2,500 call on 215th G.A. commissioners to defend constitution, Scriptural authority The Layman Online Monday, May 19, 2003 More than 2,500 individuals and congregations, responding to continued defiance and disregard for the authority of Scripture, are calling on commissioners to the 215th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to defend the constitution and Scriptural authority. Commissioners, who will meet in Denver on May 24-31, will consider measures addressing such issues as public defiance of the constitution, disciplinary issues in the denomination, enforcement of the constitution, partial-birth abortion, Christology, the ordination standard, shifting the denomination's financial priorities from mission and evangelism to social action programs, and others. The more than 2,500 individuals and congregations say in their letter that the "majority of the members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have made clear their belief that it is time to honor Christ and show respect for the authority of Scripture at this year's General Assembly. The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been flagrantly ignored and degraded, and most Presbyterians are appalled by this." Among other things, they call on commissioners to "defend the Scriptural truth that Jesus alone is the way, the truth and the life, the only way to salvation, and that the godhead Trinity is the only God." The signed letters by individuals and congregations were in response to an open letter by the Presbyterian Lay Committee seeking their responses to issues coming before the General Assembly. The full text of the letters to commissioners signed by the individuals and congregations is as follows: "The majority of the members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have made clear their belief that it is time to honor Christ and show respect for the authority of Scripture at this year's General Assembly. The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been flagrantly ignored and degraded, and most Presbyterians are appalled by this. We are calling on you to defend the Scriptural truth that Jesus alone is the way, the truth and the life, the only way to salvation, and that the godhead Trinity is the only God. It is vital that the Presbyterian Church (USA) reject pantheism, syncretism, or any other attempt to encompass or embrace a different religion or faith. We are calling on you to take action to ensure that the Constitution will be enforced in every church in our body, as is your duty. The people have clearly spoken, and the Bible clearly states, that sexual fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness are requirements for righteous living, and this must be upheld by all who are ordained. We are also calling on you to eliminate the existing, tragic endorsement of partial-birth abortion. This hideous practice destroys infants created in the image of God, and it must be reviled in every way. "Thank you for doing your duty, for fairly representing the majority of believers in our denomination, for honoring Christ as Lord, and for defending the authority of the Scriptures and the Constitution of our church."

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