Posted on 06/23/2014 6:39:22 AM PDT by Gamecock
At one point during this this week’s General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the hundreds of delegates, known as commissioners, gleefully bounced scores of red balloons in the air. At another point, they collectively broke into dance, confirming that most Protestants, especially if they’re old, white and Anglo, don’t look so great wiggling around. (Here’s a video, for mature viewers only.)
Mainline Protestantism, at least in its official curia, has been liberal for nearly 100 years. But for most of that century it was a thoughtful, dignified liberalism that still roughly adhered to historic Christianity’s moral architecture, even if it no longer upheld the core doctrine. But the yonder years of stately Protestantism, at least in the old Mainline, are largely over. And this week, the 1.7 million member PCUSA suffered a meltdown, authorizing clergy to conduct same sex unions, reaffirming its commitment to largely unrestricted abortion rights, and voting to divest from three firms doing business with Israel.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
they are flippin idiots who stand for nothing
All of these mainline confessional denominations are dying and bleeding membership and contributions. I see this outreach to the gays and uber multicultural progressives as a last desperate act to try and generate some much needed cash flow. Those priestly pensions aren’t going to pay for themselves.
PFL
The minute they condemn Israel, the only friggin’ Democracy, true ally of the USA and stable, Western regime in the entire region, the Presb’s are finished.
Sir John Glubb was a British General, historian and Arab expert, who wrote about the decline of Empires
the final stage of “Decadence” is marked by
Defensiveness
Pessimism
Materialism
Frivolity
An influx of foreigners
The Welfare State
A weakening of religion
A see a couple right away in this article...
A Protestant church that thinks it can solve membership decline by appealing to gays and multicultural-progressives will have as much success as a supposedly conservative political party that thinks it can win elections by appealing to illegal immigrants.
A sad bump for future reference.
There is a huge Presbyterian church directly across the street from my office. I’m tempted to put an Israeli flag in my front window where they can all see it next Sunday morning.
If they’re here
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/north-america/united-states-of-america
they’re apostate.
Is it PCUSA...or PC America? There is a huge difference?
More like a flat-line “church” now.
Placemarker
A great resource for detailing the differences between the two groups:
http://biblebased.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/13-differences-between-the-pca-and-the-pcusa/
1) The PCA does not ordain women to either of the offices in the church (Teaching/Ruling Elder, Deacon). The PCUSA by contrast ordains women to both offices.
2) The PCA affirms that the bible is inerrant and infallible in all that it teaches. The PCUSA does not.
3) The PCA repudiates abortion and considers it a violation of the sixth commandment. The PCUSA believes, there should be no limits on access to abortions, there should be public funding of abortions, and that there should be limits placed on people who demonstrate against abortion.
4) The PCA is against homosexual behavior and same sex marriage and believes both are sins. The PCUSA does not consider homosexuality to be a sin, ordains practicing homosexuals and came within 30 votes of giving the go ahead to same sex marriage ceremonies in the church. Their next General Assemby (GA) will probably do so. [Referring to future vote that just occurred last week.]
5) The PCA is against divorce except in cases of adultery or desertion. The PCUSA by contrast allows for no-fault divorce and remarriage.
6) The PCA has a constitution consisting of the Westminster Standards and Book of Church Order. All church officers must subscribe to these documents as their Confession of Faith. Teaching against the doctrines contained in these documents or violating them could result in trial and deposition from office.
By contrast, the PCUSA has a “Book of Confessions” containing all of the major Reformed Confessions, and some modern confessions of faith which change or even deny things contained in these confessions. They are viewed more as a series of general guidelines or suggestions that do not bind the conscience of officers in any way. PCUSA church officers routinely teach contrary to the doctrines contained in these documents.
7) The PCA is explicitly Reformed in its theology. Someone denying Calvinism would have an extremely hard time being ordained in the PCA. By contrast, the theology of PCUSA congregations varies widely from church to church and can cover a spectrum from defacto Unitarian Universalism to Neo-Orthodoxy to soft Arminianism. Very few PCUSA congregations are explicitly Calvinistic in their teaching and preaching.
