Posted on 06/20/2006 4:14:32 PM PDT by RDTF
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - The largest U.S. Presbyterian Church body approved a measure on Tuesday that would open the way for the ordination of gays and lesbians under certain circumstances.
The new policy was approved on a vote of 57-43 percent among 500 church representatives at the biennial meeting of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. It gives local church organizations more leeway in deciding if gays can be ordained as lay deacons and elders as well as clergy, provided they are faithful to the church's core values.
"It permits local governing bodies to examine candidates on a wider criterion than sexual orientation ... it allows these bodies to look at the whole person and not categorize them," said John Walton, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in New York's Greenwich Village and a member of the "Covenant Network of Presbyterians" which backed the change.
(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.com ...
May God forgive them, I do not blieve that they know what they are doing. Doesn't the Bible mean anything anymore? You cannot pick and chose what you are going to believe.
That combined with this!
http://www.local6.com/family/9393768/detail.html
Presbyterians Think Of Changing 'Father, Son, Holy Spirit'
POSTED: 5:09 pm EDT June 19, 2006
UPDATED: 7:11 pm EDT June 19, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The divine Trinity -- "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" -- could also be known as "Mother, Child and Womb" or "Rock, Redeemer, Friend" at some Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) services under an action Monday by the church's national assembly.
Delegates to the meeting voted to "receive" a policy paper on gender-inclusive language for the Trinity, a step short of approving it. That means church officials can propose experimental liturgies with alternative phrasings for the Trinity, but congregations won't be required to use them.
"This does not alter the church's theological position, but provides an educational resource to enhance the spiritual life of our membership," legislative committee chair Nancy Olthoff, an Iowa laywoman, said during Monday's debate on the Trinity.
The assembly narrowly defeated a conservative bid to refer the paper back for further study.
“And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. - Revelation
There go those wascaly Presbyterians (of the PCUSA) again!
Can anybody confirm for this Catholic that today's Presbyterian Church has any such values?
I left the PC USA and went to the PCA many years ago. PC USA is a denomination that has gone from decline to freefall.
Why do they even bother to call themselves "Christian?" They are far, far removed from true Christianity. They sound more like Unitarians.
Like what? That they can walk and chew gum at the same time?
Political correctness and immediate sexual gratification?
Church of the Aboninables.
Thank you for clarifying the difference between PC USA and PCA. I attended a Presbyterian Church a couple of years ago and they were a Bible based church - nothing resembling what I see coming from the PC USA nowadays.
So,in other words,it's a "Ten Suggestions" kinda denomination.
Not good!
What's the difference between those and Cumberland Presbyterian? That's how I was raised as a child.
57 to 43? Didn't know the Spirit of God was that divided.
And they've opened the front door to Satan.
Presbyterian church opens back door to gay clergy
Funny. I always thought that any Christian church would look to the Holy Bible as a basis for its core values. Does this mean a Presbyterian Church can now ignore whatever parts of the Bible that it finds inconvenient with a lifestyle of sin? What's next? The six commandments?
Isn't is contrary to the Bible to seek spiritual leadership from those who openly flaunt their sins?
Leviticus 20:13 (New International Version)
If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
1 Corinthians 6:9 (New International Version)
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
1 Timothy 1:10 (New International Version)
for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
Very fitting verse, thank you.
or closet door
Whether you are Presbyterian, Episcopalian, or Methodist, all you have to do to register your complaint is to quit giving money to these renegade churches.
The same holds true for universities. As long as the money keeps flowing into the coffers, these churches and universities think that they have free reign to do anything they dang well please.
Cut off the cash, and when they squeal, tell them why you did it. You'll be surprised how quickly they'll quit playing their little PC games when they have no money in the bank.
How can you be a practicing Homosexual and be true to any Churches values.? have they never heard of adultery? Of Sodomy.
Dam its hard to be in a religion these days.
This is why I am no longer a practicing Presbyterian.
Also see Pergamum
John Knox is spinning in his grave...
>Doesn't the Bible mean anything anymore?
Welcome to "Cum-ba-ya Churchianity". Check your brains at the door, and welcome to the party, have a nice day.
There seems to be a race to Perdition, between your church and my former one.
The Episcopals are leading by a mere nose.
There is a lot of money involved here. The righteous put the money in for generations in support of orthodoxcy. The peculiars want that money to spend on themselves principally and on their own social and quasi-religious agenda-- which is to say the provision of tax-free contributions made by good-hearted people which can be shifted, easily and soon, to the benefit of those whom generations have heretofore deemed strange or worse.
This is a sad day for me. I was baptized and grew up in the PC in Lynchburg, VA.
I wish the Lord would return and end the evil one's occupation.
Sheesh, my bad, you're Lutheran.
Let me amend. We're in the home stretch and there are THREE mainline denominations battling for the finish. It may be a dead heat.
If they don't fail the core value test by definition, the church has no core of any value.
Why don't they just get the process over with and admit they're not a Christian organization any longer?
Then the peculiars gain control of much valuable downtown property which they can mortgage or sell in the pursuit of their peculiar and tax-free agendas.
I am a Presbyterian and we are holding a 24 hour vigal regarding this in deep prayer to follow the Bible, I have already told my church decons I will be leaving the Presbyterian church if this happens.
I guess that part of the Bible will be out of the PC pews next week at many churches so we can all be PC
i agree i as a presbyterian i just dont understand I know my church and the people that were there voted against this ruling
LOL! No worries. I'm a convert actually ;)
And to be honest, I do have some strong Presbyterian leanings. But those are much more in line with John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards and R.C. Sproul Sr. than with this irrelevant and vapid social club known as the PCUSA.
I'm a particularly big fan of the PCA.
» there are THREE mainline denominations battling for the finish. It may be a dead heat.
Hehe! Depending on how we define "mainline" there could be as many as five.
But by God's good providence, there are some great Biblical alternatives in each major faith tradition.
Ditto.
If people are still members of the PCUSA it is time to stop complaining what the denomination is doing and stop sending them money.
Same thing for the Episcopals, Lutherans, Methodists, and UCC.
The PCUSA political machine is solidly in the leftist camp. The only thing your church can do is to stop sending money to any of the denominational entities.
Starve them.
There are some awesome choices that would allow you to remain in the Presbyterian/Reformed tradition and hear the undefiled Word of God.
For example, have you ever looked into the PCA, OPC or EPC?
More info on my profile page if you're interested...
God bless,
TR76
Holy crap, I knew the PCUSA was going liberal, but I never saw this coming. They had previously defeated such attempts fairly easily.
I am glad I left years ago and joined the Reformed Presbyterian Church.
Or church money could be used to push a gay agenda politically. This is just subversion of christianity for the homosexual agenda. Lord have mercy on them.
You should have left the PC USA long ago. They've been whacked out for years. Join your brothers and sisters at the PCA instead.
Anyone wanting to know what happened to the PCUSA (and likewise to other liberal denominations) shoud read...
"CROSSED FINGERS: HOW THE LIBERALS CAPTURED THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH" by Gary North.
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