Protestant Church Endorses Gay Marriage

[DealMonkey]

Wow, finally some Christians that actually aren't total bigots. Quite refreshing for a change, isn't it?

linkage

Protestant Church Endorses Gay Marriage
ATLANTA ? The United Church of Christ's rule-making body voted overwhelmingly Monday to approve a resolution that endorses same-sex marriage (search), making it the largest Christian denomination to do so.

The vote is not binding on individual churches, but could cause some churches to leave the fold.

Roughly 80 percent of the members of the church's General Synod voted to approve the resolution. They debated for about an hour before voting.

On Sunday, a committee of about 50 United Church of Christ (search) representatives gave nearly unanimous approval to the resolution, recommending that the General Synod approve it. It was supported by the UCC's president, John H. Thomas.

Traditionally strong in New England, the liberal denomination of 1.3 million members has long been supportive of gays and lesbians.

The committee also voted against an alternative resolution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. A small group of conservative congregations had proposed that ammendment, and suggested that approval of gay marriage could lead to the church's collapse.

The church was criticized last year for its television advertising campaign featuring a gay couple, among others, being excluded from a church. CBS and NBC rejected the 30-second ads.

In the early 1970s, the UCC became the first major Christian body to ordain an openly gay minister. Twenty years ago, it declared itself to be "open and affirming" of gays and lesbians.

The same-sex resolution was submitted by the Southern California and Nevada Conference. The resolution specified that bisexual and transgender persons merit the same support and protections as gays and lesbians.

UCC churches are autonomous, meaning the General Synod does not create policy for its more than 5,700 congregations.

No hard data exist on how many gays and lesbians are in the UCC.

The Rev. Rebecca Voelkel of Cleveland, national interim director of the UCC Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns (search), said about 2,000 people are on the group's mailing list and about 1,000 clergy or seminarians are gay. The denomination has 10,323 ordained ministers.

 

[Moonbeam]

That does it. Bigoted Christians of anti gay churches are going to hell.

 

[LibLion]

The United Church has always been a very down-to-earth sect of Christianity. Kudos to them.

 

[shira]

This is only the beginning. More and more, the concept that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry is moving into the mainstream. In 10 years, anyone who opposes same-sex marriage is going to be viewed by pretty much all of society as being the small-minded bigots they are.

 

[Darkhawk28]

Placing bets on when the radical right burns down the church.

 

[zendari]

Looks like liberals went from hating the church to hijacking it. If you can't beat em, join em. The heretics aim to make a mockery of gods name.

 

[Darkhawk28]

Originally posted by: zendari
Looks like liberals went from hating the church to hijacking it. If you can't beat em, join em. The heretics aim to make a mockery of gods name.

No, your existence is a mockery of gods name.

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: zendari
Looks like liberals went from hating the church to hijacking it. If you can't beat em, join em. The heretics aim to make a mockery of gods name.

Whatever you say, mister holier-than-thou. Judge not lest you be judged ... ahh, never mind, it's a wasted effort.

 

[NJDevil]

Originally posted by: zendari
Looks like liberals went from hating the church to hijacking it. If you can't beat em, join em. The heretics aim to make a mockery of gods name.

Yea, i'm sure tolerance is a liberal only quality ... people like you are in for a rude awakening one day.

 

[shira]

Originally posted by: DealMonkey

Originally posted by: zendari
Looks like liberals went from hating the church to hijacking it. If you can't beat em, join em. The heretics aim to make a mockery of gods name.

Whatever you say, mister holier-than-thou. Judge not lest you be judged ... ahh, never mind, it's a wasted effort.

Is Zendari a man? Her (his) avatar is a woman.

But in any event, liberals don't hate churches. To paraphrase right-wing fundies: Liberals hate the ignorance, not the ignoramus.

 

[Gunslinger08]

From a Christian point of view, this is wrong. Marriage, as defined by the Bible, is between a man and a woman.

From an economic and social point of view, gay marriage just isn't practical.

Feel free to live together and love each other for all of your days, but marriage is not for gays, in the eyes of God or society.

 

[Tab]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
From a Christian point of view, this is wrong. Marriage, as defined by the Bible, is between a man and a woman.

From an economic and social point of view, gay marriage just isn't practical.

Feel free to live together and love each other for all of your days, but marriage is not for gays, in the eyes of God or society.

