A split decision from Presbyterian leaders on two gay-friendly measures guarantees even more debate among the U.S. church’s members on an issue they’ve been divided over for years.
Delegates to the Presbyterian church’s convention in Minneapolis voted Thursday for a more liberal policy on gay clergy but decided not to redefine marriage in their church constitution to include same-sex couples. Approval of both measures could have made the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) one of the most gay-friendly major Christian churches in the U.S.
Even the more liberal stance on gay clergy faces more debate before it can become church policy. A majority of the church’s 173 U.S. presbyteries must approve it. Two years ago ”” after years of efforts by supporters ”” a similar measure was sent out to presbyteries but died when 94 of them voted against it.
Both of Thursday’s votes were close. Fifty-one percent of delegates voted to shelve the proposal to redefine marriage as being between “two people” instead of between “a man and a woman,” just hours after 53 percent of them voted to allow non-celibate gays in committed relationships to serve as clergy.
Committed relationships? This cant appears again and again, a trope for the agenda driven. But the entries from the homosexual posted here about what “committed” relationships REALLY are seems to have been missed by these jolly presbyterians. At some point, those who use this silly phrase ought to catch on that no one believes that “committed” means anything but “we stay together except when we don’t feel like it.” Larry
Well said Larry! The gay community has admitted that their idea of monogamy does not include sexual fidelity.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/gays-anatomy/200809/are-gay-male-couples-monogamous-ever-after
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/us/29sfmetro.html
So, why is the Church even considering this issue?
[b][i]But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” ~ 1 Corinthians 5:11-13[/b][/i]
Here’s a link to a video of the ecumenical greeting from a priest of the Orthodox Church of Belarus. Father Siarhei says he sees what they are doing as inventing a “modern form of paganism.” http://mediasuite.316networks.com/player.php?v=m20ywkm1