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| Response from Jack Haberer to Layman questions about "A Call to Sabbatical" | |
| 1.
In your appeal to Presbyterians to "Honor and respect our
Constitution," what was the signatories' rationale for omitting the
word, "obey?" We could have used many different verbs. We chose "honor" and "respect." Ours is a constitutional government. To honor and respect includes at minimum, being "governed by our church's polity" and "abid[ing] by its discipline." 2. In your appeal to Presbyterians to "Resist the inclination to provoke or initiate judicial confrontation" do you mean to imply that Presbyterians who witness a violation of the Constitution, e.g., a session's ordination of a self-affirming, practicing homosexual, are hereby constrained by the language of the appeal not to file a judicial complaint against that violation? In the case of egregious violations of the Constitution and/or public defiance of it, it is the violators themselves who would be "provok[ing] ...judicial confrontation." The respective governing bodies are required to exercise discipline. On the other hand whenever any of us witnesses violations of the Constitution, we need to remember that it was Jesus who set the pattern for the exercise of discipline in Matt. 18:15-17. He tells us to confront one another in love first as individuals, then with a few witnesses, such as the constitutional officers of a presbytery, and then - and only then - to exercise the force of judicial process. This pattern has been urged by the Presbyterian Coalition ever since the adoption of G-6.0106b 3. If one were to interpret this appeal as calling for a "stay of enforcement" regarding Book of Order G-6.0106b, do you believe that this would constitute a fair interpretation? We are not recommending a "stay of enforcement" or any other legal mechanism. The Constitution continues in force without compromise. 4. If this "sabbatical" becomes the standard for the PCUSA, what is the remaining significance of G-6.0106b? The letter affirms the authority of G-6.0106b. Its authority is not diminished in any way. |
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| Responses from signers of 'A Call to Sabbatical' to Layman's questions | |
| Press release from the Office of the General Assembly | |
| A brief analysis of 'A Call to Sabbatical' by Robert P. Mills | |
| Breaking News contents | |
