Posted on 07/02/2015 6:13:11 AM PDT by marshmallow
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Episcopal Church has completed its embrace of gay rights, changing church law to allow same-sex religious marriages throughout the denomination, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide.
The new policy won overwhelming approval from the top Episcopal legislative body Wednesday, following decades of debate and conflict. It came 12 years after the denomination blazed a trail by electing the first openly gay bishop.
"To finally get to this day is an incredible moment," said the Rev. Cynthia Black, of Morristown, New Jersey, a lesbian who has been campaigning for gay acceptance for years. "It is the beginning. It is not the end. There will still be people excluded, but at least we've gotten to this point."
The vote came in Salt Lake City at the Episcopal General Convention. Many dioceses in the New York-based church of nearly 1.9 million members already had been allowing their priests to perform civil same-sex weddings, using a trial prayer service to bless the couple. Still, the church hadn't changed its own laws on marriage until Wednesday.
The new law eliminates gender-specific language on marriage so same-sex couples could have religious weddings. Instead of "husband" and "wife," for example, the new church law will refer to "the couple." Clergy can decline to perform the ceremonies.
The changes were approved 173-27 by the House of Deputies, a voting body of clergy and lay people. The deputies also approved a gender-neutral prayer service for marriage on a 184-23 vote. The House of Bishops had given authorization for both measures a day earlier.
The measures take effect the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 29.
The Episcopal Church is the U.S. wing of the Anglican Communion, an 80 million-member global fellowship of churches. Ties among Anglicans have been strained.......
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Is Episcopal even a Christian denomination anymore? I thought they stopped being a religion and became another liberal social activist group about three or four decades ago.
What does the Bible say about people that teach false doctrine?
If I recall, the liberal groups of the Lutherans and Presbyterians that accepted ‘gay marriage’ wouldn’t marry their own gay members until the state they happened to be in also accepted it.
Freegards
“To finally get to this day is an incredible moment,” said the Rev. Cynthia Black, of Morristown, New Jersey, a lesbian who has been campaigning for gay acceptance for years. “It is the beginning. It is not the end. There will still be people excluded, but at least we’ve gotten to this point.”
They might as well take the cross off the door, end communion, and eliminate confession. Since there is no longer any repentance for sin and no regeneration they are no longer a part of the Family of God. IRS should take away their tax exemption status as they are now a homosexual for profit LLC
what does she mean there will still be people excluded???
Homosexual activists have told us that they were working towards ALL people being able to get married. Meaning that homosexual marriage would make their lives complete.
Or is she one of these liberals who will push on for polygamy and group marriage? This is a strange statement for her to make.. In the midst of her joy about homosexual marriage, she states that some will still be excluded??? Who exactly will still be excluded????
There’s only one Church. Jesus isn’t a bigamist.
HA! It's not the Episcopalians whose tax exemption is about to disappear!
“Some people being excluded” is code for people in other religions/churches.
They are going to attempt to force gay marriage on every religion/church. That is their end game.
Satan a long time ago figured that he couldn’t beat the church, so he joined it.
And my the damage that little liar has done....
Did they clear this with God first or does He matter to them? I don’t know anyone who goes to that church anyway.
It is time for the Anglican churches, the majority of which are African and conservative, to officially declare the Church of England and the Episcopalians to be in variance of the faith, so are no longer to be considered Anglican. And thus, to sever all ties to them.
These are the Harlot Daughters of the Great Whore of Babylon.......................
Step by step and incrementally America is being dismantled.
Soon tyranny will rule here and we sit and do nothing!
I was Episcopalian until now.
My church built in 1885 was a great house of worship throughout the 70s and 80s.
Then they brought in a gay priest, he left to serve in a St. Ignace parish where he was summarily defrocked.
I have eight chained acolyte pins for each year I served.
The decline of that curch has been stagering to watch. St. Peter’s in Encinitas, California has been the exact opposite story.
Don`t no one get excited now, every thing is fine.
The gays will never allow polygamy and smoking them cigarettes will have to be done in secret.
Revelation 18
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
I would hardly consider going against the Word of God "blazing a trail."
"To finally get to this day is an incredible moment," said the Rev. Cynthia Black, of Morristown, New Jersey, a lesbian who has been campaigning for gay acceptance for years.
Oh goodie, goodie. My church has finally accepted my disgusting, perverted life style. All is good.
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due....
who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:26-27, 32
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.