Presbyterian Church USA Votes to Eliminate Proscriptions of Fornication and Non-Marital Sex

Cor ad cor loquitur ^ | July 9, 2008 | Dave Armstrong

[NYer]

Bruce Reyes-Chow

"PCUSA" is a "mainline" denomination of 2.3 million members. This is the spirit of the times (zeitgeist): certainly not the Holy Spirit. According to a story from the Catholic News Agency:

San Jose, CA., Jul 8, 2008 / 11:57 pm (CNA).- Reaction continues to the decisions of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA), which took place between June 21 and June 28. The assembly nullified proscriptions against sexual behavior outside of marriage and called for a vote to delete the church’s constitutional standard requiring fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness. It also initiated a process that could remove mention of the Bible’s prohibition against homosexuality form the Heidelberg Catechism.

The moves are seen by some as an attempt to clear a path for the eventual ordination of practicing homosexuals to the church offices of deacon, elder, or minister. . . .

The Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Lay Committee decried the decision as a “frontal assault on Biblical Christianity,” saying in a July 8 statement that the General Assembly “disregarded historic Reformed standards, undermined its Constitution and failed to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ with its actions.”

“The PCUSA has jettisoned the solid rock of Biblical authority and morals and is now floundering in the sea of cultural relativity. In desperation, it lays claim to the property of congregations that love the Word of God more than denominational loyalty,” the Presbyterian Lay Committee said. . . .

The General Assembly elected as its General Moderator the 39-year-old Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, pastor of Mission Bay Community Church in San Francisco. [Dave: we are joyously informed by a "progressive" that Bruce "gets it" and is, indeed, "the future of the Church" -- Chow's blog will quickly confirm this] As General Moderator, he will represent the denomination and preside over General Assembly business. Rev. Reyes-Chow made known his support for the ordination of homosexuals as ministers, though he has not publicly stated his position on same-sex marriage.

The only public opponent to homosexual ordination and marriage in the moderator's election was the Rev. Bill Teng, a pastor from Heritage Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, Virginia.

One rare encouraging note in all this is a report that "PCUSA lost 46,544 members between 2005 and 2006." The erosion of biblical sexual standards has been an ongoing process, as in so many similar denominations, as can be seen in the appropriate section of the Wikipedia entry. Until this recent vote:

The Book of Order prohibits the ordination of those who are not faithful in marriage or chaste in singleness (G-6.0106b). This paragraph was added in 1997 and is commonly referred to by its pre-ratification designation, "Amendment B" Several attempts have been made to remove this from the Book of Order but no attempt has received both the necessary votes at the General Assembly and approval of enough presbyteries.

Now, PCUSA is obviously up to speed, "relevant," politically-correct, and (at long last!) out of the Dark Ages of puritanical, traditional Christian sexual morality. Progress!

Isn't it interesting how issues of sexuality always seem to be at the forefront of the "official" descent into wholesale immorality of entire denominations? Why would that be, I wonder? Could it possibly be a confirmation of the old saying, "all heresy begins below the belt"?

[vpintheak]

These people have been cut from the true vine. Unless they repent and get regrafted, they are hell bound.

[dangus]

>> Because Presby girls are easy (apparently)??? <<

Sure... if you look like Janet Reno.

*ducks and runs*

[ViLaLuz]

“I wonder how many converts they’ll get over this!
******************

I’m guessing, none. Why would they want to join a church? “

Homosexuals will rush to convert so they can trample on the church’s remains.

[dangus]

>> What percentage of Presbyterians are PCUSA? <<

A whoppingly large portion, well over three quarters. They’ve got 2 million members, down from 4 million. PCA, which is a conservative offshoot has 350,000. Orthodox Presbyterian has about 30,000. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church is fairly liberal, but I believe more conservative than PCUSA, has about 80,000 members. Cumberland Presbyterian Church has 50,000.

[Palladin]

“all heresy begins below the belt”

That’s a great little aphorism.

[Gamecock]

***Do you think there will be a split over this?***

Several PCUSA churches have left for the EPC. This may well trigger more defections.

The key is that individual members are the ones leaving.

[Unam Sanctam]

The assembly nullified proscriptions against sexual behavior outside of marriage and called for a vote to delete the church’s constitutional standard requiring fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness.

Then they are abandoning Christian teaching on sexual morality. Calvin and Knox must be turning in their graves.