Friday, June 20, 2014

Politics (III)

So, to cap off their week of the General Assembly meeting, the Presbyterians voted to recognize gay marriage as Xian union, and to authorize pastors who live in areas where it's legal to preside at such services. The first of these still needs to be ratified (we Presbyterians have a thoroughly democratic church structure) by the Presbyteries and Synods, but the first apparently takes effect right away.

According to the article linked to below, about four percent of congregations felt the church had gone too far when the Assembly voted to ordain gay ministers three years back and left the church; probably a similar number will leave now and go join a more conservative branch of the church, of which there are several. But looks like the main body is going ahead with this major change.

Here's the link:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/presbyterian-church-leaders-declare-gay-marriage-christian-n136256

--John R.

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