Marriage in the bible is NEVER specifically stated as "One gay cannot marry another gay dude". - In respone the the bold

Assuming that people ONLY got married because they wanted to have kids, you'd be correct. - In response to the underline part

 

[zendari]

Originally posted by: shira

Originally posted by: DealMonkey

Originally posted by: zendari
Looks like liberals went from hating the church to hijacking it. If you can't beat em, join em. The heretics aim to make a mockery of gods name.

Whatever you say, mister holier-than-thou. Judge not lest you be judged ... ahh, never mind, it's a wasted effort.

Is Zendari a man? Her (his) avatar is a woman.

But in any event, liberals don't hate churches. To paraphrase right-wing fundies: Liberals hate the ignorance, not the ignoramus.

I am male.

And the liberals very much do hate churches and the people who go to them.

Text

It's sad. They have rejected the holy spirit in favor of rage and jealousy.

 

[Darkhawk28]

Originally posted by: zendari

Originally posted by: shira

Originally posted by: DealMonkey

Originally posted by: zendari
Looks like liberals went from hating the church to hijacking it. If you can't beat em, join em. The heretics aim to make a mockery of gods name.

Whatever you say, mister holier-than-thou. Judge not lest you be judged ... ahh, never mind, it's a wasted effort.

Is Zendari a man? Her (his) avatar is a woman.

But in any event, liberals don't hate churches. To paraphrase right-wing fundies: Liberals hate the ignorance, not the ignoramus.

I am male.

And the liberals very much do hate churches and the people who go to them.

Text

It's sad. They have rejected the holy spirit in favor of rage and jealousy.

And you have used the Holy Spirit to justify your bigotry, hatred and murderous nature.

 

[NJDevil]

Zendari

I know lots of liberals ...

A lot of them go to Church. Are you saying they hate the church they are going to? That they are disguising their dislike of the Church by attending services?

Btw, Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, went to mass every single Sunday while he was both governor AND president.

Where is your beloved Crusader (i don't view Bush as such, but someone like Zendari would) when it comes to Church attendance?

Edit: I didn't realize in your post that you said, "It's sad. They have rejected the holy spirit in favor of rage and jealousy."

You have rejected the spirit of kindness and forgiving in favor of hate and bigotry.

Well done sir!

 

[Darkhawk28]

Originally posted by: NJDevil
I know lots of liberals ...

A lot of them go to Church. Are you saying they hate the church they are going to? That they are disguising their dislike of the Church by attending services?

Btw, Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, went to mass every single Sunday while he was both governor AND president.

Where is your beloved Crusader (i don't view Bush as such, but someone like Zendari would) when it comes to Church attendance?

Don't forget that they got some religious love from Billy Graham.

 

[Tab]

My parents force me to goto church... :frown:

Next year I'll be in the dorms!

 

[shira]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
From an economic and social point of view, gay marriage just isn't practical.

You've made the claim. Now justify it.

Why isn't gay marriage practical economically? If (say) two women married, and they received the same tax benefits (or disadvantages) as straight couples, how would that be "impractical"? If one of them was employed by a company that offered spousal health-insurance benefits, why would that be "impractical"? These examples seem completely "practical" to me.

Frankly, I can't think of ANY economic justification for opposing same-sex marriages, unless your motive is merely to limit marriage-related financial benefits to a smaller group. But if THAT'S your justification, why stop there? Why not prevent blacks from marrying? Or the handicapped? Or the elderly?

Why isn't gay marriage "practical" socially? I can't think of ANY "social" justifications at all for blocking same-sex marriages. Care to offer one?

 

[LibLion]

Liberals do not hate the Church (which church, by the way? Any in particular?), they just dislike when the State does not operate separate from it, as it should. That doesn't mean that the Church is hated; it means that we wish to preserve a secular democracy that does not operate in religious prejudice towards anyone in that society.

There can be no such thing as faith-based democracy; democracy must be agnostic in order to embrace all of its people, regardless of their faith. But that doesn't mean that Christians are being hated or persecuted in any way, shape, or form.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: Tab

Originally posted by: joshsquall
From a Christian point of view, this is wrong. Marriage, as defined by the Bible, is between a man and a woman.

From an economic and social point of view, gay marriage just isn't practical.

Feel free to live together and love each other for all of your days, but marriage is not for gays, in the eyes of God or society.

