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 | 2000-JUN: PCA press release on homosexuality: The Office of the Stated Clerk issued a press release prior to the denomination's year 2000 General Assembly. Under a heading "Some positions of the Presbyterian Church in America" they wrote: |
"The PCA is committed to the sanctity of human sexual relationships. We believe God's intent in creation was that male and female would be complementary, that the privilege of sexual expression would be between male and female only, and this expression would be only in the context of marriage. Both heterosexual and homosexual sexual behavior outside of marriage violates the human spirit and distorts God's intent for men and women." 1
| 2000-Summer: Neo-Confederates attempt split of PCA: According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Rev. Steven J. Wilkins, is the "pastor of the Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church in Monroe, La., and a founder and current board member of the neo-Confederate" League of the South (LOS). The LOS allegedly attempted to take control of conservative churches in the Southern US -- an act that could lead to a schism within the PCA. Wilkins promotes Christian Reconstructionism (a.k.a. Dominion Theology and Theonomy). This is an extreme, radical Fundamentalist Christian belief system that arose out of conservative Presbyterianism in the early 1970's. They advocate a return to the Mosaic law of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). They are attempting to convert the United States into a theocracy, similar to Afghanistan before the Taliban were overthrown. Leaders of the Reconstructionist movement advocate that the "death penalty be used to punish those guilty of 'apostasy (abandonment of the faith), heresy, blasphemy, witchcraft, astrology, adultery, 'sodomy or homosexuality,' incest, striking a parent, incorrigible juvenile delinquency, and in the case of women, 'unchastity before marriage.' Non-capital crimes would be sanctioned with whipping, indentured servitude or slavery." Wilkins has allegedly said that the League's goal is to save America from "paganism" and restore it as "the last bastion of Christendom" (It is not clear to which of the many different meanings of "Paganism" he is referring.) He has allegedly stated that slavery is "perfectly legitimate." Wilkins had tried to remake the PCA, but allegedly told Christian Renewal in 2000-APR that "the denomination is unreformable." In 2000-AUG, he sponsored a meeting involving 10 churches of the Louisiana Presbytery. They discussed leaving the PCA. The Rev. Kennedy Smartt, moderator of the PCA’s 1998 General Assembly, says that the PCA could lose "25 to 30 churches" pastored by men with "theonomic views." 2 | ||||
| 2001-JUN: PCA comment on PC(USA) resolution: The General Assembly of the larger and more liberal Presbyterian Church (USA) had just passed a resolution which would allow gays and lesbians to be considered for ordination. The resolution was later rejected by a majority of presbyteries. The PCA's news officer, Dominic Aquila, is reported as saying: "Our concern is for the integrity of Scripture, which clearly gives us guidance for every area of life, including the family and chastity. We believe God has ordained that sexual relationships should be between one man and one woman in the context of marriage, and that neither heterosexual relations outside of marriage, or homosexual relations, are appropriate....We're concerned that one branch of the church would take a position that gives endorsement appearing to be contrary to Scripture." At the PCA's own General Assembly, about 1,500 delegates were expected to recommit the PCA: "to the sanctity of human sexual relationships. It believes God's intent in creation is that male and female are complementary, that the privilege of sexual expression is to be between male and female only, and this expression is to be exclusive in the context of marriage." 3,4 | ||||
| 2003-JUN: PCA supports exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage: According to the American Family Association Journal: "At their General Assembly in June 2003, the PCA used that WCF language in a resolution to reaffirm the denomination’s strong stand for a Biblical view of marriage." Evangelical Christian groups use terms like "biblical view of marriage" and "traditional marriage" to refer to unions restricted to one man and one woman; i.e. excluding same-sex couples. 5 | ||||
| 2003-OCT: A message from the the Louisiana Presbytery: The Presbytery unanimously passed
a resolution: denouncing:
They regarded both as being in opposition to the Bible and to the historical Christian position. They commented: ""These actions clearly show that America, if she does not repent and actively turn from her national sins, has begun a death march." They maintain that the Old and New Testaments inerrantly state that that sodomy is forbidden. "God has declared it an abomination". They called "on churches to proclaim God’s displeasure regarding sexual sin, to lovingly and truthfully reach out with the Gospel to those enslaved in these sins and to model God’s glorious design for marriage. 6 |
References:
- PCA Press release, 2000-JUN-4, at: http://www.pcanet.org/admin/
- "Confederates in the Pulpit," Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report, 2001-Spring, at: http://www.splcenter.org/
- Janet Chismar, "Homosexual Ordination Vote Widens Gap Between Presbyterian Factions," ReligionToday, at: http://news.crosswalk.com/partner/
- "Presbyterian Church (USA) Votes Against Biblical Morality," Reclaiming America, at: http://www.reclaimamerica.org/pages/
- "Paper v. practice," American Family Association Journal, 2004-MAY, at: http://www.afajournal.org/
- "A message to the churches of our Lord Jesus Christ," Louisiana Presbytery, Presbyterian Church in America, at: http://www.auburnavenue.org/
Copyright © 2002 and 2004 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance.
Latest update 2004-DEC-20
Author: B.A. Robinson
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