Minister In Court For Marrying Lesbian Couples
March 4, 2006 by Conservative Culture
Filed under General, Marriage Expansion
Update: This was predictable. Tears and all. Just one more example of liberalism’s total disregard for founding documents.
A regional judicial commission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) ruled 6-1 that Reverend Jane Spahr of San Rafael acted within her rights as an ordained minister when she married two lesbian couples in 2004 and 2005.
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These issues have been around in the MSC’s (mainstream churches) for about 30 years. The fruition of such teachings has surfaced strongly in the just the past 5 years. Conservatives in the MSC’s have often tried their best to deal with these issues while trying to avoid the ‘labels’ slung at them over these issues.
A Presbyterian minister in Northern California is scheduled to be tried by the church judicial commission on Thursday. The crime? The ministers performed a marriage for two lesbian couples. This of course is still a violation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) at least on paper.
If found guilty by the regional governing body of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Rev. Jane Spahr, of San Rafael, could be removed from the ministry after more than 30 years. Spahr, 63, a lesbian activist who directs a group lobbying for greater inclusion of gay Presbyterians in the church, argues she was honoring her personal conscience and relationship with God when she officiated at the weddings in 2004 and 2005.
It appears that they trial will centralize on the wrong issues. Probably the substance of the issue will be ignored while they talk about the nuances of weddings verses commitment ceremonies.
A central issue to be brought out at Spahr’s trial before a seven-member tribunal of the regional Presbytery of the Redwoods will therefore be whether the ceremonies she conducted were weddings or simply the commitment ceremonies that gay and lesbian couples long have used as substitutes to honor their commitments.
For the court handling this case they are already bound by their rules that allow their ministers to bless gay couples.
What is not addressed is that the rules they follow already don’t follow the principles of the book they claim to represent. Those outside the church will see this as an attack on lesbians and gays outside the church. Far from it. The question is do the leaders follow the words of Jesus Christ and his Apostles.
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? - 1Cor. 5:12
What lifestyle a person chooses to live outside of the church is of little interest to me because of the words spoken in this passage. However, she claims to listen to Jesus Christ and so do the leaders who will be handling the trial. The issue isn’t commitment verses full marriage. Janie Spahr was removed from a church for being openly gay while in Rochester, NY in 1992 so the issue should be “Can a person be promoting homosexuality and be listening to Jesus Christ?”
It is a fight for whether the church will believe the words of the Bible for its rule of faith and practice. The trial will be meaningless because no matter the outcome the key issue will remain unsettled only to ferment further.
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders. - 1Cor. 6:9
Who will the church listen to? The fight we see in the churches is much like the political battle we see in the culture today. Liberalism’s view of the Bible in the church has taken the same course Liberalism in the United States has taken toward the Constitution. No matter what one does to maintain the ‘peace’ the battle only becomes more divisive. This is because of the long term agenda which the Liberals have been working on for a number of decades. Consider how close they must feel to achieving their goals. These very same issues are found hot and heavy in the following churches (thanks to here and here).
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Episcopal Church in USA (ECUSA)
United Methodist Church (UMC)
Presbyterian Church (USA)
What will be the outcome? Only time will tell if those conservatives still left in those denominations have any voice left.
1MPTomb on Thu, 2nd Mar 2006 10:32 am
The problem facing Christian churches today exceeds whether or not they accept homosexual marriage (which is against God’s Holy Word), the problem is what do we “do” with homosexuals wanting to join the church? Do we allow homosexuals to join the church overlooking the sin, counsel them on their behavior, and remove them from our doors when they don’t conform? Or do we continue to allow them to be members of the church and ignore the sin, sending a message to the world that we condone the behavior? We are constantly saying to “love the sinner, but hate the sin”. I believe what God says in the Bible about homosexuality, but all that does is get me labelled as a “homophobe” (although this word is used incorrectly being used by activists).
We know that in the last days, homosexuality will be rampant and there is nothing Christians can do except stick to our beliefs and know that that which we believe is the “Truth”.