Presbyterians Ordain Gay Clergy

[mattie]

Presbyterians begin to ordain openly gay clergy, both men & women.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/08/presbyterian-church-ordain-gay-clergy_n_893210.html

[Rivendoah]

Good for them... over the course of my life I have seen the slow progress to acceptance... we just have to keep getting up and moving forward every time they try to knock us down... praise the Lord!!

[Triner]

Yes, good for them... I think I'll be even happier when gays are treated equally enough such that events like this won't even make the newspaper.

[theophilus]

There is no reason a gay man can't serve as a clergyman as long as he remains celibate and doesn't engage in sex with other men. The Bible doesn't condemn anyone for feeling an attraction for others of the same sex, only for yielding to that attraction. It is possible for a gay person to be a committed Christian and live as God wants him to.

http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18390 (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fshowthread.php%3Ft%3D18390)


On the other hand, ordaining women to the clergy is contrary to what the Bible teaches.I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
1 Timothy 2:12 ESV

[mattie]

‘The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is poised to abolish a celibacy requirement for its gay and lesbian clergy, after decades of debate that have divided the denomination and split Protestants worldwide.’

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/may/10/presbyterians-set-to-drop-celibacy-rule-for-gay-cl/

Just found this news report. (7-11-11)

‘Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ends celibacy requirement for unmarried clergy
The Associated Press. Posted May 13, 2011, at 11:30 a.m.

NEW YORK — The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has struck down a requirement that unmarried clergy remain celibate, removing a key barrier for gays and lesbians who want to be ordained.
Presbyterians endorsed the new policy last year at their general assembly, but needed ratification from the majority of its 173 presbyteries, or regional districts. The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area in Minneapolis provided the deciding vote Tuesday night. The new policy takes effect July 10.
The change will allow regional bodies to decide who should be ordained, and some are expected to continue to reject gay and lesbian candidates.
About 100 of the 11,000 PCUSA churches have already broken away in anticipation of the vote, but other conservative congregations have decided to remain in the 2.1 million-member denomination for now.’

http://bangordailynews.com/2011/05/13/religion/presbyterian-church-u-s-a-ends-celibacy-requirement-for-unmarried-clergy/

[mattie]

There is no reason a gay man can't serve as a clergyman as long as he remains celibate and doesn't engage in sex with other men.

My Oh My.
One can be gay clergy if one is celibate!!! I didn’t think that any Protestant religions had a celibacy requirement for clergy.

The Bible doesn't condemn anyone for feeling an attraction for others of the same sex, only for yielding to that attraction. It is possible for a gay person to be a committed Christian and live as God wants him to.

One can be gay, but not have a partner. LOL. Surely this is not seen as practical. I also think this celibacy requirement is impractical for hetrosexuals.

On the other hand, ordaining women to the clergy is contrary to what the Bible teaches. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
1 Timothy 2:12 ESV

This type of most unfortunate misogynist stuff that has caused many women & men to examine their religon's beliefs.

Well, this woman is anything but quiet!!!
& utterly rejects any spirituality that seriously gives this instructions in 2011.

[Rivendoah]

There is no reason a gay man can't serve as a clergyman as long as he remains celibate and doesn't engage in sex with other men. The Bible doesn't condemn anyone for feeling an attraction for others of the same sex, only for yielding to that attraction. It is possible for a gay person to be a committed Christian and live as God wants him to.

http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18390 (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fshowthread.php%3Ft%3D18390)


On the other hand, ordaining women to the clergy is contrary to what the Bible teaches.I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
1 Timothy 2:12 ESV



Another example of why some christens struggle so much... because some read the bible as if it were a legal handbook... it was never meant to be used in this way... so much sorrow... pain... and sinful and judgmental behavior grows out of this willful wrong mindedness... the only answer is to shake your head and let them walk their own path... and pray for them...

[LisaLisa]

My Oh My.
One can be gay clergy if one is celibate!!! I didn’t think that any Protestant religions had a celibacy requirement for clergy.

One can be gay, but not have a partner. LOL. Surely this is not seen as practical. I also think this celibacy requirement is impractical for hetrosexuals.

This type of most unfortunate misogynist stuff that has caused many women & men to examine their religon's beliefs.

Well, this woman is anything but quiet!!!
& utterly rejects any spirituality that seriously gives this instructions in 2011.

Why do you hate Christians the the Bible so much? It's obvious to me that you started this thread as a way of trolling. Anyone that can't see that is blind as a bat.

[theophilus]

My Oh My.
One can be gay clergy if one is celibate!!! I didn’t think that any Protestant religions had a celibacy requirement for clergy.The Bible requires that all people either enter into a marriage relationship with someone of the opposite sex and be faithful to their partners or else remain celibate. For someone who is gay the first option isn't practical so he must remain celibate if he wants to obey God. It makes no difference whether or not he is clergy.

http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18390 (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fredir.php%3Flink%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww .spiritualforums.com%252Fvb%252Fshowthread.php%253 Ft%253D18390)

[Rivendoah]

It truly becomes laughable... you could make a good sit-com out of this...