A spirituality that knows no grace

Yesterday I saw a twitter on The # pcusa Daily which pointed to an article on an unofficial Catholic site entitled “Queering the Church.” The article, “Presbyterian Inclusion: Ratification Reflects the Bigger Transformation of Christian Response to Homoerotic Love,” was about how passage of 10-A by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will affect the rest of Christianity.

The author of the article, Terence Weldon, writes:

This process is clearly of fundamental importance to lesbigaytrans Presbyterians in the USA, but I believe it has far greater importance for the entire Christian church, worldwide: it is just one, local manifestation of a much bigger process. The ECLA took a similar decision in 2009, and recently 33 retired Methodist bishops called for that denomination to do the same. Three openly gay and partnered bishops have been ordained in the Episcopal and Swedish Lutheran churches and the German Lutherans have no problem with pastors living with same sex partners. The process extends beyond the ordination of gay clergy. There is increasing willingness in many local churches and (some national denominations) to bless same sex partnerships or even celebrate gay weddings in Church.

As can be seen by the link provided in the last line of the above quote, Weldon is also making a case for the soon occurrence of same sex marriage in the PCUSA as well as other mainline churches. That article is “Gay Marriage: Coming (Soon?) to a Church Near You.”

Weldon looking at the changes in the ECLA and their new acceptance for ordination of those who are in “committed, monogamous and faithful partnerships” goes on to write:

The Assembly did not approve a parallel proposal to provide for gay church weddings – but simple logical consistency will ensure that Lutherans must recognize that if all pastors are to be held equally accountable, equal opportunities for publicly declaring those monogamous, faithful and committed relationships must be provided – which will mean marriage where it is legally possible, and blessings for less formal unions where it is not.

Weldon adds the PCUSA to his list of those who will easily follow allowance of ordination of LGBT with church weddings where legal.

These, supposedly prophetic words are not all that is offered on the site. Some tend to think that LGBT rights are the only interest of such advocates. But since this is really a spiritual matter that would leave western Christianity in shambles one must understand that this is a full blown attempt to turn the church into a worldly unfaithful institution. And it is not simply a gay issue; it is a spiritual battle for the soul of the church.

One article, written to promote the idea of gay/lesbian spirituality, is Homoerotic Spirituality. After an attempt to show that most Christians have denounced any kind of sex as sinful, the author looks at sex and other religions. He does this to show how sex and spirituality go together. One weird example he brings up, is the Islamic idea of 1000 virgins for those who commit suicide for their faith. Another is tantric sexuality which is sex used by some Buddhists and Hindus to aide in the dissolution of the senses as a means of attaining absorption into the one. It actually does not lift up sex but uses it. Weldon also mentions the use of temple prostitutes in worship.

After naming all of these aberrations of sexuality Weldon writes, “It is useful, then to recognise the increasing signs that more and more people are recognising that sexual expression is not only not necessarily sinful, but can be a positive expression of the sacred, and has a close association with spirituality.”

If the Christian church is touched or changed by any of these ideas it will pull the curtain of night over itself.

Weldon also attempts over and over to pull the saints of the church into his web. In one article, "Eternal Bliss" - SS Felicity and Perpetua, March 7th, while admitting that there was probably no sexual relationship between the two martyrs he nonetheless calls their relationship queer.

Going on to other early martyrs he names them and then admits there is no real evidence that proves they are homosexuals. What he does describe, in his misguided attempt to make them fit in his queer community, is the deep love that Christians through the centuries have had for one another. It is a part of that unity of the faith that seems so elusive in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); it only comes from the deep love the Christian holds for their Lord.

There are so many more vile articles one could wander through on this site such as one that attempts to prove that the Magi, who brought gifts to Jesus, were gay. But my point in all of this is to show that to open the door to LGBT ordination is opening the door to so much more. There is a darkness that wishes to flood our lives with a spirituality that knows no grace. Where humanity enters with full force into unrepentant sin, mocking what God calls righteous, calling good evil and evil good, there they enter into communion with the un-god, forgetting the Lord who in love died for their sins and transformation.