Politics
Monday January 24, 2005
United Church of Canada Petitions MPs in Support of Same-Sex Marriage
Says scripture "can be altered or re-interpreted based on changes in society"
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
TORONTO, January 24, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The United Church of Canada officially endorsed same-sex “marriage” Friday, in a letter encouraging lawmakers to vote in favour of extending marriage privileges to homosexuals.
“The United Church of Canada requests the Government of Canada to recognize same-sex civil marriages in federal marriage legislation,” Moderator Right Rev. Dr. Peter Short said in a letter to MPs.
Dr. Short explained in his letter how the United Church, in 1988, welcomed all persons “who profess faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of their sexual orientation,” to become active as ordained ministers within the church.
In addition, “in 1992, the church mandated that liturgical and pastoral resources be made available to congregations for same-sex covenants,” his letter continues. “Recent United Church resources for marriage preparation make no distinction between heterosexuals and homosexuals.”
Arguing that the words of scripture, although taking an “unfavourable view of intimate same-sex relationship,” can be altered or re-interpreted based on changes in society, Dr. Short said, “It is never legitimate to use the words of scripture to promote a loveless agenda.”
[Dr. Short may be alluding to Leviticus, or perhaps to the letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, which states: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.”]
“I write to you in the hope that you will resist the assumption that anyone who speaks from Christian faith, tradition, and values must be against equal marriage,” his letter concludes. “Those who claim that homosexual people threaten to dismantle the value of heterosexual marriage would do well to remember that if anyone destroys marriage, it is married people, not gays and lesbians.”
Read the letter online at:
http://www.united-church.ca/moderator/short/2005/0117.shtm
tv
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- BREAKING: US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 220 to 215
- Stupak Amendment to Health Care Bill Passes 240 - 194 Saturday Evening
- Major Health Care Development - Pro-Life Stupak Amendment Vote OK'd for Today
- NY Times: Dems Banking on Later Squeezing Pro-Life Language Out of Bill in Committee
- USCCB Spokesman: "Definitely Not True" that Bishops Support Bill As it Stands
- TIME Got it Wrong - Prof. George Opposed Grandiose Kennedy Funeral
- USCCB Condemnation Tears Facade off "Phony" Abortion Compromise for Health Bill
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholic Left
- Dirty Fighting on Abortion Funding: Word-Games and Health-Care Theatrics Boggle the Mind
- Commentary on November 6 News
- Note to LifeSiteNews Subscribers with Rogers email addresses
- New York Gov. Declares Nov. 10 Extraordinary Legislative Session for Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Washington's Pro-Family Amendment Effort Defeated - R-71 Almost Certain to Pass
- Vote Pushed Back on Canadian Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Bill to Dec. 2
- Elderly U.K. Couple in Good Health Commit Suicide, Complain of Assisted Suicide Law
- Texas Late-Term Abortionist and Baptist Minister Admits: "Am I killing? Yes, I am"
- New Evidence Contradicts CCHD's Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner
- Quebec Priest Denies Possibility of Sexual Reorientation Therapy on TV
- New Hampshire Same-Sex "Marriage" Law in Crosshairs after Maine's Law Crumbles
- Brooklyn Bishop Criticized for Recorded Message Praising Pro-Abortion Politician
- First Group of "Traditionalist" Anglicans in Britain Votes to Enter Catholic Church
Most Read this Week
- Planned Parenthood Director Resigns after Watching Ultrasound of Abortion Procedure
- Nun Defiant Following Rebuke, but Stops Abortion Escorting
- Breaking: Dominican Community Apologizes for Nun Caught Acting as Abortion Escort
- Over 200 Christendom College Students Protest Abortion at Planned Parenthood Clinic
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholics Left
- Scottish Gay Rights Activists Found Guilty of Pedophilia Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- Newly Identified Corporate Supporters of Planned Parenthood Named
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- Major Health Care Bill Development - Stupak Hyde Amendment Vote OK'd
- Canadian MP Launches Petition to Stop Federal Funding of Planned Parenthood
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.