There is a lot of angst about racial profiling and “driving while black” type issues in the wake of the Trayvon case, but the answer is to keep on keeping on rather than throw up your hands and giving up. That’s what you’re doing and what you need to do.

Winkler has jumped the substance of the Catholic Church’s argument and taken the easy, opposition position which, in rhetorical terms, is invalid. The Catholic Church has never prohibited its members from using contraception (e. g. excommunicated people over this policy). The Catholic Church does not want to pay for its members to violate its policy, and that I fully support. Your analogy of buying others alcoholic beverages because people do not agree with your position of abstinence is correct.

Secondly, you are correct that, while Winkler is not the official voice of the UMC, his post does appear as having the weight of the UMC behind it. He is a UMC official. The post is on an official UMC website. There is no disclaimer that the position is that of Winkler and not the UMC in general.

Thanks for your post and your accurately discussing the issue at hand.

Thanks for this excellent post.

James, just my own perspective here, but I am not sure that name calling furthers the important discussion we are having on this issue. We are all welcome to sit at the discussion table. Responding to the substance of an argument instead of engaging in insults is what is needed from all of us regardless of where we stand on this or others matters.

Winkler is an embarrassment.