 A
better way  The Presbyterian Layman – Volume 34, Number 1 – Posted January 21, 2001
A better call comes from the Korean Presbyterian Council’s recent open letter, which implores our church: “... out of deep concern and heart-aching love for this denomination, thirty seven thousand Korean-American Presbyterians are pleading to you to support the proposed Amendment of same-sex union ban (Amendment O) as you deliberate the amendment in your presbyteries in the coming months. … “... Scripture defines the marriage God instituted in terms of heterosexual monogamy. Scripture envisages no other kind of marriage or sexual intercourse, for God provided no alternative. Any sexual behavior outside of this definition, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is displeasing to God. Thus, there is no doubt that modern loving homosexual partnerships are incompatible with God’s created order … It is not pastoral to bless behavior that is contrary to God’s revealed will.” “Aside from all these theological disputes, the blessing of same-sex union, whether it is considered to be a marriage or not, will have an exacerbating impact on the declining membership of our denomination. Korean-American constituency which has experienced 50 percent increase in membership and 90 percent increase in per capita during the last ten years will see a devastating blow in it membership growth because Koreans, particularly young people, are conservative and evangelical in their faith and will turn away from our denomination. In a word, the blessing of same sex union would bring our demise as a church of Jesus Christ. While we have been involved in a dispute over sexuality and ordination standards for the past two decades, we have almost lost our identity and mission as a church of Christ. … “... The blessing of same sex union is not a blessing but a curse on our homosexual brothers and sisters in our church. It is an unjust act to take away the opportunity of being healed and transformed by the love and truth of Jesus Christ. Our merciful God calls us to turn away from our brokenness to His wholeness and holiness through faith in Jesus Christ who came to heal the sick and to forgive our sins. To say this is not to minimize the pastoral responsibility of ministering to those caught in the moral confusion of our time. This responsibility requires great care, love and sensitivity. As we share the sufferings of our homosexual brothers and sisters, we will continue to pray with compassion by holding out the hope we have in Jesus Christ for a new life empowered by His Spirit. … “Let us pray together for the transforming and healing power of the Holy Spirit. And let us get on with our business, ‘The Great Ends of the Church.’” The emphasis is mine, but I pray that all God’s people in every presbytery will say AMEN! |
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