Thursday, October 16, 2008

Church Impact: why is Sacramento Presbytery linking to it for mission and outreach?


This is outrageous. On my Sacramento Presbytery web site, under Missions/Outreach, under Justice, is a link to California Church Impact with a Ballot Recommendations pdf file. For proposition 8, the measure that would restore marriage to its traditional place, marriage between a woman and a man, there is this recommendation:


“Proposition 8. Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

IMPACT Recommendation: OPPOSE.
Marriage throughout history has undergone massive transformations. While contemporary churches and religious institutions may still be wrestling with the religious issues around marriage equality, we can still support secular civil rights. No church is or should be forced to sanctify any union it does not approve. IMPACT strongly supports the full inclusion of all adults in the right to marry. This moral commitment to equality is consistent with the findings of the California State Supreme Court. The only threat to conventional marriage comes from within a marital union – divorce, infidelity, disloyalty – not from without. Committed, fully-equal relationships between consenting adults strengthen our society. They do not undermine it.”

While just reading other information on that site makes it seem like a very important aspect of mission, the promotion of gay marriage eliminates my desire to uphold this particular agency. If this is where mission and outreach are pointing in my Presbytery I want nothing to do with it.

To simply say that "No Church is or should be forced to sanctify any union it does not approve" does not mean it won't turn out that way. How does linking to Church Impact aid the unity in our Presbytery?

7 comments:

Adel Thalos said...

And to think...your Presbytery is one of the more conservative ones.

Viola Larson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Viola Larson said...

Adel,
I will try that over some of the links did not work. California Church Impact seems to be connected to the California Council of Churches who, although I did not see this before have a multitude of articles advocating for gay marriage. Just go to href="http://www.calchurches.org/1-1.html">California Council of Churches

Viola Larson said...

One more time==just go to http://www.calchurches.org/1-1.html

Brian Spangler said...

Hi Viola-

I called J.O. at Presbytery Office to see if that could be reworded or deleted since it would not be something our full Presbytery would agree with.
In particular, the wording, "the" instead of "a" voice for the faith community makes it seem like there is no disagreement or diversity of thought.
Glad you are keeping track of such things.

B

Viola Larson said...

Thats a good idea Brian. I also thought that maybe it could just be moved to a links page with out the mission/outreach title and perhaps then they could also link to the Salvation Army and World Vision two helpful groups that are not pushing the gay agenda.

As I told Adel I discovered that this group is connected to the California Council of Churches which has a half dozen articles advocating for gay marriage. That is a shame.

Viola Larson said...

So Brian, is this the beginning of your blog : )