By Becca Habegger, WBIR.com (Tennessee)
The sanctuary at New Providence Presbyterian Church in Maryville (Photo: Becca Habegger, WBIR)
One national Christian denomination is taking up the issue of same-sex marriage.
The nation’s largest Presbyterian denomination – the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), or PC(USA) – is asking representatives from each of its more than 170 presbyteries to vote on the matter.
The proposed change comes in the form of an amendment to the denomination’s constitution.
Currently, the PC(USA)’s constitution defines marriage as “a civil contract between a woman and a man.”
The proposed amendment would change the wording to say, “Marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives.”
The Presbytery of Middle Tennessee voted this past weekend in favor of the amendment. The state’s northeastern most presbytery — Holston Presbytery in Kingsport — voted against the amendment. The state’s other two presbyteries — Memphis and East Tennessee — have not yet voted.
The Presbytery of East Tennessee will vote on the amendment at its Feb. 21 meeting in Chattanooga.
The Rev. Dr. Emily Anderson is senior pastor at New Providence Presbyterian Church in Maryville. While talking with WBIR on Wednesday evening, Anderson declined to share her personal view on the matter but said she sees opinions on both sides of the issue within her church of some 1,200 parishioners.
“I think, basically, it comes down to: how do you interpret scripture,” Anderson said.
“Folks who are opposed to same-sex marriage will point to particular scriptures and say, ‘Look, here, this says man and woman,'” Anderson said. “Folks who are supportive of same-sex marriage would look at the whole witness of scripture and, particularly, at the life of Jesus, who didn’t put any boundaries or restrictions on anyone.”
The Rev. Dr. Holton Siegling Jr. is pastor at Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church in West Knoxville. He said he is against the proposed amendment.
“In the case of marriage, God’s Word is simply not ambiguous; Christ himself affirms marriage as that most blessed union which exists between a man and a woman,” Siegling wrote in an email response to WBIR. He was not available Wednesday evening for an in-person interview but responded to questions about the issue.
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The Rev. Dr. Emily Anderson illustrates exactly why the PCUSA has gone so far off the rails. This does not come down to how you interpret scripture. Her assertion that the pro-homosexual marriage crowd looks at the whole witness of scripture while the anti-homosexual marriage crowd is only interested in literal readings of selected verses is just dumb. She and her fellow proponents of homosexual marriage (I know, she refused to state her opinion on the subject) have created a Jesus in their own image. The Jesus of the gospels absolutely did put boundaries and restrictions on people. And even if he didn’t the whole witness of scripture includes more than just a few selected sayings of Jesus. There are none so blind as they who will not see. Dr. Anderson is the living embodiment of that truth.
I am of the opinion now more than ever that the far left in the PCUSA don’t care if we all do leave, all they see is property or money for the property to continue their “ministry”, without having to deal with the likes of us knuckel draggers who believe the Bible.
I’m waiting for the day when the presbyteries to take a page from the episcopal church when the dioceses’ left in mass, thereby shutting down the argument on the trust clause in the courts. If this thing passes, I predict it will happen. Right now people are keeping their powder dry until the voting is over.
Let’s bring back polygamy then, there’s support for this form of marriage all over the Old Testament!
Not according to the 10 commandments.
Excuse me….both the OT and NT contian His words on the subject. No matter how we intrept the passage, no matter how much culture changes or doesn’t change, marriage as defined by our LORD has not changed and still applies.
