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Posted on 06/10/2002 12:38:46 PM PDT by chance33_98
Church Allows Gay Members
Lyndon, Vermont - June 8, 2002
Members of the state conference of the United Church of Christ have decided to become open and affirming, which means gay members can serve and practice openly among congregations.
It is a controversial issue among the conference of the UCC. Members from across Vermont were represented at the vote Saturday night in Lyndon.
The group voted in favor of becoming open and affirming. The first Christian denomination in Vermont to openly welcome gay members. The issue unites and divides.
"Our denomination is trying, struggling, to be a place where everyone who seeks love and way of Christ can feel at home," said Reverend Arnold Thomas, of the United Church of Christ.
And until now, in many United Church of Christ parishes in Vermont, homosexual members did not find a place where they were welcome. But a vote among members Saturday night changes that.
270 members voted to allow gay members to openly serve and practice in UCC churches. 93 people voted against the measure.
Isn't this the town with the "contaminated" water? Too many "bathhouses" around there?
Lyndonbainesjohnson, Vermont - June 8, 2002
Members of the state conference of the United Church of What's Happenin' Now have decided to become open and affirming, which means idol-worshipping members can serve and practice openly among congregations.
It is a controversial issue among the conference of the UCWHN. Members from across Vermont were represented at the vote Saturday night in Lyndonbainesjohnson.
The group voted in favor of becoming open and affirming. The first Christian denomination in Vermont to openly welcome idolaters as members. The issue unites and divides.
"Our denomination is trying, struggling, to be a place where everyone who seeks love and the way of What's Happenin' Now can feel at home," said Reverend Benedict Arnold of the United Church of What's Happenin' Now.
And until now, in many United Church of What's Happenin' Now parishes in Vermont, idolatrous members did not find a place where they were welcome. But a vote among members Saturday night changes that.
270 members voted to allow idol-worshipping members to openly serve and practice in UCWHN churches. 93 people voted against the measure.
"The Church of What's Happenin' Now must move with the times," said Rev. Arnold. "Just as the Israelites learned to be open and accepting of golden-calf-worshippers in their community, so must we learn to accept idolatry in ours."
When reminded that the Israelites put their idolatrous brethren to death for the sin of blasphemy, Rev. Arnold remarked, "How intolerant of them."
“Mr. Sonnenschein, don't you perhaps think that when everybody's so, you know, ahead of everything and knowing it all and everything, that it's a bit up to you to be jolly crusty and jolly full of hell-fire and sin and damnation and jolly hard on everybody, instead of, you know ...”-- Kingsley Amis, The Green Man.
The United Church of Christ is in no way related to the church of Christ congregations seen throughout the Bible Belt, Texas, Oklahoma and in smaller numbers throughout the nation and world. As mentioned above, theses churches of Christ are autonomous congregations that attempt to adhere to the New Testament scriptures without "adding to" or "taking from" them, thus no instrumental music.
I agree with this. There is a big difference between Church of Christ and the UCC. If members of the Church of Christ affirmed homosexuality, I would have been absolutely shocked. The only surprise with the UCC is they hadn't done it already.
Substitute any sin (liars, thieves, gossips) and you see how silly their position is.
There are way too many Christians and churches that spend a lot of time condeming homosexuality while giving a pass to other sins. The way to equalize things isn't to lower standards for everything down, it is to raise the standards for everything up to where they should be.
Is there any body of believers that the church of Christ would claim a relationship with? - (duck&cover)
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