LET'S TAKE A SHOW OF HANDS
It's what Superman stands for: Truth, Justice, and the American Way. The American Way? Everybody knows what that is: democracy. It's so ingrained in us that President Woodrow Wilson led us into The Great War, the war to "make the world safe for democracy." Looking at the world today, that didn't go so well.
Somehow we've forgotten that our Founding Fathers didn't think that direct voting was so hot, so they set up the Electoral College to elect the president and they set it up so that the voters in the individual states didn't vote for their own senators (an amendment later changed that in 1913). The only thing we directly voted for were the candidates for the House of Representatives.
BUT OH, THOSE PRESBYTERIANS
For some reason, churches decided that they would adopt a one man, woman or child, one vote, and they would be standing, like Superman, for the American Way. And now, what's it come to?
Read on.
On June 19, 2014, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian denomination in America, met in Detroit at Cobo Center for a show of hands as to whether or not the denomination would allow its ministers to perform same-sex marriages.
It is quite something isn't it? The truth of Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Deut. 23:17; I Kings 14:24; Rom. 1:26-27; I Cor. 6:9; I Tim. 1:9-10 was up for a show of Presbyterian paws on June 19 in Detroit City, US of A.
THIS JUST IN . . .
They met, proposed the motion; it was duly seconded and they took the vote. The motion passed 76% to 24%. Not even close. And so now, according to that vote, all ministers of the Presbyterian Church (USA) may perform same-sex marriage ceremonies in the 19 states where it's legal.
ANALYSIS
Let's think about this. Something unmentionable in times past, something undebatable and unthinkable in churches is now discussed, voted on, and approved. It's not only the Presbyterians; all other mainline denominations will, one way or another, sooner rather than later, be forced to consider the issue and render a verdict.
Let's think about this: where did churches get the idea that truth is subject to a vote? Is the Great Commission a "voteable?" if I don't like the Great Commission because it makes me uncomfortable, can I try to gather votes in the church to vote it out? Of course not. If I like Law, can I lead a group to vote out grace? No way.
But here's the problem--once a church starts voting on one thing, like the position of "janitor," what's to stop them from voting on everything?
Excellent point. But voting on the janitor is one thing and the words in the Good Book is another. Folks tend to pick & choose the words to fit their situation. Case in point would be slavery of black folk in the deep south. Those of us under Grace, love God and love of neighbor as self. Should love rule or should a vote rule?
ReplyDeleteRomans 4:13 "It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith". -- Neither the fallen flawed love of human beings, nor their flawed human logic supporting a vote should rule. True faith like Abraham's accepts God's word as absolute truth. - Period. -- It's just that simple. Truth can be very unpleasant, but righteousness can only come by complete faith in God and His word. Putting our faith in any man - made law, whether from a vote or from man's flawed love is like standing on quick sand. The outcome of all situations should be ruled only by the unshakable truth of God's Holy Word. - And to put it bluntly, Giving Pastors the authority to marry people that God's Word has expressly prohibited from marrying is and act of unfaithfulness to the Scriptures. No matter how much we love our neighbor, an act that is not based in faith will not have a righteous outcome. And that means, no matter how well intentioned, it will not turn out well.
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