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"
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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
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