James Holsinger testified before the Senate Health Committee earlier this week in an effort to gain confirmation as the next Surgeon General. Under sharp questioning, he claimed that homophobic comments made in a 1991 paper for the United Methodist Church no longer represented his views on the subject of sexual preference.
Yet, as recently as three years ago, Holsinger used his position as Presiding Officer of the UMC's Judicial Council to defrock Elizabeth (Beth) Stroud for acknowledging her homosexuality and that she was living in a committed relationship with another woman. He also authored two decisions allowing a Virginia minister to block the membership of an openly gay man who had been singing in his church's choir from becoming a member of that church and to over rule the presiding bishop's order to that minister to either allow the membership application to go forward or step aside. He did this in direct violation of the UMC's Book of Discipline, a document that Holsinger is supposed to protect. Holsinger continues to be a senior official of a church that claims to be able to "heal" homosexuals of their "disease." Yet, he claims to no longer harbor any homophobic views under oath before a committee of the United States Senate. Obviously, this man is qualified to serve in the present administration as he has the ability to lie under oath with impunity. How low must this administration go?
It is time to stop the insanity. It is time to take back our government. It is time to say, "Enough, already. We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore." It is time for the impeachment and removal of Cheney, then Bush. It is time to save this country from itself.
