May 2003 letters to the editor Archives of letters to the editor

The state of the church is 'sad' May 23, 2003 The onset of any General Assembly offers an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the health of the Presbyterian Church (USA) by the reports issued and the overtures offered for commissioners' deliberations. The actions or non-actions of the Assembly then help clarify the picture, as do the eventual votes on Assembly actions by the presbyteries. This year is no exception, and the early returns offer sad reminders of the divided state of the church and the remarkable degree of separation. The report of the racial ethnic advocacy committee demonstrates a worldview of radical anti-Americanism and a racial-ethnic group-think philosophy that is unable or does not desire to factor in individual responsibility or case-by-case evidence. By mere assumption, for-profit prisons and the percentage rates of racial-ethnic incarceration and length-of-sentence data are indicative of mere prejudice and unequal treatment. Charges of governmental genocide by asserted "germ warfare" fit the wildest ravings of "someone" being responsible for the sexually transmitted diseases and use of individuals who also happen to be people of color or supposedly unique ethnicities. I am continually amazed that people who can critique conservative and evangelical Christians as being hopelessly credulous for believing outdated and outmoded doctrines such as the virgin birth of Christ, or the bodily resurrection of Christ, or the Trinity and a Chacedonian Christology, can nevertheless stake a faith commitment of their own on liberal presuppositions such as the overwhelming control of racial identity in the thoughts of individuals. Whites can only act, regardless of what they may profess or believe they intend, in ways which endorse white privilege and oppress people of color. The justice system therefore fails because too many people of color are arrested, tried, convicted and harshly sentenced for crimes simply because they are people of color. People of color inordinately suffer because of poverty, drug use and the ravages of certain deadly diseases. The assumption is that their own actions or life choices cannot be responsible for the greater disparity in statistical numbers (never mind the flexibility and unreliability of statistical measurements), therefore someone else must be to blame – so why not our own government. If the American government, federal, state and local, were as these enlightened avatars say, what hope can they offer that their chosen form of government and social-problem solutions will be any better? How is it that one minority can be free from the contamination of a majority, and not many minorities (of various kinds) that make up the majority not also be free in various degrees – resulting in a proper functioning of our current governmental system? This report, and the horribly flawed report on families, demonstrate how two virulently opposed worldviews vie for control in our denomination. They use the same religious-based language, but mean totally different things by them and come to totally different conclusions of what is demanded by them. Peace might be achieved if we closed down all the national offices and agreed to preach our own separate gospels to whatever audiences we choose, but then it would not be a Presbyterian form of polity. What would one do with foundation monies, seminaries and other institutional parts of a formerly connectional church? The attempt by one side or the other to make use of the monies, schools and institutional apparatus for their view will disrupt the peace. Unity seems impossible in either scenario. Unity must be in Christ, but when the identity and nature of Christ is one of the differences, how can a church be unified in Him? Either the church will continue to radicalize the choices and reduce the alternatives for moderate/compromise choices, and force more congregations to choose upon which side they shall stand leading to the ultimate split, or one side must surrender and give in to either an enforcement of the current polity or a retreat from an unenforceable polity that has failed and cannot prevent disunity. The picture awaits Assembly action and presbytery reaction to come into clearer focus. Rev. Scott Mackey Fort Worth, Texas Commissioners asked to condemn America May 23, 2003 It seems the General Assembly is trying to divert attention away from their liberal ideas rather than concentrating on God's Word. The G.A. would do well to concentrate on cleaning up the environment of the PCUSA. W. C. Hughey Asheville, N.C. Saint Lawrence Island May 23, 2003 After the Presbyterians get all their internal church problems squared away, then maybe it might be nice to get into exploring such weighty problems as Saint Lawrence Island. 'Till then, I'd say the church folks pushing any kind of Saint Lawrence Island resolution have the cart way in front of the horse. Alan Cole McLean, Va. Overture seeking 'special needs office' for gays is a sham May 23, 2003 Commissioners to the 215th General Assembly are being asked to approve establishing a General Assembly level office to advocate for the "special needs" of the homosexual contingent of the church? And this advocacy for homosexual "special interests" would be funded by mission money given to further the gospel of Jesus Christ? I am aghast – as should be all sane Presbyterians. The only special needs the Bible knows for those engaged in homosexual fornication is a need to repent, confess and conform God's standards of sexual purity through the renewal of their mind in the power of the Holy Spirit. And I think that message can be promoted through our leaders' faithfulness to the gospel rather than the morally bankrupt, culturally accommodating, discredited, left-wing "progressive" political agenda they presently support in its place. And as I was reading the rational for this travesty, I noted in the long list of G.A. staff associates no mention of an office to represent the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of evangelical and orthodox members and their families in our local churches with special needs. I pray the commissioners see through this sham and not foist this shame upon our denomination. When will God's faithful people say "Enough is enough"? Rev. Bill Pawson Westminster Church Canton, Ohio Washington Office continues to fumble along May 23, 2003 Thanks for The Layman, you guys do a great job. I just wanted to mention something I've "discovered" on the Washington Office's section at www.pcusa.org/washington. If you click on "Issue Networks" and then on "Ecology & Environment," you will find this statement in the text: "Republican leadership in the Administration and Congress will be cautious not to look "anti-environment" as we move towards the 2004 elections. (maybe too partisan, may want to tone this down.)" Looks like the statement in parenthesis might have slipped by the editors! John Brown Knoxville, Tenn.

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