Uniting Church out of touch
In the TV news tonight it was reported that a Melbourne Uniting Church Minister refused to conduct a funeral service for one of his parishioners, a returned soldier, who wanted RSL involvement in the proceedings.
I’m not an expert and details are scanty, but my understanding is the request would have involved an Australian Flag being draped over the coffin and some words being read from the RSL memorials otherwise heard on Remembrance Day and Anzac Day. I also believe this is commonplace in funerals of all denominations for ex-servicemen who request it.
In this case, the local minister declined to conduct the service, stating it was contrary to the church’s mission of peace. He wanted the RSL component conducted outside his church.
As the family pointed out, there’s a memorial plaque on the church’s wall to soldiers from the First World War and the deceased man concerned had always been a parishioner.
The nearby Anglican Church agreed to perform the service as the deceased man and his family requested.
This incident makes me reflect on the decline of the Uniting Church.
When I grew up in the country town of Traralgon there were Methodist, Presbyterian, Wesleyan and Congregational churches. As far as I can recall from memory, they all combined to form the Uniting Church. I’m not sure about the Lutherans.
Anyway, these original churches were some of the most conservative in the Christian spectrum. Their Puritan founders opposed all indulgences.
Since the formation of the Uniting Church in Australia, many Presbyterians have split to reclaim their own denomination.
What’s left of the Uniting Church has ironically become the most radical in this country, with numerous remaining members in favor of gay marriages, women priests, bisexual bishops, etc.
It seems that exclusion of returned soldiers is also on the agenda for this unfavorable brand of liberal protestantism.
Tags: religion
This is exactly why I don’t do religion. In my former life (before I got to actually own my views) I was raised Methodist, or Uniting? anyway it was all too intense.
My dad died afew years ago, (a returned soldier) he wanted no fuss or drama…family interfered, as families do. To cut the story a bit…
The uniting Church refused to bury him because he had not been to church in a while…and the minister? whatever..said he felt my dad being an alcoholic…did not meet certain criteria.
My parents married in the Uniting Church. I was baptised there as a baby and attended Sunday school and church there growing up in a Victorian town. As I grew to become an adult I became very involved with church life and even taught Sunday school for some time. I left the church due to the ministers views that we must not judge and had to accept all people into our congregation, including gays and (get this……. it’s the truth) paedophiles! There was a man who began coming to church and pushed himself right into the team of assistants who set up speakers and sound control and so forth. He was a well known peadophile who had spent time in jail for raping a 5 year old boy. He had also raped his own children. I mentioned to the minister that I did not want this person around my children and wished that he be banned from the church, certainly not looking like someone with authority in the church, as he’d set himself up to be in charge sound control. The minister said it was not up to me or anyone to judge as this person had been dealt with by the law and it was not our place to turn someone out, that he would answer to God and only God knew if this man had repented and changed, not us. So I left the church and I have so many things like this against the Uniting Church. I will NOT accept GAYS either. It is wrong. It is a disgusting act against God so what do they want with church? Church is to learn about Gods word and what Jesus did. Not for mentally or sexually sick people to try and look good to the rest of the world!
I have been a member of the Presbyterian Church now for the past 10 years as I believe they stick with bible teachings and don’t alter things to suit modern (sick) society.
Linda, I’m with you on the paedophile comment.
All of the above reasons why I do not follow religion.
Who do you discriminate so passionately? People who hate others who may be mentally ill, or because of sexual orientation (gays)and consider them less than human because of questionable bible? teachings.
If this is what being a member of a Church does to people…it is no wonder religion has lost its status.
I feel sorry that you judge others so harshly, and have such rigid and narrow minded opinions.