By Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post.
The head of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has called on North Carolina to repeal its law barring transgender bathroom ordinances.
“We find that the recent legislation approved in North Carolina and signed into law, which bans people from using bathrooms that don’t match the sex indicated on their birth certificate, is discriminatory,” argued PCUSA’s Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons in a statement Tuesday, calling on North Carolina lawmakers to repeal the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act.
“The North Carolina law also prevents cities and counties from establishing ordinances extending protections covering sexual orientation and gender identity to restaurants, hotels, and stores.”
Parsons also stated that the law “is discriminatory both to the LGBT community and everyday employees in North Carolina.”
“It is our hope that the legislature and the governor of North Carolina will listen to the citizens of their state, do factually based analysis, and repeal this discriminatory law,” continued Parsons.
Earlier this month North Carolina’s legislature passed House Bill 2, also known as the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act.
Supported overwhelmingly by both houses of the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory, the bill struck down a Charlotte city ordinance that among other things allowed for people to use the public restroom of their choice.
The Act has garnered much controversy, with many claiming the law to be discriminatory against transgender individuals.
24 Comments. Leave new
“The Head of the Presbyterian Church (USA) …”
Why is it that the secular news does not take the time to understand that there IS no ‘head’ of a Presbyterian denomination, other than Jesus Christ.
What Gradye has to say is his own opinion (and probably that of the ACSWP) and not that of many of the people in the pews. Although, that group is slowly leaving the PCUSA because of statements like these, and the affirmation of sin by the last GA.
What the PCUSA BOO (2013-2015) says about the duties of clerk is this:
“Each council shall elect a clerk who shall record the transactions of the council, keep its rolls of membership and attendance, maintain any required registers, preserve
its records, and furnish extracts from them when required by another council of the church. Such extracts, verified by the clerk, shall be evidence in any council of the
church.”
It goes on to say that the clerk of councils higher than the session shall be call the Stated Clerk.
I realize that there are probably other policy guidance that adds to that description for the stated clerk, but in any case, there is nothing in the BOO that makes the Stated Clerk the ‘head’ of the denomination, as well as nothing that gives him the power to speak ‘ex cathedra’ for the whole PCUSA.
Parsons evidently has never discovered anything important to be meaningful in his life. Is he really clueless to how ridiculously bizarre he has become?
Mr. Parsons,
You are wrong! Our Governor and Legislature did a factually based analysis and found that everything you cite in your agenda laced diatribe is false. It is a fact, that given an opportunity, pedophiles/sex offenders have and will continue to take advantage of children and women. You sir, should be ashamed of yourself. Can you or any of your perverted agenda supporters guarantee that under the discriminatory law the Charlotte City Council unwisely passed, my daughter and/or wife can use a public restroom without a man peeking under the stall? NO! All you have is your own skewed lies which you so foolishly present as facts. I am proud of my State government. A wrong was righted and because it does not align with your unholy agenda you present inaccurate, left wing dripping, stupid comments. If anyone is discriminatory it is you and those of your ink, against common sense, against me, and against the Holy Word of God. To be a “reverend” you really need to brush up on your Bible reading. “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness…” Isaiah 5: 20.
In a few months the Stated Clerk will have celebration dinners in his honor, standing ovations, and parting gifts for a job well done. Much like Pavlov’s dogs, once the dinner bell of class, theological. ideological warfare is rung, he cannot resist. Like him or not. He’ll be tending his flowers in Tennessee in good time.
But at the end of the day it is not the man personally that is in question, his ideology, his personal likes and dislikes, what others think or assume of his motivations. He departs stage left. It is the office, the bureaucracy, the structure and nature of the denomination that is of interest.
His denomination, his PCUSA, OGA, PMA is in such a state of disrepair and incoherence, not because of him or what he has said or not. Not because he is too liberal, or too conservative. But that institutionally the PCUSA/GA celebrates managerial incompetence as a success. zero accountability for failure. Mediocrity is accepted as normal operations. Does anyone think for one moment, the next warm body they elect in Portland will change that? Of course not. One can accept liberal-progressive goverance, accept it or not. But what one cannot tolerate is institutional fiscal, managerial incompetence and failure. Or toleration of the outright secret cabals that dominated the PMA structures.
The current Stated Clerk may indeed be a very humble man. Very good, for he has much to be very humble about.
Again, none of PCUSA’s business – aside from the fact that anyone can just waltz in and say they identify as the opposite sex whenever they feel they want to do so. Somehow having a neutral bathroom seems to offend a lot of people; tough. No one wants to be categorized as “different” but if you are, you are. If a transgender individual has the full surgery, well, then I guess they are welcome in that bathroom; if they are still equipped as born, I say no. And if someone like Mr. P. wants to give his opinion to North Carolina, fine, do it as a private citizen but don’t do it saying you represent the rest of us. What scriptures address of this?
You are right, the problems facing the PCUSA are greater than any individual. When at the last GA the stated clerk advised the body they could proceed however they wished to proceed since words mean whatever they decide they mean and the ACC rolled over it was clear any pretense that the Constitution of the PCUSA, both parts, had any authority was abandoned.
Would anyone have expected anything different? PCUSA is doomed.
Boris
Despite your fears, there is no transgendered man waiting to look under the stall at your wife and daughter. There was no research and all you are doing is repeating something you heard. You may have been around transgendered persons and not even known it. You may be interested to know that gays and lesbians are not pedophiles. Get a clue.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/wa-man-women-bathroom-test-transgender-ruling-article-1.2535150
Don’t be silly, James. There is no such thing in this world as a “transgendered man” or a “transgendered woman.” This is a myth, the figment of a warped imagination.
There are only “men” and “women” in this world. Sadly some of these men and women suffer from the debilitating mental illness of desperately hating who they are and obsessively wanting to be what they are not. They are truly pitiful creatures, as are all those who suffer serious delusional mental and emotional disorders.
Get a clue, James. Men who think that they are women, and women who think that they are men, are mentally ill. They need help. Pretending that their delusions are anything other than delusions is, when all is said and done, a cruel and heartless thing to do.
Speaking of getting clues, (1) You can not possible know whether there are any transgendered men “waiting to look under the stall”. Given available statistics about child sexual abuse victims and predators – 99% of sexual predators are men who demonstrate a propensity to exploit any available opportunity – it is a virtual certainty that there are, probably many. (2) The mere existence of NAMBLA and similar organizations is sufficient evidence that there are indeed homosexual pedophiles; homosexual men and women are not immune to the lure of pedophilia. (3) Regarding research, there is no research that even indicates how many transgendered people there are, meaning the size of the “problem” is completely unknown. There is no valid empirical evidence to support undertaking risky, feel-good, progressive social engineering schemes like Charlotte’s.
Which door do I go through when I have to go? Take your pick…there’s a throne behind each door. Glad the PCUSA has finally found a throne that they can believe in. Most indicative of a higher calling.
Jesu Christ is the head of the PCUSA. Grayde is an employee. He is the senior secretary, hired to perform specific technical duties which do not include policy development or social commentary. He has no right to pretend that he speaks for the denomination, much less the Church.
James,
As expected you have no evidence other than your own social engineering talking points. As usual when liberals have no grounds for their polemic, they resort to personal attacks (“get a clue”). I invite you to check the FBI crime statics; there you will confirm that pedophiles/sex offenders target their opportunities in the least resistive setting. Just as I challenged Mr. Parsons, I challenge you: can you guarantee no child or female, or even a male, will be the target of a sex offender in a bathroom, locker room, gym, etc.? In addition, since you seem to be the expert, can you guarantee that once apprehend these criminals will not use the “anti-discriminatory” laws as their defense? Based on which sex, they “identify” with at the time of the crime?
Since the beginning God made us male and female (Gen. 1:27) Now, within the last 5 years, folks like you think God got it all wrong and only you know what’s best. By the way, I get my clue from God’s Word where I find: “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar.” Proverbs 30: 5. I care nothing about your opinion or your agenda. I do caution you to take Hebrews 10: 31 seriously. For your comments indicate you have fallen into Psalm 14: 1. Good day sir or which ever you identify with today.
Gradye Parsons certainly does not speak for me!
As to Gradye Parsons being “head of the PCUSA” — Since the PCUSA dethroned the Word of God I guess someone had to take Jesus’ place and it seems that Grady was first in line!
I have not been to the Presbyterian Hdq. in Louisville in years and am wondering if restrooms there are now gender neutral. Set the example Gradye. Remove Male/Female signs from ALL bathrooms at the Center and make them ALL open to all. Then you might have some credibility. But don’t tell me what I should do if you and the staff won’t do it yourself.
http://www.bdtonline.com/news/local-youth-minister-charged-with-sexual-abuse-of-a-juvenile/article_b471add4-b9a7-11e5-a630-17ebe3d2419b.html
Boris
Well the business community is reacting and it is not good for NC. Soon the federal government will withdraw money. The bigotry of this law is coming home to roost. Enjoy.
The PCUSA and its leaders, and my local church pastor continually taking positions like this is what led to my family leaving the denomination. I think I’m one of many.
The sad but true reality of it, Dorothy, is that however much it may displease you (and I’m certainly glad that it does displease you), if you are a member of a PCUSA congregation then Gradye Parson does, in fact, speak for you, just as surely as a small amount of the money that you contribute to your local congregation will end up going toward his salary. The PCUSA, Dorothy, is a package deal. If you are a member of a part of it, you are a member of the whole thing.
Is this story some kind of sick April Fools joke?
Right on, Andrew!
Those people , including moderator and staff seem to be a subsidiary of ACLU. Instead of working On Theology, their agenda is to work on sociology and politics. As the apostle Paul woud say “whoever preaches other gospel let him be accursed”