Closed hearts. Closed minds. Closed doors.

The Methodist minister, Irene Elizabeth Stroud, who admitted to her bishop and congregation that she is a lesbian and has a life-partner has been convicted under Methodist law.

One thing about this that made me very sad was this:
"Stroud's defense was dealt a blow when the presiding judge Joseph Yeakel, the retired bishop of Washington, D.C., excluded expert testimony from six defense witnesses who believe the church's gay clergy ban violates its own legal principles."

Do you think this is going to have a big affect on the Methodist church as a whole? Are we going to see them split into two factions. One gay-friendly and one not gay-friendly? Or are all those straight-but-gay-friendly members of the Methodist Church just going to be silent and let their church turn into a sanctuary of hate?

related post: Open Minds. Open Hearts. Open Minds