparently if you can pay the several thousand dollars required to be a major sponsor, the UMC is happy to look the other way.

It’s sheer hypocrisy to hide behind flawed wording and an incorrect understanding expressed in the UMC’s social principles as a reason for barring Discovery Institute while admitting two major corporations that are in clear violation of those same principles. Apparently the motto “Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Doors” only applies to those who either have enough money, or, more likely, who advocate a position with which many within the UMC organizational leadership happen to agree.

Yes, someone should ask that UMC spokesman about the double standard and the apparent “pay for play” approach to deciding what ideas get a pass and which are absolutely forbidden.

The vetting for this General Conference is clearly selective and the standards opportunistically applied. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are other examples you could cite besides the embrace of Home Depot and Staples, but the “Open Minds, etc.” crowd at the UMC refuse to divulge the list of exhibitors.

Image credit: Ildar Sagdejev (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons.