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Tuesday July 5, 2005
US United Church of Christ Sanctions Gay “Marriage”
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ATLANTA, July 5, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The 1.3-million member US United Church of Christ (UCC), at its General Synod Monday, passed a resolution endorsing “marriage” for same-sex couples. UCC President Reverend John H. Thomas recommended the measure, claiming that Synod members “acted courageously to declare freedom.”
The resolution, passed by 80 percent of the 884 members of the Synod, states, “The Twenty-fifth General Synod of the United Church of Christ affirms equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender and declares that the State should not interfere with couples regardless of gender who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities and commitment of legally recognized marriage.” The resolution adds that individual churches should consider adding “wedding” services for same-sex couples.
Pastor of St. Paul United Church of Christ in of Cibolo, Texas, Rev. Brett Becker told the AP that his congregation is ready to split if a resolution passed to support same-sex “marriage.” “I would like to see us stay in the denomination and network for positive change,” he said. “However, many of my members have expressed very clearly that this decision would cause great consternation and that, if this happened, they would want to see us leave.”
“If we had put it to a vote of the people in the pews, it would have failed overwhelmingly,” Becker argued. “This is truly Independence Day for the UCC – we have declared ourselves independent from the teachings of Jesus and the clear teachings of Scripture.”
The UCC’s policies are so liberal that even CBS and NBC would not air their 30-second television advertisements last year that depicted same-sex couples among others being barred from a church.
On the heels of the Canadian government’s passage of homosexual “marriage,” Bill C-38, the leader of the United Church of Canada issued a pastoral letter commending the measure.
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
United Church of Canada Petitions MPs in Support of Same-Sex Marriage
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/jan/05012408.html
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