The highest court of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has found that a Northern California minister did not violate denominational law when she officiated at the weddings of two lesbian couples.
The ruling announced Tuesday by the Louisville, Ky.-based court overturns a decision against the Rev. Jane Spahr last year. A regional judicial committee had found Spahr guilty of misconduct and gave her a rebuke — the lightest possible punishment.
The church's high court found that the ceremonies Spahr performed in 2005 and in 2004 were not marriages, so she did not violate the church's constitution.
The church constitution defines marriage as between one man and one woman.
The panel reiterated the church's position that Presbyterian ministers can bless same-sex unions as long as the ceremonies don't too closely mimic traditional weddings.
Spahr, 65, of San Rafael, retired last year. She was the first minister of her faith to be tried for officiating the weddings of gay couples, and one of several Presbyterian ministers facing disciplinary action for similar offenses.
Acting on a complaint brought by a minister in Washington state, the Presbytery of the Redwoods, which oversees 52 churches along the Pacific coast, brought the charges against Spahr in 2005 for marrying the couples from New York and California.
In 2006, a Northern California church court that found Spahr had acted within her rights as a minister when she interpreted the church doctrine to permit her presiding over the weddings. The presbytery appealed the ruling to the church's regional judicial commission.
Many Protestant denominations are divided over how they should interpret what the Bible says about homosexuality. In the Presbyterian Church, several theologically conservative congregations have announced plans to break away from the denomination.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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feeltxxx
I please repent repent !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May God Help you!
D: I'm Presbyterian....why....I thought we made up our minds a long time ago T_T
C'mon, Presyberians!!!! GET A CLUE!!! "Blessing same sex civil unions?" GOODBYE, PRESBYTERIANS. THE GLORY HAS GONE FROM YOU!!!!
REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND!!!!
The UMC, ECUSA, UCC, ELCA and PCUSA should get together and form the ACA, "Apostate Churches of America". Oh wait, they're already members of the National Council of Churches, and a rose by any other name.....................
The same thing that happened to the Anglican's will happen here as well as the Methodist's. A split is envetiable.
There is no almost sin, it is sin or it is not. Homosexuality, fornication, stealing and lying are among other sins in the Bible. Liberals like to paint Christians as homophobic, as calling us this will weaken our stand for what God has had placed in the hearts of the writers of the Bible.
Sad. Sad. Sad. I guess the PCUSA wants to push more churches into the arms of the EPC or some other willing Reformed body. The whole "unions but not marriages" argument is about as lame as it gets.
feetxxxl
Re:the genders dont make a bit of difference
Yes, it does. God says that gay sex (Lev 18:22, 20:13) is an abomination and all those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9-10).
The emotional bonding you keep talking about between gays is an abomination too.
You can reject God's Word all you want but in the end when you have to give an account to God for your life you will lose.
"The panel reiterated the church's position that Presbyterian ministers can bless same-sex unions as long as the ceremonies don't too closely mimic traditional weddings."
Oh, that is so weak...I just wish Martin Luther could get behind closed doors with those in leadership in the Presbyterian church today, whew, that'd be an interesting conversation.
The PC(USA) is off it's rocker! Unbiblical and INSANE!
This whole thing is just too funny. The PC(USA) is spending inordinate amounts of time and energy dancing around a subject the is obvious to anyone who puts their trust in the Bible instead of the New York Times.
On a related note Martin Luther himself must be soooo proud of the following:
"Many Protestant denominations are divided over how they should interpret what the Bible says about homosexuality"
"The panel reiterated the church's position that Presbyterian ministers can bless same-sex unions as long as the ceremonies don't too closely mimic traditional weddings."
This reasoning (of man) is actually very close to where this apostate church is at anyway. They don't "follow too closely" the Gospel anyhoo.
Imagine on the day of judgement explaining how we dared not get "too close" to sin. We just kind of played with sin like Sampson did. Truth be told many churches are merely grinding in the prison house. The power of the Blood has been removed from these churches long ago.
This has got to be the ultimate in torturously parsing words!
"The church's high court found that the ceremonies Spahr performed in 2005 and in 2004 were not marriages,"
The Presbyterian Church says it is now possible to have a "wedding" without it resulting in a "marriage"
Sorry- my Webster's says:
wed/wedding
1. To take as a spouse; marry.
2. To perform the marriage ceremony for; join in matrimony.
1Cr 16:22 "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha."