Sted? Nei! Påkledning? Nei! Flørtende oppførsel? Nei! Slike og andre forhold spiller ingen rolle! Voldtekt er og blir galt. Ingen ting rettferdiggjør seksuelle overgrep, slår Metodistkirkens sosiale prinsipper fast. I dagens nyhetsbilde hadde det ikke vært feil om vår kirkeledelse kom på banen og understreket dette.
Metodistkirken/The United Methodist Church oppfordrer også politi og rettsvesen til å forfølge seksuell trakassering/vold og kirken fordømmer voldtekt i enhver form.
Det er verken slik at «absolutt metodist» ønsker at biskop og tilsynsmenn skal bli «medienisser» eller forventer at de skal gå ut på gater og torg med roperter og plakater straks noe skjer i strid våre sosiale prinsipper. (Skjønt de kunne gjøre det litt oftere enn de gjør…) Men overfor egen metodistbefolkning kunne kirkeledelsen i det minste benytte seg av den triste ”timingen” som de aktuelle hendelsene i Köln og Sverige gir. Det skader ikke å minne om at slik adferd er noe Metodistkirken tar krystallklar avstand fra, uansett hvem som står bak – og i enhver sammenheng i samfunn og kirke!
”absolutt metodist” finner det derfor på sin plass å gjengi ordlyden i et helt nytt ledd i metodistkirkens sosiale prinsipper som ble vedtatt av Generalkonferansen i 2012. Med innføringen av det nye leddet «Sexual assault» i paragraf 161, skjerpet The United Methodist Church ordlyden og sin holdning til seksuelle overgrep, trakassering og voldtekt.
For å hindre at noe blir ”lost in translation”, gjengis teksten på originalkirkespråket:
«Sexual assault is wrong. We afirm the right of all people to live free from such assaults, encourage law enforcement to prosecute such crimes, and condemn rape in any form. it does not matter where the person is, what the person is wearing, whether or not he or she is intoxicated, if he or she is irtatious, what is the victim’s gender, or any other circumstance.”
Det nye avsnittet kommer i tillegg til tidligere og fortsatt gyldige ledd om «Sexual abuse» og «Sexual harassment» i paragraf 161:
Sexual abuse
Violent, disrespectful, or abusive sexual expressions do not confirm sexuality as God’s good gift. We reject all sexual expressions that damage the humanity God has given us as birthright, and we affirm only that sexual expression that enhances that same humanity. We believe that sexual relations where one or both partners are exploitative, abusive, or promiscuous are beyond the parameters of acceptable Christian behavior and are ultimately destructive to individuals, families, and the social order. We deplore all forms of the commercialization and exploitation of sex, with their consequent cheapening and degradation of human personality. To lose freedom and be sold by someone else for sexual purposes is a form of slavery, and we denounce such business and support the abused and their right to freedom.
We call for strict global enforcement of laws prohibiting the sexual exploitation or use of children by adults and encourage efforts to hold perpetrators legally and financially responsible. We call for the establishment of adequate protective services, guidance, and counseling opportunities for children thus abused.
Sexual Harassment
We believe human sexuality is God’s good gift. One abuse of this good gift is sexual harassment. We define sexual harassment as any unwanted sexual comment, advance, or demand, either verbal or physical, that is reasonably perceived by the recipient as demeaning, intimidating, or coercive. Sexual harassment must be understood as an exploitation of a power relationship rather than as an exclusively sexual issue. Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to, the creation of a hostile or abusive working environment resulting from discrimination on the basis of gender.
Contrary to the nurturing community, sexual harassment creates improper, coercive, and abusive conditions wherever it occurs in society. Sexual harassment undermines the social goal of equal opportunity and the climate of mutual respect between men and women. Unwanted sexual attention is wrong and discriminatory. Sexual harassment interferes with the moral mission of the Church.
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absoluttmetodist.com 