Posted on 07/04/2005 3:31:56 PM PDT by lightman
It is more moral to not be a member of any religion that endorses an abomination.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
It seems that churches are no longer a safe place to take one's family
United Church of Christ= Wolves in sheep's clothing
"It is more moral to not be a member of any religion that endorses an abomination."
Works for me
Who in the world is the "United Church of Christ"?
Never heard of them.
What's their membership? These guys aren't anywhere near being "mainstream", are they?
It goes with the news behind the following.
United Church of Christ Considering Divestment from Israel
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1430835/posts
Anglicans Call for Sanction on Investment in Israel to Uphold Justice
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1430772/posts
Russian Orthodox Church Ready to Open up New Ecumenical Relationship with WCC
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1430815/posts
Jesus said: "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore, they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." -from THE BIBLE: Matthew 19:4-6
the synod ? did they steal that from Earth: Final Conflict ?
i was raised in the UCC, and as a matter of fact, my mother is at that very synod meeting in atlanta as we speak. i left the UCC about 15 years ago, in response to their growing liberalism and the preaching of the 'social gospel' they are so proud of. i'm saddened but hardly shocked. the UCC has been performing gay marriages for years, and ordained the first openly homosexual minister in the mid 1970's.
It is a mess.
This is not a religion it is more of a cult.
Are they going to rewrite the script of 'Do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, and do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife.'?
Does the church preacher still have to have a valid marriage license from the local or state gov. and if this is so, couldn't the local or state gov. take away the preacher's license if they refuse to marry any couples other than a man and a woman?
The actual membership of UCC churches varies enormously. Some congregations are quite liberal, others, probably a majority, are pretty much in the middle for mainline churches, and a fair number of congregations, especially in New England, are rather more theologically traditional. There are a significant number of UCC members who remain in their churches primarily out of tradition: their families have been congregational since the 17th century, fill the cemetery near the old church they grew up in, and they want their children to appreciate the heritage. In Connecticut it's not unusual to see UCC churches that are 75% Republican (RINO in many cases but still 'pubbies) with clergy just to the right of the Gang of Four
The UCC national and regional administrations, and a large number of the clergy, are very radical and are the ones who pushed this resolution and the whole left-wing political agenda of the UCC National body. The number of normal young men with UCC vocations is at an all time low, and probably 2/3 of those in UCC seminaries (including up until recently Yale Divinity School) are women. Most of the women are either divorcees whose exes left them for trophy wives and are paying for their education, or lesbians. It's getting harder and harder for traditional UCC congregations to hire pastors who are not radicals.
You might think this resolution will force many people out of the UCC, and it could cause some major congregations to leave the UCC and be come "continuing congregational" just like the Congregational Churches that declined to join the UCC when it was created in 1957. (Unlike the Episcopal Church USA, in the UCC, each individual congregation owns its property and sets ALL of its own rules.) More likely, however, there will be local discussion and disagreement, with a large number of churches -- again especially in Connecticut and New Hampshire and Maine -- who remain in the denomination in name (so the clergy get retirement programs etc.) while reducing their financial support of the UCC and who simply decline to perform gay marraiges.
Are these people insane?
'In another daring move, the Synod declared all 'gods' equal, effective immediately. The announcement was made after an exhaustive sixty-minute study of ancient and contemporary pantheons, pseudo-religions, cults, and whiskey bottles.'
'A spokesgod for the group said, 'It was long over-due, and it will put an end to those silly arguments by those who think their god is bigger than anyone else's.
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