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 General Assembly 2004
Witherspoon at the Assembly |
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A Joint Statement to the 216th
General Assembly:
Denial of Civil Rights
[6-26-04]
As they gathered in Richmond, Virginia, on June 24 for
the convening of the Presbyterian General Assembly, three of the
organizations working for a more just and inclusive church issued a
statement expressing concern over the impending passage of a law by the
legislature of the Commonwealth of Virginia which would severely
restrict the civil rights of gay and lesbian people. The governing
boards of More Light Presbyterians, That All May Freely Serve, and The
Witherspoon Society all affirmed this statement.
The 216th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
finds itself gathered in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which in these days
is moving toward a radical denial of civil rights to gay and lesbian
persons.
We are aware that the proposed legislation (HB 751)
would ban any "partnership contract or other arrangement between persons
of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges or obligations of
marriage."
Our organizations, all working for justice in our
Presbyterian Church (USA), note with dismay and outrage this far-reaching
effort to reject any claims of gays and lesbians to any kind of respect,
or even legal standing, for their long-term committed relationships.
While we continue to deal with differences in our church
concerning the legitimacy of marriage for same-sex couples, and have
disagreements about the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender persons in the life of our church, we have been clearly
committed since the 190th General Assembly (1978) of the UPCUSA, "to work
for the passage of laws that prohibit discrimination in the areas of
employment, housing, and public accommodations based on the sexual
orientation of a person."
The 214th General Assembly in 2002 reaffirmed
and expanded this stance, reasoning that "there is no legal, social,
moral, or biblical justification for denying lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender persons access to the basic requirements of human social
existence."
If indeed faithful committed relationships are one of
the basic elements of a full and satisfying life, as the ardent defenders
of "traditional" marriage maintain, then surely those relationships must
not be denied to women and men who are by their own nature drawn most
deeply toward intimate relationships with people of the same sex.
We therefore, as a body representing the Presbyterian
Church (USA), enjoying now the hospitality of the great Commonwealth of
Virginia, urge the legislature and the people of Virginia to reconsider
the action they are contemplating, as a terrible denial of the rights and
dignity of people whose value as children of God is beyond question.
We also call upon the members of our own Presbyterian
Church (USA) to seek in every possible way to advance legislative and
legal action in our state and federal governments, that will protect and
expand the rights of people who seek to live in loving, wholesome and
responsible relationships, regardless of the gender of the two partners.
Endorsed by:
The Witherspoon Society
www.witherspoonsociety.org
Booth 920 at General Assembly
More Light Presbyterians
www.mlp.org
Booth 921 at GA
That All May Freely Serve
www.tamfs.org
Booth 919 at GA |
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If you have comments
about this statement,
we'd like to hear from you!
Just send a note
and we'll share it here. |
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Visit
our lively
new website! |
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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If you like what
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we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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