Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Approves Gay Marriage in Church Constitution

NEW YORK - The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has expanded its definition of marriage to include a "commitment between two people," recognizing gay marriage as Christian in the church constitution after decades of debate over same-sex relationships.

The redefinition was endorsed last year by the church General Assembly, or top legislative body, but required approval from a majority of the Louisville, Kentucky-based denomination's 171 regional districts, or presbyteries. The critical 86th "yes" vote came Tuesday night from the Presbytery of the Palisades in New Jersey.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Approves Gay Marriage in Church Constitution

I think this is a positive step in showing LGBT people as just like the rest of us... Many are religious, just as many straight people are. They want to announce their commitment in the eyes of God and to their congregation. This is a change that has been a long time in the making. Of course, no clergy, nor a specific church, would be forced to preside over a ceremony, but any Presbyterian church and/or clergy are free to marry gay people.

The actual rewording of their constitution reads: "Marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives."

I just think that's beautiful!

www.foxnews.com...
www.csmonitor.com...

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Good find S&F but I'm getting my "Popcorn" ready for all the "Haters".

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

showing LGBT people as just like the rest of us

Um....Not really but sure...If you say so...

The rest of us men like women, and women like men....So really in other words, this does not make "them like the rest of us"...Technically speaking that is....

ORIGINAL THREAD HERE:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Further proof that the "church" is dying perhaps?

I am believer is marriage equality. Any people that want to be married should be able to. Regardless of gender, identification, OR party size.

That being said, changing the word of God in an attempt to bolster congregation figures is doomed to failure.

I think this is evidence that many of the larger christian churches are just simply businesses with tax exempt status. They have no principles, nor any true immutable dogma... except the dogma that money is god, and anyway to god/money is the right way to go.

This was a calculated decision, analyzed in depth for its potential profitability. It was determined that this decision would likely be profitable in the long run.

originally posted by: flammadraco
a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Good find S&F but I'm getting my "Popcorn" ready for all the "Haters".

And just in time, it seems! LOL!

originally posted by: 200Plus
That being said, changing the word of God in an attempt to bolster congregation figures is doomed to failure.

They didn't change the word of God. The bible doesn't say that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman... In fact, there were many same-sex relationships in the bible. Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, Daniel and Ashpenaz...

Ruth and Naomi

"Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." (NIV)

Ruth 1:14, referring to the relationship between Ruth and Naomi, mentions that "Ruth clave onto her." (KJV) The Hebrew word translated here as "clave" is identical to that used in the description of a heterosexual marriage in Genesis 2:24:

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (KJV)

Source

And this wasn't done to "bolster congregation". In fact, some have left the church since they decided to allow gay clergy back in 2011. Source

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is the latest of several Protestant denominations that have dropped bans on gay clergy. Others include the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church.

Wow, some Christians just really want to ignore Christ's words, don't they?

Those words being "judge not that you not be judged."

Kudos to the Presbyterians. Kudos to Benevolent Heretic for the post.

To some of you who have already posted ... do you have any conception of the idea that your own personal beliefs about the Bible, God, Jesus, who marries who and who does what to whom where are your business alone?

Your interpretation stands for no one else; many people believe just as ardently as you do ... just completely differently.

If you're against same-sex marriage, don't marry someone of your same sex; problem solved!

a reply to: Gryphon66

You calling me Christian is like me calling you a conservative Republican

There are instance in the Bible where God elevated killers (David especially), therefore it's safe to assume the Bible also doesn't say there is anything wrong with killing, no?

Show me a sanctioned wedding between a same sex couple in a major church in the last 3000 years and I will concede (I may be wrong and I am able to admit when i am).

Perhaps the "New Church" is coming into alignment with the "New World". If so, then kudos to them (honestly). It's about time.

I just don't see how they are trying to pass themselves off as Christians at this point.

I couldn't "as a Christian" allow a golden calf to share alter space with the other Icons, even though it's in the Bible that some Israelites had them in the past. The Book kind of makes it clear how the Big Man feels about that.

Then again, the same text denounces me for eating a cheeseburger, so perhaps a change is in order.

Why keep just the name though?

I don't think you will see this expanded definition out of The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Folks in that branch are pretty solid conservatives.

originally posted by: 200Plus
Show me a sanctioned wedding between a same sex couple in a major church in the last 3000 years and I will concede (I may be wrong and I am able to admit when i am).

I thought Presbyterian was a fairly "major church"...

No matter how much lipstick they want to put on this pig, two men, or two women will never be able to wed. At its very core, it is a physical, biological impossibility.

A marriage always has been, and always will be, the joining of one man, and one woman for the creation and supportive rearing of children.

By their nature, two men, and two women CANNOT do this, no matter how much they want to pretend they can, no matter how much the state wants to sanction it, and no matter what denomination wants to sprinkle holy water on it (to its own peril).

A quick look at the mainline Protestant denominations who have abandoned the teachings of the Church and moved to invent their own doctrine (divorce and remarriage, birth control, ordaining women, marrying clergy, wedding homosexuals, whatever) speaks more to the effect of this deviance than I could here:

Church of England - in the tank.
American Episcopalians - in tank
Methodists - tanking fast
Lutherans - in the tank
Danish Nationals - in the tank
Swedish Nationals - in the tank
United Church of Canada - in the tank
Presbyterians - tanking fast

Roman Catholicism - GROWING

NO ONE has the authority to change the teachings of Christ, no matter how good it may feel.

originally posted by: Seamrog
A marriage always has been, and always will be, the joining of one man, and one woman for the creation and supportive rearing of children.

In your opinion. I married my husband without the intention of breeding... MANY people get married without the intention of breeding. Older people, far beyond their breeding years, get married all the time.

You can say whatever you want, but you're incorrect. People get married for MANY reasons.

I just hope they don't start legalizing gay adoption.

originally posted by: Seamrog
No matter how much lipstick they want to put on this pig, two men, or two women will never be able to wed. At its very core, it is a physical, biological impossibility.

I stopped reading the rest of your post, because this first line is factually and astounding wrong on every level.

Same sex marriage had existed for centuries before the common cults of our modern age decided to hijack the notion of commitment and claim it as theirs.
And in the last ten years numerous countries have legalized and recognized same sex marriage too.

So, all you're really doing is burying your head in a sand and pretending reality isn't real.
Must suck to be you.

But I delight in being able to tell you that same sex marriage is spreading all over the world, and all throughout the USA, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

In your opinion.

That is not my opinion - that is dogma.

People do lots of sinful things lots of times - that still does not / will not change dogma.

a reply to: Rocker2013

Anti-Christian bigotry is nothing new - Jesus told us we are blessed by it, so there ya go!

a reply to: 200Plus

Were you the only person that had commented in the thread before me?

If not, and I didn't refer to you directly, I haven't called you anything.

I don't think it's safe to assume that "the Bible also doesn't say there is anything wrong with killing, no?"

The Bible specifically addresses killing (well, technically murder) in a few places as part of The Law.

As to the rest, I will give your words the attention they deserve a bit later.

a reply to: Seamrog

The Catholic Church doesn't own and didn't invent marriage.

NO ONE has the authority to change the teachings of Christ, no matter how good it may feel.

The Catholic Church did.

Matthew 5:34
But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, 'By heaven!' because heaven is God's throne.

Overview of how Catholic faith contradicts the Bible

originally posted by: Mousygretchen
I just hope they don't start legalizing gay adoption.

Heaven forbid a child not have loving parents because the parents are of the same gender.