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Posted on 05/11/2011 5:20:27 AM PDT by iowamark
After decades of debate, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on Tuesday struck down a barrier to ordaining gays, ratifying a proposal that removes the celibacy requirement for unmarried clergy, in the latest mainline Protestant move toward accepting gay relationships...
Differences over the Bible and homosexuality have split Protestant groups nationally and worldwide for years. Within the Presbyterian Church, about 100 of the 11,000 congregations had already broken away ahead of the vote, but a group of large theologically conservative congregations, which calls itself Fellowship, has decided to remain in the denomination for now.
Top Presbyterian executives issued a statement to the church acknowledging that "some will rejoice while others will weep," at the decision.
"However, as Presbyterians, we believe that the only way we will find God's will for the church is by seeking it together — worshipping, praying, thinking and serving alongside one another," the executives wrote...
Each regional body will decide who it should ordain, and some districts are expected to continue to reject gay and lesbian candidates...
The 2.1 million-member denomination, based in Louisville, Ky., is the latest mainline Protestant group to move toward accepting same-gender relationships.
In 2003, The Episcopal Church caused an uproar in the global Anglican fellowship by consecrating the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran group in the country, liberalized its policy toward gay clergy two years ago. The United Church of Christ started ordaining openly gay clergy in 1972, and more recently endorsed same-sex marriage...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
In other words, make up it!
Any good websites on what protestant groups have gone screwey and which ones still preach the truth?
Well it’s official now. The PC(USA) is no longer Christian
I’m always shocked by these decisions. The Bible is very clear on the sinfulness of homosexuality. How do these churches avoid that fact?
Why I’m now Catholic.
It’s like Rabbis clubbing together and declaring bacon to be kosher.
“If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” — St. Augustine of Hippo
The other HUGE PROBLEM is that they're pro-choice and give pastors abortion coverage. Pure evil...
...and liberal.
Many thanks to FoxNews for making that important distinction in the last line of the article!
Now we'll see how serious the remaining "conservative" PCUSA congregations really are, by whether or not they will have the courage to leave. Most would have to forfeit their real estate and pastors' pensions, since PCUSA retains those assets as a measure of coercion over its congregations. At its founding in the early 1980s, the conservative Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) -- as a check on its own behavior and power -- mandated that each PCA congregation would own its own real estate. We are not only free to leave the PCA, we are free and unencumbered.
So far, PCUSA members have tolerated their apostate denomination's support for Gaia worship and partial birth abortion, plus a myriad of leftist political positions. And they have indirectly supported each of those outrages with portions of their offerings. Perhaps some will finally leave, but I suspect that most will find a way to rationalize and accomodate this latest headlong slide toward the abyss.
“Ichabod”—the glory has departed the church.
In 97 the non-denominational church I was part of sold their building to a Presbyterian(U.S.A.) outfit. The plan was to buy another building closer to the city and the poor. Instead our pastor stole from the congregation. The church fell and is no more. I sometimes walk by the building where this other church still operates and shake my head. They are pro-gay, pro-choice, and anti-Israel. Why do any sane people attend there? One steals from the flock while the other fills their heads with nonsense.
But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’
He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”—Matthew 13:24-30
I think it boils down to Mo Money in the coffers.
So, for PCUSA not only homosexual behavior but fornication in general is now just peachy keen. Why do they even bother pretending the Bible means anything to them anymore?
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In the Episcopal church the break away parishes have been sued for the property the occupy by the head quarters of the church. This has been very, very messy and heartbreaking for those faithful who wanted to stay true to the constant moral teaching of Scripture.
I hope this can be avoided for those Presbyterians wanting to break away from the parent body.
Some of the new churches that have grown up in place of the old Episcopal Churches are pretty exciting, though. There’s a new invigoration that would never have happened under the old church.
Ditto.
If you’ve ever read any theological justification for the blessing of homosexual behavior you will see the contortins that are engaged in to reach the conclusion. To sum up.
“The Shell Fish Argument.”
“Jesus Never Said Anything About Faithful Homosexual Relationships.”
“The Bible Condemns Homosexual Rape not Committed Loving Relationships.”
“Those Who Wrote The Bible Did Not Know About Committed Loving Homosexual Relationships.”
“The Bible Has Been Used To Justify Lots Of Things We Now Know Are Wrong, Slavery For Example.”
“The Holy Ghost Told Us It Was O.K.”
“It Can Not Be Sin Because People Are Born That Way.”
Reading any of the papers based on any or all of the above arguments will have you bemoaning the state of seminary education these days.
Differences over the Bible and homosexuality have split Protestant groups nationally and worldwide for years. Within the Presbyterian Church, about 100 of the 11,000 congregations had already broken away ahead of the vote, but a group of large theologically conservative congregations, which calls itself Fellowship, has decided to remain in the denomination for now.
< sigh>. A lot of those that won't put up with this, have already exited. At some point (not yet, but some time) all that will be left will be a withered leftist pagan core.
Their ASA will plummet and that will not mean more money in the coffers.
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