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9.23.2005
Of Churches and Gay Rights
Some priests approve of the Pope's pending ban on homosexual priests.
Some nearby don't feel the same way.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) currently refuses to recognize the ordination of homosexuals, but some of those presbyteries are working to change that.
Unfortunately, there are There are lots of presbyteries.
That said, the issue is somewhat more complicated and interesting. I am not thoroughly-enoughed informed to report on many aspects of the conflict, but I do know that many presbyteries ignore the rule. New Castle Presbytery , for example, does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Concord, which my family attends, is a member of the New Castle Presbytery. Here is a picture of my brother on a roof. He likes the ladies, but he is active in the church and supports gay rights. Maybe the Pope and the official Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) should learn from him.
I would enjoy it if any other family members who are more informed than I on the subject would consider sharing more material on the subject, either by commenting or providing material for another post sometime. I seem to recall rumors of a potential split in the church and various other things which get muddled together in my head. In any case, though, I am heartened by progressive forces within the religions that form so much of the basis of American culture, and although I don't imagine that any audience wider than my own friends and family reads my thoughts, I do think that any effort to promote and expose progressivism from within the church has some value. Stuff like this--a girl being expelled for having gay parents--is too common, and the voices that make that sort of statement cry out for countervoices of reason and tolerance.
Some nearby don't feel the same way.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) currently refuses to recognize the ordination of homosexuals, but some of those presbyteries are working to change that.
Unfortunately, there are There are lots of presbyteries.
That said, the issue is somewhat more complicated and interesting. I am not thoroughly-enoughed informed to report on many aspects of the conflict, but I do know that many presbyteries ignore the rule. New Castle Presbytery , for example, does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Concord, which my family attends, is a member of the New Castle Presbytery. Here is a picture of my brother on a roof. He likes the ladies, but he is active in the church and supports gay rights. Maybe the Pope and the official Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) should learn from him.
I would enjoy it if any other family members who are more informed than I on the subject would consider sharing more material on the subject, either by commenting or providing material for another post sometime. I seem to recall rumors of a potential split in the church and various other things which get muddled together in my head. In any case, though, I am heartened by progressive forces within the religions that form so much of the basis of American culture, and although I don't imagine that any audience wider than my own friends and family reads my thoughts, I do think that any effort to promote and expose progressivism from within the church has some value. Stuff like this--a girl being expelled for having gay parents--is too common, and the voices that make that sort of statement cry out for countervoices of reason and tolerance.
posted by Max Greene at 11:04 AM
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1 Comments:
Max, I’m responding to your call for family input to your post. It’s good to be on the same side for a change. As you said, it’s a complicated issue. I’ll comment on your Presbyterian links, but delay a deeper exchange until I see you at Thanksgiving. There will probably be an opportunity to add the input of the three usual clergy dinner attendees.
The Layman Online link is run by a group from the conservative wing of the PCUSA. Their position on this issue, and most others, comes from their adherence to a strict and literal interpretation of the Bible. The counter argument, which I support, is captured in the last three paragraphs of the link.
Your link to New Castle Presbytery doesn’t relate to the ordination issue. It deals with equal opportunity employment practices in hiring members of their staff. Pastors of churches are not employees of the presbytery – they are members of it. The individual churches call (hire) pastors after they have been approved by the presbytery. Presbytery meetings are made up of equal numbers of laypersons and pastors.
The issue in your Layman link deals with overtures to change the Book of Order. These must first be passed at the meeting of the General Assembly, and then be accepted by a majority of Presbyteries. The last time the issue was presented, the side favoring the ordination of homosexuals failed to achieve this majority. New Castle Presbytery was one of those that voted for justice for gays.
The link to the Concord Church website (designed, built, and maintained by your father) brings up several points. I chaired the committee that composed the statement on the home page, so I understand the thinking behind it. Where it states, “We will build a church family that welcomes, embraces, and loves all people, excluding no one from full involvement in the life of the church.” it is definitely meant to include homosexual people, and full involvement includes election to the offices of deacon and elder, both of which require ordination. Concord, where, by the way, you still are recorded as a member, has gone on the record that we will not be bound by the Book of Order on this issue. Of course, not all church members are in agreement. The issue is divisive, and achieving justice will be a long and painful process within the PCUSA, but I firmly believe that it will happen.
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