Presbyterians: Gay Clergy Yes, Gay Marriage No

By Julie Bolcer

PresbyterianChurchx390 (Screengrab) | Advocate.com

Delegates at the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted Thursday in Minneapolis to advance a proposal to allow gay clergy, but they decided against allowing same-sex marriages by a narrow margin. The gay clergy proposal now must be approved by a majority of the church’s 173 presbyteries, which rejected a similar measure two years ago.

According to the Associated Press, “Both of Thursday’s votes were close. Fifty-one percent of delegates voted to shelve the proposal to redefine marriage as being between ‘two people’ instead of between ‘a man and a woman,’ just hours after 53 percent of them voted to allow non-celibate gays in committed relationships to serve as clergy.”

A motion to reconsider the marriage vote failed by a wider margin Friday, the AP reported. Church committees will spend the next two years until the next general assembly reviewing the issue.

With 2.8 million members the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is the 10th largest church in the United States.

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Reader Comments

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Name: Paul
Date posted: 7/12/2010 7:26:16 PM
Hometown: New York

Comment:
Welcome back to the Stone Age, Presbyterians! The "place at the table" has once again been denied, but put on your apron and get to work. Why anyone agrees to stay in such abusive relationships is one of the great mysteries of religion. I have a personal relationship with the Divine, and I belong to a wonderful spiritual center that celebrates ALL of God's creations; but staying where you are despised and hated is just a little too co-dependent for my taste.
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Name: Fred Stanley
Date posted: 7/12/2010 4:52:50 PM
Hometown: Palm Springs, CA

Comment:
What total nonsense!! You can not have your cake and eat it too!!
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Name: Allie
Date posted: 7/12/2010 9:48:07 AM
Hometown: Miami

Comment:
For all of you that are posting hateful comments towards the GA and PCUSA regarding the Gay marriage "no" vote, please know that it did not fail entirely. They voted to a two year discernment, and will bring it up once again in two years at the next GA. This is exactly what happened with the ordination of GLBT people. (They voted to a study period of the Peace and Purity report a few years back. )I feel this is a pretty big step for PCUSA, and although I am also disappointed they didn’t vote for the change of “man and woman” to “two people” in the church’s definition of marriage, I am patient enough for the prayerful study time for the next two years. There are people in the Presbyterian Church USA that do believe we GLBT brothers and sisters are a whole and complete part of the church and should justifiably be treated as such. Keep praying; keep hoping, because it will happen 
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Name: Steve
Date posted: 7/12/2010 7:46:44 AM
Hometown: Clearwater, Florida

Comment:
How are they supposed to determine who is in a committed relationship without marriage? I thought marriage was THE committed relationship? Maybe when when one of their priests is found in a "committed" relationship with two of thier bishops and a couple of members they'll figure that out.
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Name: Randy
Date posted: 7/11/2010 1:06:00 PM
Hometown: Lakeland

Comment:
WOW!! You can lead us, just don't marry (even if it still would not be "legal"). The members who voted no on the marriage are the same who vote no on the clergy also (no brainer). So at least 51%-53% of the members are still bigots. Do you think if it had passed the other way (by 2%) that the other 49% would just accept it?? I think they would be splitting from the church as we speak. What do you think the real 49% (the real losing side) are going to do? Well, I guess we just need to "be nice and patient" for two more years. PEOPLE, WAKE UP!! We may always be the minority and NEVER HAVE ENOUGH VOTES. WE NEED TO TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY...IT IS OUR COUNTRY TOO. There is a REAL EVIL OUT THERE it is called HATE, HATE, HATE through "CHRISTIANITY". Their god is a god of hate. My God is a God of LOVE. The 53% really want us in prison, another country or even dead. (don't think they don't). SIN?? (let's give them this one for a moment) Which sin is greater? Smoking, drinking...use to be sin...
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Name: JamesStone
Date posted: 7/11/2010 12:54:14 PM
Hometown: Ohio

Comment:
I wonder when these so called "Christians" will start following the words of Christ who preached of love and understanding of fellow man? There is not one homophobic verse from Christ in the New Testament. They pick and choose old verses in the Old Testament which also condone slavery and a host of other ugly things. That's okay..we won't darken your doors and we will keep our wallets to ourselves..
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Name: d
Date posted: 7/11/2010 11:08:36 AM
Hometown: raleigh

Comment:
"If I can't marry my Beloved John, then I am not coming to YOUR little Sunday morning get togethers Any-More!" Jesus
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Name: Cris
Date posted: 7/11/2010 9:53:43 AM
Hometown: Buda Texas

Comment:
Sooner or later, the Presbyterians will choose love over hate.
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Name: kev
Date posted: 7/11/2010 9:53:37 AM
Hometown: Boston

Comment:
A weird vote, but it maybe indicates that mainstream "liberal" Protestants have gotten used to the idea of premarital sex, while buying into the hetero marriage industry's racket. The average heterosexual wedding costs over $20,000 - I think it's closer to $28,000 or something, yikes - and the average pleasant-looking Presbyterian church probably has every summer weekend booked with this "cash cow" from the heteros, already. So they think they don't really need us, in a business sense. They think we can go elsewhere, and even their own gay clergy can go get married at the UU or something (ha ha). Weird.
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Name: still proud
Date posted: 7/11/2010 9:37:34 AM
Hometown: NY

Comment:
It IS one step closer..... and the loss margin is much closer than past votes...

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