IN THE ZEAL TO BAN HOLY UNIONS
OF
GAYS AND LESBIANS,
A MONSTER HAS BEEN CREATED,
AND IT'S CALLED "AMENDMENT
O"
[This informational flier has been prepared and distributed by the
Tampa Bay Chapter of The Witherspoon Society.]
[ 2-23-01]
The Book of Order typically specifies what church
officers "shall" do or "may" do. It is not a rule
book of prohibitions. Amendment O is "irregular and
extraordinary" -- so said the Advisory Committee on the
Constitution in 1993 and 1995 when similar amendments were defeated.
On February 24th, 2001, the Presbytery of Tampa Bay
will vote on a matter of great importance. It's called Amendment 00-O.
When you look at it closely, you may want to call it Amendment Oh! Oh!
Oh!
The scope of censured ceremonies and events for
ministers, elders and deacons in the Presbyterian Church (USA) is very
large indeed. The list on the next page is not exhaustive, but it will
give some idea about the prohibitions of Amendment O if it is adopted.
We think Presbyterian ministers and sessions know best
how to minister to their people and how to use their church property.
That's our Reformed Tradition. If you agree, vote "NO" on
Amendment 00-O.
Prohibited Persons:
Now "Mix 'n Match." Any ceremony or event
with a person or persons on the prohibited list is banned. The
prohibitions are further complicated by the absence of definitions of
"fidelity" or "chastity."
To be fully in order, ministers, elders and deacons
would be required to ask all married persons about their fidelity and
all single persons about their chastity. Are we really prepared to do
this? If not, why vote for a constitutional prohibition that says as
much?
HATE HURTS.
LOVE HEALS
Recommended Resources
Stranger at the Gate, Mel White, Simon &
Schuster, 1994.
The Loyal Opposition, Struggling with the Church
on Homosexuality, edited by Tex Sample and Amy DeLong, Abingdon
Press, 2000. This is an excellent book from leaders of The United
Methodist Church.
Homosexuality and Christian Faith, Questions of
Conscience for the Churches, edited by Walter Wink, Fortress Press,
1 999. Fortress Press reports that this book contains articles from
preeminent church leaders -- women and men, Protestant and Catholic,
mainline and evangelical.
Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth, A resource for
congregations in dialogue on sexual orientation, The Alliance of
Baptists and the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, 2000.
We Were Baptized Too, Claiming God's Grace for
Lesbians and Gays, Marilyn Bennett Alexander and James Preston,
Westminster/John Knox Press, 1996.
A Place at the Table, Bruce Bawer, Simon
& Schuster, 1993.
Is the Homosexual My Neighbor?, revised and
updated, Letha Dawson Scanzoni and Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Harper San
Francisco, 1994.
Caught in the Crossfire, Edited by Sally B.
Geis & Donald E. Messer, Abingdon Press, 1994.
Claiming the Promise, Mary Jo Osterman,
Published by the Reconciling Congregation Program, 1997. An ecumenical
welcoming Bible study resource on homosexuality.
We encourage all persons to join us in prayerful study
and be open to dialogue as we attempt to:
