Comments for Committee recommends steps toward traditional marriage and same-gender ceremonies at http://www.pres-outlook.com , comment 1 to 5 out of 5 comments http://www.pres-outlook.com Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:18:04 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.pres-outlook.com/news-and-analysis3/1-news-a-analysis/9601-committee-recommends-steps-toward-traditional-marriage-and-same-gender-ceremonies.html#comment-5179 How can there be, as you report: "civility and mutual respect, but, lacking unanimity," when there is no unity? Truth be told, our church is sadly divided. The dividing walls still separate us from our Lord. I weep for our Church. I wonder for the witness viewed by those attending worship. Richard Mobayed Huntington, W. Va. - Richard Mobayed Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:31:40 +0100 http://www.pres-outlook.com/news-and-analysis3/1-news-a-analysis/9601-committee-recommends-steps-toward-traditional-marriage-and-same-gender-ceremonies.html#comment-5171 I am secretary of our Presbyterian church and Clerk of Session. I am also grandmother of an 18 year old young man who is gay. His 'coming out' last year nearly detroyed not only his relationship with his mother who believes all he has to do is "give up his perverted ways and come back to God" but it almost destroyed him. Allen has said to me as have many other friends and acquaintances who are homosexual, "Who would choose this way of living?". We all live on the continuum of what is to be in adam. What 'makes' a person female or male? Is it our genitalia? Is it whether or not we have facial hair? Or whether we have large muscles? Or whether or not we can get pregnant and birth a baby? How to decide about the person with the body of a woman yet masculine attributes? Or the person with the body of a man who clearly 'acts' feminine? I think it is time we get past our homphobic fears and talk with those who are living the lives as gay or lesbian or transgender people and find out from them what life is like. What their hopes and expectations are; what they see as a loving and committed relationship; what it means to them to be part of a church community as fully as all our hetersexual brothers and sisters. Recognizing that none of us is without sin - who among us does not gossip, bear false witness, harbor anger and hate and bias? If only those who live up to every letter written in the Bible were permitted 'in heaven', then heaven help all of us. - Alyce Denver Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:28:19 +0100 http://www.pres-outlook.com/news-and-analysis3/1-news-a-analysis/9601-committee-recommends-steps-toward-traditional-marriage-and-same-gender-ceremonies.html#comment-5167 If "marriage is indeed a life commitment between a man and a woman. Period!!", then I suppose we must be against divorce. What then shall we do with Presbyterian elders and ministers who have been divorced? Recall all the Old Testament men who had multiple wives. Marriage has not always been 1 man and one woman. Shall we follow the book of Ezra which tells us that God wanted to end all marriages between believers and "foreign" women. Ezra 10:44 "All these had married foreign women, and they put them away with their children." I guess the men forgot that the children were theirs, too. - Rev. Alden Hickman, HR Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:55:33 +0100 http://www.pres-outlook.com/news-and-analysis3/1-news-a-analysis/9601-committee-recommends-steps-toward-traditional-marriage-and-same-gender-ceremonies.html#comment-5164 Watch for the minority report. THERE we will see a rich mixture of biblical faithfulness and ministry sensitivity. It is no gift to anyone whatsoever for the PCUSA to be--shall I say it?--DIVORCED from the moral and ethical counsel God has given us in the Word. It is psychodrivel to rejoice that we are wildly divergent in what we believe, but it doesn't matter, because we don't hit each other and we remain in the same room. Oh how wonderful! No, oh how pathetic! What reduced expectations for the family of God! God's voice is clear and consistent and good. We know what it says, and the minority report will speak it well. THAT is what our world needs to hear from us as a church, not a mindless and spineless affirmation of what God calls sin. God's will is for our welfare, and we reject it--or even fog it over--at great loss. Jim Berkley Seattle, WA - Jim Berkley Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:12:47 +0100 http://www.pres-outlook.com/news-and-analysis3/1-news-a-analysis/9601-committee-recommends-steps-toward-traditional-marriage-and-same-gender-ceremonies.html#comment-5162 Thank you, Tracey, for boldly stating what the Scriptures clearly proclaim. Marriage is indeed a life commitment between a man and a woman. Period!! There is NO place in the church for homosexual "marriages" even though many of our clergy and denominational leaders would try to convince us otherwise. I am so thankful that you were on this committee. - Patricia Slomanski Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:32:51 +0100