Carmen – Once again, thank you for the daily wrap-up. Not a surprise that evolution was adopted. Yet another step in the process of taking the PCUSA towards its evolutionary demise.
Whatever was left of the intellectual heritage of the Presbyterian denomination was abandoned yesterday with the passage of the overture on evolution and The Clergy Letter. A quick reading of both documents reveals overly simplistic language which does not stand up to close scrutiny and doesn’t serve science or religion. What is clear is the concession that truth resides in the jurisdiction of science and an inflated and distorted view of what science knows to be true. The GA apparently accepted what Berlinski termed “The Devil’s Delusion”.
On the change in the definition of marriage, I think Carmen was quoting the 2014 numbers on the Authoritative Interpretation. The vote was even more in favor of the constitutional amendment (even some liberals had doubts about the crazy AI). The 2014 amendment vote was: 429 (71%) For vs. 175 (29%) Against.
The 2016 vote to restore marriage language would be: 443 (79%) Against vs. 119 (21%) For.
So the decline of Conservative presence and engagement in these politics is “just” another 8%.
BUT, compare that to the 2012 Presbyterian Panel survey of the denomination: “Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.” The numbers who disagreed or strongly disagreed were: 51% of members, 48% of ruling elders, 41% of pastors, and 28% of “specialized ministers.”
A representative GA–by 2012 survey numbers–would have supported the restoration of marriage language by at least 42% rather than only 21%. Conclusion: between 2012 and 2016, at least 21% of theological conservatives have left the denomination or decided to give up on denominational politics.
Finally, connectionalism in a positive vein. The action of one court is the action of all, and the Stated Clerk properly apologized on behalf of every court of the denomination.
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Carmen – Once again, thank you for the daily wrap-up. Not a surprise that evolution was adopted. Yet another step in the process of taking the PCUSA towards its evolutionary demise.
Whatever was left of the intellectual heritage of the Presbyterian denomination was abandoned yesterday with the passage of the overture on evolution and The Clergy Letter. A quick reading of both documents reveals overly simplistic language which does not stand up to close scrutiny and doesn’t serve science or religion. What is clear is the concession that truth resides in the jurisdiction of science and an inflated and distorted view of what science knows to be true. The GA apparently accepted what Berlinski termed “The Devil’s Delusion”.
On the change in the definition of marriage, I think Carmen was quoting the 2014 numbers on the Authoritative Interpretation. The vote was even more in favor of the constitutional amendment (even some liberals had doubts about the crazy AI). The 2014 amendment vote was: 429 (71%) For vs. 175 (29%) Against.
The 2016 vote to restore marriage language would be: 443 (79%) Against vs. 119 (21%) For.
So the decline of Conservative presence and engagement in these politics is “just” another 8%.
BUT, compare that to the 2012 Presbyterian Panel survey of the denomination: “Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.” The numbers who disagreed or strongly disagreed were: 51% of members, 48% of ruling elders, 41% of pastors, and 28% of “specialized ministers.”
A representative GA–by 2012 survey numbers–would have supported the restoration of marriage language by at least 42% rather than only 21%. Conclusion: between 2012 and 2016, at least 21% of theological conservatives have left the denomination or decided to give up on denominational politics.
Finally, connectionalism in a positive vein. The action of one court is the action of all, and the Stated Clerk properly apologized on behalf of every court of the denomination.