Witherspoon responds to open letter
from "moderates"
[10-31-01]
The Executive Committee of the Witherspoon Society has adopted this
response to the Open Letter published in the Presbyterian Outlook,
October 29, 2001
An open letter from 43 Presbyterians was published in the Presbyterian
Outlook issue of October 29, 2001. In their letter, these people
speak as "moderates" to the church as a whole, expressing
their concern at the "rhetoric of contempt" being used by some
Presbyterians, including the astounding declaration that the 213th
General Assembly was "apostate."
On behalf of the Witherspoon Society, we are grateful
for this expression of concern. Along with others, we have hoped that
moderates in the church, and especially commissioners to the 213th
General Assembly, would raise their voices against this rhetoric of
contempt. The letter helps to break the silence.
We note at the same time that the letter goes on to
express opposition to this year's Amendment A, which would delete
G-6.0106b while strengthening G-6.0106a. The argument of the signers is
that any change in policy at this time would harm the efforts of the
task force.
This question was explicitly debated at the 213th
General Assembly. There were many who assumed, at the beginning of the
Assembly, that creation of the theological task force would be a
substitute for any action on G-6.0106b. As discussion went on, the
Assembly decided instead that creation of the task force should go along
with action to amend the Book of Order. This was approved by a 60% vote.
The Assembly did not act lightly or inadvisedly.
We must express our disagreement, therefore, with the
signers of the letter on this point. Several of them have been vocal
opponents of gay and lesbian ordination for many years, so their view
comes as no surprise, although numerous others have changed their minds
on this issue in recent years.
We appreciate these loyal Presbyterians for raising
their voices against the rhetoric of contempt and in behalf of
moderation. At the same time we are aware that they represent only one
segment of the moderates in the church, for there are many moderates who
agree with the 60% at the General Assembly who, after extensive
discussion, voted in favor of Amendment A.
Members of the Assembly's Committee 7, which dealt
with the proposal to set up a theological task force, stated on the
floor that it was not designed to deal with the question of GLBT
ordination. It is charged to seek the "peace, purity, and unity of
the church" by discussing a broad range of issues, including but
not limited to "Christology, biblical authority and interpretation,
ordination standards, and power." The Assembly expects it to lead
the church in a process of spiritual discernment and to build an
atmosphere of mutual respect.
The commissioners' vote in favor of Amendment A was
consistent with this understanding of the work of the task force. When
they voted to delete subsection b and strengthen subsection a, they did
it to return to presbyteries and sessions their historic role of
discerning the gifts of candidates for ordination. No session or
presbytery would be either required or forbidden to ordain gay or
lesbian persons. The high standards already included in subsection a
would be left in place, including the requirement that "their
manner of life shall be a demonstration of the Christian gospel in the
church and in the world."
The divisive enactment, discriminatory enforcement,
and destructive effects of G-6.0106b had become evident to many
commissioners at the presbytery and congregation level. They felt that
this provision of the Book of Order, rather than preserving peace,
purity, and unity in the church, has promoted an absence of peace. What
they could not foresee was the firestorm of controversy that would meet
Amendment A in some circles in the church with threats of schism, or
withdrawal of financial support, or personal denunciation of church
officers.
This new round of controversy may have helped,
however, to set the issues in broader perspective. The question is
indeed how we can best encourage an atmosphere of civility, seek unity
in the church, and support the work of the task force. It has become
clearer than ever that those goals will not be advanced by giving in to
threats and denunciations. The best way to detoxify the church
is to remove G-6.0106b from the Book of Order, relying not on law and
litigation but on justice and love, guided by the Spirit of God.