8) The PCA is explicitly evangelistic in its belief that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” and that “No one comes to the Father except through [Him]” as well as its desire to see all people come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Whereas in the PCUSA evangelism is much less popular and often either non-existent or repudiated in the manner of influential PCUSA Pastor Rev. Randall K. Bush who stated recently: “As of this point, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been preached to all the corners of the world, so knock it off…. Once the evangelical notion of the church can be turned down for a moment, the wisdom of other faiths can finally speak.”
9) The PCA is committed to a principle of voluntary association and all PCA congregations own their own property. Additionally all giving to the administration and permanent committees of the PCA is voluntary. By contrast the property of PCUSA congregations is “regarded as held in trust for the benefit of the PC(USA).” This makes the dissolution of the denominational bond much more difficult in the PCUSA and can sometimes mean a congregation must leave without their church building.
10) While the PCA is gradually centralizing power, the PCA was originally intended to be a “grass roots” denomination and power is still vested largely in Presbyteries in the PCA. By contrast, in the PCUSA, power is much more centralized in the administration and General Assembly.
11) While the PCA is gradually becoming tolerant towards the teaching of theistic evolution, Creationism is still the doctrine held and confessed by most PCA pastors. By contrast, in the PCUSA, evolution is widely accepted.
12) While the PCA is gradually becoming more open to being involved in national and international politics, particularly through its membership in the NAE, they generally hesitate to take stands on issues that do not clearly fall under the oversight of the church. The PCUSA, on the other hand, routinely takes stands on a host of political issues ranging from immigration to increased funding for public schools to condemning big tobacco to divestment from Israel.
13) (Addendum Regarding Worship) – There used to be significant theological differences between the PCA’s and PCUSA’s theology of worship. These difference still exist on paper even though they no longer exist in practice. The PCA confesses that all of our worship should be directed only by the bible, while the PCUSA states that worship should be an amalgam of bible, culture, feeling, and tradition.
Amen.
If you go to that website and click on the “What We Do Tab” you will see things like
Care for creation and climate justice
Care for creation and justice are at the centre of WCC work on climate change. The Bible teaches the wholeness of creation and calls human beings to take care of the garden of Eden (Gen 2:15). The God of the Bible is a God of justice who protects, loves and cares for the most vulnerable among his creatures.
Ecumenical Water Network
The Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) strives to promote the preservation, responsible management and the equitable distribution of water for all, based on the understanding that water is a gift of God and a fundamental human right.
Towards just and inclusive communities
As an expression of its commitment to justice, human dignity and liberation the WCC, since its inception, has been a reliable partner of discriminated and excluded people - racial and ethnic minorities, those with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, Dalits and others - in their struggles. This is a theological activity with people who are exposed to racism, indigenous peoples, migrants, Dalits and people with disabilities.
Promoting Just Peace
This project is an integral part of the WCC response to violence and violent conflict today. It is based on decades of ecumenical deliberation, understanding, practice and advocacy. The project is participatory and action-oriented and assists churches and related groups to make progress toward greater unity for peace.
Yes...These are the differences...and the only way to know is to call the church and ask if they are PCUSA or PCAMERICA
Just before 1973, the folks considering splitting completely off from the mainline Presbyterian church looked for where the core doctrines had been abandoned.
The symptoms of that abandonment were abounding: Using Tithes to fund the Communist Sandanista Rebels and also to transport young Women across state lines for Abortions was too much to bear. So they examined the past and found other red flags and ultimately the core doctrinal abandonment that caused them.
The other symptom was in the 1930's in ordaining a minister who did not believe in the resurrection of Christ.
Ultimately it came down to the core doctrinal change, that of abandoning Biblical inerrancy.
The symptoms in any church ultimately comes down to faith in God, His Word, and His authority. And since the current depravity seen is no different and the need for sincere repentance is ever more evident - Severe prayers are indicated.
Thanks. So not all Presbyterians have gone loony tunes apostate.
This is why I don’t understand why so many Freepers equate Christianity with conservatism. Between black churches, the Catholic church, and churches like this one, it’s clear that Christianity is not parallel with American conservative thought. There are millions of Christian Democrats in America, and millions more Christian Socialists worldwide.
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