Marriage in the bible is NEVER specifically stated as "One gay cannot marry another gay dude". - In respone the the bold

Assuming that people ONLY got married because they wanted to have kids, you'd be correct. - In response to the underline part

Oh really?
Leviticus 18:22
Leviticus 20:13
Romans 1:24-27
Genesis 2:21-24
Matthew 19:4-6

As far as economically/socially, the world can't run off of homosexuality. There must be heterosexuals to produce children to ensure the survival and wellbeing of mankind. Homosexuals cannot produce children, and therefore can't contribute to this. Yes, some married heterosexuals choose not to have children, but homosexuals can't have them, no matter how hard they wish.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: shira

Originally posted by: joshsquall
From an economic and social point of view, gay marriage just isn't practical.

You've made the claim. Now justify it.

Why isn't gay marriage practical economically? If (say) two women married, and they received the same tax benefits (or disadvantages) as straight couples, how would that be "impractical"? If one of them was employed by a company that offered spousal health-insurance benefits, why would that be "impractical"? These examples seem completely "practical" to me.

Frankly, I can't think of ANY economic justification for opposing same-sex marriages, unless your motive is merely to limit marriage-related financial benefits to a smaller group. But if THAT'S your justification, why stop there? Why not prevent blacks from marrying? Or the handicapped? Or the elderly?

Why isn't gay marriage "practical" socially? I can't think of ANY "social" justifications at all for blocking same-sex marriages. Care to offer one?

Blacks, handicaps, and elderly have the possibility of producing children. Homosexuals do not, without some sort of crazy Jerry Springer type miracle.

 

[zendari]

Originally posted by: NJDevil
Zendari

I know lots of liberals ...

A lot of them go to Church. Are you saying they hate the church they are going to? That they are disguising their dislike of the Church by attending services?

Btw, Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, went to mass every single Sunday while he was both governor AND president.

Where is your beloved Crusader (i don't view Bush as such, but someone like Zendari would) when it comes to Church attendance?

Edit: I didn't realize in your post that you said, "It's sad. They have rejected the holy spirit in favor of rage and jealousy."

You have rejected the spirit of kindness and forgiving in favor of hate and bigotry.

Well done sir!

Their actions show that they either fail to understand or disregard the church's teachings.

I don't know about Clinton or Bush's presidency and church attendance

 

[Tab]

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: Tab

Originally posted by: joshsquall
From a Christian point of view, this is wrong. Marriage, as defined by the Bible, is between a man and a woman.

From an economic and social point of view, gay marriage just isn't practical.

Feel free to live together and love each other for all of your days, but marriage is not for gays, in the eyes of God or society.

Marriage in the bible is NEVER specifically stated as "One gay cannot marry another gay dude". - In respone the the bold

Assuming that people ONLY got married because they wanted to have kids, you'd be correct. - In response to the underline part

Oh really?
Leviticus 18:22
Leviticus 20:13
Romans 1:24-27
Genesis 2:21-24
Matthew 19:4-6

As far as economically/socially, the world can run off of homosexuality. There must be heterosexuals to produce children to ensure the survival and wellbeing of mankind. Homosexuals cannot produce children, and therefore can't contribute to this. Yes, some married heterosexuals choose not to have children, but homosexuals can't have them, no matter how hard they wish.

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them.

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator?who is forever praised. Amen. 26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

23And Adam said:
"This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man."



24Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.


1 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;

2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,


Not a single one of those say "Two men or women CANNOT" get married!

Even said, your last 2 don't have anything to do with marriage and most of the stuff seems to be old testament crap. Would like to already follow the laws already in leviticus?

The world isn't running of homosexuality, even if it did. So what? The human race dies, SO FVCKING WHAT??!?!!? Does it matter if we all decide we want to be gay and end the exsistance of the human race?

Homosexsuals cannot bear childeren but they can raise them just as much as any good hetrosexsual couple. Some hetrosexsual couples can NEVER have childeren either!

 

[judasmachine]

Originally posted by: zendari
Looks like liberals went from hating the church to hijacking it. If you can't beat em, join em. The heretics aim to make a mockery of gods name.

Explain this to the anti-state, pro-charity hippy you call a savior.

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
From a Christian point of view, this is wrong. Marriage, as defined by the Bible, is between a man and a woman.

Sure, but with god, anything is possible. Anyway, god also killed babies. Do you mimick everything he does?

From an economic and social point of view, gay marriage just isn't practical.

I'd imagine the cost savings of sharing housing and utilities would benefit gay couples as much as hetero couples

Feel free to live together and love each other for all of your days, but marriage is not for gays, in the eyes of God or society.

In the eyes of society? That's changing...

Originally posted by: zendari
The heretics aim to make a mockery of gods name.

Dog is my copilot. (Maybe you should capitalize "god" if you are so uptight about mocking his/her/its name?)