Pastor Won’t Marry Heterosexuals
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Tue, November 15, 2005
- Viewed 56
- (18) comments so far
Pastor David Ensign of Clarendon Presbyterian Church says he'll perform "commitment celebrations" for heterosexual couples but they won't carry the weight of law. Ensign is giving up his authority to perform marriages on the state's behalf.
The pastor tells The Washington Post his conscious had been nagging him because he says Virginia's marriage laws are unjust and unequal.
The move comes as the General Assembly is set to take up for the second time a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages.
The Clarendon church is a member of Presbyterian Church USA. A spokesman for the National Capital Presbytery says Ensign likely won't face any punishment.
This just in from the Associated Press: ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - A Presbyterian Church pastor in Arlington is protesting Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage by ending traditional marriages at his church, too…
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DanielR on Fri, April 14, 2006
This is, IMHO, outrageous. Not the Pastor’s action but the reaction of some to his action. While I disagree with him I believe he’s following the dictates of his conscience and his interpretation of scripture.
A sample of statements (out of context) from posts above;
people whose denominations have completely walked away from the authority of the Bible?
resign from the ministry and quit giving Christianity a bad name?
this man pretends to represent Christ and to minister in His name. he is a disgrace to the cause of Christ.
the unfortunate members of his church who have probably never heard a gospel message of salvation in the ministry of this man.
Like I said above, I’m not agreeing with the position he’s taken, but I agree with his right to take that position. If his congregation disagrees with him they should let him know, and if his congregation/denomination agrees with him let’s not accuse them of walking away from the authority of the Bible or the Body of Christ.
I talk to unchurched people fairly often and I hear people say that intolerance gives Christianity a bad name far more often than I hear liberalism or activism gives us a bad name.
Let’s pray for God to guide him on the right path, but let’s refrain from defaming an entire denomination or calling a man of God “a disgrace to the cause of Christ”.
IMHO
Brian La Croix on Fri, April 14, 2006
Daniel,
You say:
“I talk to unchurched people fairly often and I hear people say that intolerance gives Christianity a bad name far more often than I hear liberalism or activism gives us a bad name.”
Unfortunately, “tolerance” is only a one-way street for most. We are asked to be “tolerant” of homesexuals and homosexuality. What this really means is, “Embrace our beliefs and lifestyles and sacrifice your own convictions to do it so you can believe in the same Jesus we do.”
However, the Jesus they claim to love was extremely INTOLERANT of views that clashed with His own. He was very tolerant of people - crossing gender, racial, social, economic barriers to reach as many as possible. But he said, “It’s my way or the highway (to hell).” My paraphrase, but you get the idea. He never changed any of the Old Testaments moral direction regarding sexuality - in fact, if anything he reinforced and tightened them.
What I mean about tolerance being a one-way street is that WE are supposed to be tolerant, but no one wants to be tolerant of OUR viewpoint. This is the height of hypocrisy - one of the very accusations leveled against Christians who disagree with homosexuality.
It’s interesting to see the faces of those I point this out to. They have never considered that they were, in fact, intolerant. But they were, and they are.
To summarize, Jesus was tolerant of people (as we should be), but not tolerant of ideas, beliefs, actions, etc. that clash with Scripture (as we should not be).
Brian
Peter Hamm on Sat, April 15, 2006
Brian writes [To summarize, Jesus was tolerant of people (as we should be), but not tolerant of ideas, beliefs, actions, etc. that clash with Scripture (as we should not be).] What a BRILLIANT explanation of tolerance from Jesus’ perspective! Thanks so much!
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