Posted on 06/02/2011 7:02:38 AM PDT by Cronos
Earlier this month, the national Presbyterian Church approved a change in its constitution to allow openly gay church members to serve as ministers and church leaders. It is a change that one local church pastor says has been a long time coming.
"It's been a Presbyterian family quarrel for about 30 years," said Jonathan Smoot, interim pastor at Falls Church Presbyterian Church.
..
"It's just ridiculous to lift up sexual orientation as a primary criterion for that person's character or suitability for ministry," Smoot said. "I hope this puts an end to it."
"It needs to be read in its historical context and not just used as a bludgeon. It needs to be carefully interpreted as the original writers meant," Smoot said. "I would disagree with my conservative sisters and brothers that the Scripture is making definitive statements about sexuality."
(Excerpt) Read more at fcnp.com ...
With the OPC and the PCA I don't think the problem is with the church denominations getting older but that the churches are getting flooded with growth from those that are fleeing the liberal churches, which more often then not end up polluting the small churches that the people flee too, whether it be a small Presbyterian denomination or some small nondenominational church.
Also I'm not a big fan of congregation rule as I've seen a few PCA churches elect pastors more often based on personality and looks etc then in what they're believes are. A Young good looking fellow always wins over an old fellow no matter what they believe when congregation is full of women. :^)
This is part of a widespread attack on all religions, imho.
It would be interesting if someone could do a survey of atheists and find out how many are really “live and let live” and how many are aggressive. And those pushing the homosexual agenda are particularly driven, whether they’re outright atheists or faux “believers”.
It would be interesting, but it is my impression that their responses might be somewhat deceptive.
Of course, you are right. Lying would be no problem especially if it served their purposes.
Gosh, am I dumb!
But seriously, atheists have no foundation for morality. Why would deception be off-limits?
“What’s true for you is true for you, and what’s true for me is true for me-eee”.
(Sung in a horrid sing-song voice...)
But of course they don’t really believe that, since we’re wrong for believing what we believe!
Our beliefs are founded on 2,000+ years of truth and tradition. :)
There is a lot of non-homosexual pretend believers out there too, in fact I bet you the homosexual ones are a drop in the bucket compared to the non-homosexual ones.
Wrong, the BOCO (Book of Church Order) is very clear about deacons being men. I am an elder in the PCA, so I am very aware of the issue.
All PCA pastors cannot receive a call with out the approval of the Presbytery they are going to work in. They also receive EXTENSIVE interviewing and examinations from Credentials. All this before they assume the mantle of pastor in a church.
Well, they seem to have great influence beyond their numbers. In all areas, not just in various denominations.
yet the move is to have women deacons. The next step is women pastors and then...
Well, I really don’t agree. We are members of an OPC congregation and know many people within the denomination, and, although it has its difficulties, I don’t think it is anywhere near imploding. The site’s charges are somewhat vague and most are dated from a few years ago.
I shared this site with our son-in-law who is an OP pastor, and he has not seen the dire problems that the site claims exist. No church is perfect, and all churches will have struggles and divisions. This is a fallen world after all.
I agree. God bless you and keep you safe in His care
There are certain faction who would probably not have a problem with it, but it won’t happen. The BOCO is very specific about the gender of any ordained person, as deacons are. Anyone violating the BOCO will be brought up on charges.
I have been in on meeting and discussions at the Presbytery level, I am the chair of Administration in my Presbytery, so I do know what is happening in this. General Assembly has studied the situation and has made rulings pertaining to this topic, also, to the detriment of those who would wish to have women deacons.
“General Assembly has studied the situation and has made rulings pertaining to this topic, also, to the detriment of those who would wish to have women deacons.” — yet, that is for now. Like the PCUSA, the issue will be raised and put to vote again and again until it is passed.
I doubt it. Really.
We are told..”as it was in the days of Noah ..” I suspect it will get worse
Do they define "fornication", though?
Pretty warped outfit when sodomy -- a grave crime against nature -- is approved, while the marital act, albeit sinfully separated from the context of marriage, is not.
The first step down the path though, is the approval of condoms within marriage. Once it is permissible to adulterate the act itself in order to divorce the pleasure of intercourse from its natural function, the approval of sodomy is only a matter of time.
How many evangelicals have I heard say that any sexual act is licit within marriage? (I've even been told that that's what Hebrews 13:4 means!) If sodomy is morally licit between husband and wife, it's much harder to argue that it's sinful between a man and a man or a woman and a woman. The act is the same.
The Episcopalian who applied his disdain for "the church not staying out of my bedroom" to homosexual relationships was closer to the truth than he knew.
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