The Voice Of One Crying Out In Suburbia

Speaking of gay "marriages"...

Our friend Stephen van Kuiken is at it again. Now he wants the Presbyterian Church USA to throw out his prior conviction for marrying gay couples...

>>>MAUMEE, Ohio: - A panel of Presbyterian Church (USA) leaders is expected to deliberate today in the case of a minister found guilty of marrying same-sex couples in his former church.

The Rev. Stephen Van Kuiken, 45, former pastor of Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, argued before a 10-member judicial commission Thursday that his conviction should be overturned. He has said that ministers have a right to call union ceremonies of gay couples "marriages."

The national rulebook for the Presbyterian Church (USA) allows ministers to bless commitment ceremonies by same-sex couples, but they must not call the ceremonies weddings. Van Kuiken says such "word games" assign a lower status to committed gay couples than to straight couples.

Last April the Cincinnati presbytery found Van Kuiken guilty of violating church rules and publicly rebuked him. When Van Kuiken continued holding same-sex marriages, the presbytery stripped him of his status as a minister. <<<

Two issues here: First, their bylaws specifically prohibit the acitivity he was engaging in, so what in the world does he have to appeal about? That is like a car thief trying to appeal a conviction not based on the evidence, but because he doesn't think stealing cars is wrong! Second, the PCUSA is reaping what it has sown by compromising with the radical homosexual agenda. By giving a little, i.e. allowing "committment ceremonies" for homsexual couples but not calling them marriage, they have opened Pandora's box. These radical homosexuals will not be satisfied with anything less than full marriage with all the accompanying titles and benefits. Anything else ("civil unions", "committment ceremonies") is just a stepping stone to that goal.

Homosexuals try to hide the inherent shame of their actions by making believe that they are a normal couple just like married heterosexuals. By solemnizing these shams, the PCUSA is helping to hide their sin and need for repenetance, and a church that does that brings shame on the entire Christian community and denies the Gospel of Jesus Christ.