http://www.detnews.com/2005/religion/0507/02/A03-234394.htm
Friday, July 1, 2005
Church may OK gay marriage
Liberal Church of Christ of 1.3 million people could become the
largest Christian group to take such a stand.
By Errin Haines / Associated Press
ATLANTA -- The United Church of Christ is poised to become the largest
Christian denomination to endorse same-sex marriage, but as with other
Protestant churches, taking a stand on homosexuality could come with a
price.
"I don't think it's possible to overestimate the prophetic role that
the passage of the resolution would have," said the Rev. Rebecca
Voelkel of Cleveland, national interim director of the UCC Coalition
for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns.
Yet eight congregations in the liberal denomination of 1.3 million
members believe that approving the same-sex marriage resolution at the
church's annual meeting would be a bad idea -- even if they concede
the measure is likely to win approval.
The meeting starts today and concludes Tuesday.
The Rev. Brett Becker, pastor of St. Paul United Church of Christ in
Cibolo, Texas, and a spokesman for the conservative congregations,
predicted the eventual collapse of the UCC if the measure passes.
"If we're going to call ourselves Christian and be followers of
Christ, we need to follow his teachings on marriage," said Becker,
whose group has proposed an alternative resolution defining marriage
as between one man and one woman. Becker said he and other
conservative pastors should continue to welcome homosexuals into the
church, but encourage them to change their behavior.
A third proposal calls for study, prayer and discernment on the
same-sex marriage issue -- though its proponents said the "one man,
one woman" resolution was discriminatory and recently voted to support
"the spirit" of the same-sex resolution.
© 2005 Associated Press
Sidebar
Spain legalizes gay marriage
• GAY PARADE: After Belgium and the Netherlands, Spanish lawmakers on
Thursday made their nation the third to allow same-sex unions
countrywide. The 350-seat Congress of Deputies, by a vote of 187-147
with four abstentions, approved the measure to give gay couples the
same rights as heterosexual ones.
• CHURCH SIDELINED: Lawmakers defied strong Catholic currents in Spain
and a petition from opponents bearing 600,000 signatures. The bill
also lets homosexual couples adopt children.
• WHO'S NEXT? Canada's House of Commons passed legislation Tuesday
that would legalize gay marriage. The Senate is expected to pass the
bill into law by the end of July.
© 2005 The Detroit News
--
Contempt of Congress meter reading-offscale.
Hello, theocracy with a fundamentalist US Supreme
Court who will ensure church and state are joined
at the hip like clergy and altar boys.
America 1776-Jan 2001 RIP
"As democracy is perfected, the office of president
represents, more and more closely, the inner soul
of the people. On some great and glorious day the
plain folks of the land will reach their heart's
desire at last and the White House will be adorned
by a downright moron." --- H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)
Religion is the original war crime.
-Michelle Malkin (Feb 26, 2005)
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