The article above states that Emily declined to give her personal view, but it is not difficult at all to interpret exactly what she thinks. It’s the old “these people will point to a particular scripture and say this, but we look to the whole ‘witness’ of scripture.” She uses the words “witness of scripture” which is lingo one learns in liberal seminaries. You see “witness of scripture” infers that scripture is not really the inspired word of God, but that it is man’s and woman’s own understanding of the world around them and of God. It is a witness, you see. Furthermore, this young lady says those who consider the “witness of scripture” look “at the life of Jesus, who didn’t put any boundaries or restrictions on anyone.” Jesus did indeed teach us about the moral law, what is good and what is evil. And he spoke on marriage, saying that in the beginning God created them male and female, and for THIS reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and they two shall become one flesh. And so those who advocate the “witness of scripture” position continue to attempt to justify their position by stating that Jesus says nothing concerning homosexuality. And this, my friends, is their main argument. But lo and behold, their main argument is refuted and not only so, but refuted with power by Jesus’ words concerning marriage. She is incorrect on another front. She states that those who are against same-sex marriage look to a few scriptures here and there, which sounds demeaning. For these people do indeed look to all of Scripture – not to a passage here and there. All of Scripture confirms the proper and right understanding of marriage.
Ok, let’s take that approach and apply it to slavery, or more recently segregation. The Bible is very CLEAR about slavery: slavery is “Biblical”. Every reference or mention of slavery in the OT and NT either outright allows it or condones it. Not once is slavery condemned. Yet here we are in today’s world where every Christian agrees that slavery is a crime against humanity. Go back to the South in the 1960’s. Almost every Christian believed that the Bible was CLEAR on segregation; segregation was “Biblical”. The division on segregation split up the Presbyterian church like SSM is today. How did we get to where we are today on the subject of slavery and segregation? By taking the entire “witness of the scripture” into account, and looking to the character of God.
Jesus himself did not condemn slavery in the Gospels. (Neither did Paul.) Therefore, slavery must be okay and “Biblical”.
As with all these comments on articles—-you never know if the statements reflect adherence to scripture or an outright homophobia using scripture to advance the hate agenda.
Country pastor “reflect adherence to scripture or an outright homophobia using scripture to advance the hate agenda”
“Hate agenda” thats rich coming from the crowd bringing the pcusa to its knees. Alot of us have gay family members. There is no problem with a gay or lesbian pastor as long as they are celibate.
So the point of the reply is that whatever we, as fallible men, believe to be right, must be right; and therefore the scriptures must conform to what fallible men desire them to be. And hence, we no longer look at Scripture as a revelation from God and infallible. We now must look at Scripture as a witness to that revelation. This is Barthianism and a neo-orthodox view of the Bible. It contradicts our own confessions, which state clearly that the Scriptures are the Word of God written, and that they are given by the inspiration of God. The Bible teaches this. Our catechisms also state clearly that sodomy is a breach of the seventh commandment. The Westminster assembly derived at this by looking into all of God’s word. And our confessions state, that “Marriage is between one man and one woman.” The Westminster Assembly also looked at all of Scripture for that statement of belief. Furthermore, we may see here that the “Holy” Book of Order now totally contradicts our confessions, illustrating the total LACK of INTEGRITY in the PCUSA today. The final statement in the reply is not worth responding to. But I shall say that Jesus did tell us what constitutes marriage, and Paul spoke on marriage too, as well as sodomy. The Holy Scriptures are God’s word written and are given by the inspiration of God.
Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, Arizona is circulating a petition to allow heterosexuals living together without benefit of marriage, and practicing homosexuals, to be deacons and elders in our church. If this passes, I will leave Valley Church. The position papers includedwith the petition include all the usual long-since-refuted arguments such as “Jesus never said anything about homosexuality,” “we now know that this is not a sin,” “we have to love our neighbors as ourselves,” etc. Very, very, very dismaying.
Let me add to my post that the people passing this petition to permit those living together without benefit of marriage, and practicing homosexuals, to be eligible to be deacons and elders at Valley Presbyterian Church, say that “loving our neighbors as ourselves” should mean that we don’t “judge” them and we don’t tell them that their behavior is defined as sinful in the Bible. As long as they are qualified to serve “in all other ways,” their immoral behavior (which the people passing the petition obviously do not see as immoral) should not be enough to disqualify them from serving as deacons and elders. And as so many people do, they refer to Jesus telling us “not to judge,” taking this statement out of context and giving “do not judge” a meaning Jesus never gave.
No, Country Pastor, you really don’t. Suppose you’ll
just have to get used to being confused.
Dear baby
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