I need to be fully who I am, and the church needs to accept that. God calls me to both things equally, to be who I am and to be a pastor of the church….My sexuality was so intertwined in my ordination process and becoming who I am. Some people say. “My sexuality has nothing to do with it.” Everyone has their own process. The spirit calls them to go through that process in different ways.
—Jeannine Oakes, a lesbian student at McCormick Theological Seminary (PCUSA), on the personal impact of Amendment 10-A
(Via Layman Online.)
July 12, 2011 at 9:17 pm
Two other money quotes:
“A Chicago Tribune article quoted the Rev. Frank Yamada, the new president of McCormick Theological Seminary who said many seminarians who are “LGBTQI” (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning and Intersex) are relieved that ordination no longer requires that a person be married to someone of the opposite sex or be chaste.”
(Open sexual immorality is now fine and dandy.)
And the other:
“ ‘This is a very historic day,” said the Rev. Daniel L. Martian, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Livingston. He told the Caldwells Patch that ‘Now that the prohibition is over with, we can come to the bar and have a drink without getting arrested.’ ”
(Yep, that is about right.)
As a PCUSA elder, I’m thinking about signing up for the Ashley Madison adultery dating site now that the prohibition is over.
July 12, 2011 at 10:16 pm
We’ve come a long way from the Westminster Assembly.
July 13, 2011 at 10:54 am
“The spirit calls them to go through that process in different ways.”
The spirit is so confused these days.
July 13, 2011 at 11:32 am
I note that she used spirit, and not Spirit, appropriately enough.
July 13, 2011 at 1:23 pm
Old excuse: “The Devil made me do it.”
New excuse: “The Spirit made me do it.”
July 13, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Shouldn’t she be embarrassed to have her name associated with such trite, meaningless drivel as these words?
July 13, 2011 at 9:51 pm
In my experience, most mainline seminarians wouldn’t recognize trite, meaningless drivel if it came up and took a piece out of their backside. It is in the very air that they breath, such that it is second nature to them.
July 22, 2011 at 4:57 pm
I can very much understand someone talking themselves into saying changes in ordination standards are a good idea. It is about attempting to re-engineer attitudes.
And I have to admit, the church has not always been kind. Especially in this context.
But this demand that the Church change its teaching to accommodate the agenda is one that can’t be accpeted.
People want God – or say they do – but on their own terms. We don’t ever and can’t ever come to God on our own terms. Even if every church organization in the country folds, it won’t change God.