Atheists Hold Out Hope For Their Ordination

A quick break from our regularly scheduled information...Yes, you read the title right.

On a recent trip to one of my favorite debate sites Debunking Christianity, I found an article stating that the Presbyterian Church central North Carolina has approved a measure to let gays and lesbians in partnered relationships be ordained. According to the News & Observer of Raleigh, the amendment was approved in a good ole Presbyterian vote

• "the amendment carried by a vote of 177-139 with 10 abstentions during a meeting of church leaders of the New Hope Presbytery, a region covering 36 counties from the Triangle to the Outer Banks."

Yes, you read it right...the 2.2 Million member REFORMED believing, no women preaching (at least initially), Presbyterian Church USA, which has been allowing and ordaining homosexual elders and clergy for years...has officially amended their documents and will officially amend their documents to allow HOMOSEXUALS to be ordained as long as they are "chaste" and don't have "extramarital" relationships and "live lives obedient to Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church." ...WHAT???

This decision is known as the "voice of the middle-ground"

• "We all held hands and sang 'Blessed be the Tie that Binds' in the Presbyterian way," the Rev. Moffit Churn, associate pastor at West Raleigh Presbyterian, told the newspaper. "The voice of the middle ground is being heard, at least in this presbytery. That was my sense."

All this has caused an atheist debate friend of mine to hold out hope that even he AN ATHEIST can be ordained within the Christian church one day...The problem is it sounds like that's already happening, and as I told him that idea isn't too far fetched based on the total moral breakdown that we are witnessing around the country in various pulpits...

Now this is all very interesting especially as it pertains to the allegiance that My church, The Grand Ole Church Of God In Christ has signed onto with the endorsement of the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights. As reported by Elder D.L. Foster of GCM Watch we be in TROUBLE if this declaration proves to be a way to sneak in an endorsement of homosexual rights, marriage and agenda into the church as it appears to be. The article can be viewed at the Tri-State Defender.

Of special interest is not only the eagerness of our Presiding Bishop, Bishop Charles E. Blake to sign onto the document,

“As Presiding Bishop of the Church Of God In Christ, International, it is my great honor and privilege to attach my signature to the 2008 Faith in Human Rights Statement. On behalf our 12,000 plus Church of God in Christ congregations in America and in 60 nations of the world, I endorse and encourage the great ideas and ideals of this document.”

The wording of the declaration is particularly problematic and without any qualifications. Please note these sections in particular:

• Declaration 2 ~ "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty"

And Declaration 16 which says:

• (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
  (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
  (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

"Without any limitation"??? Are these the ideas and ideals that we wish to endorse? I mean I thought that we held that marriage was exclusively between one man and one woman...Now it seems that we view "human rights" above any biblically instructed or restricted actions. Is that so? We must ask what the bible says about any limitation of humanity? You can read my thoughts by reading Homosexuality & The New Testament.

It's just much more simple to let it all flow isn't it? Don't worry about answering to God for anything, just make your life comfortable right here and right now...What a farce!

Matt: 7:12-14 ~ "12-Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13-Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14-Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Hopefully we can see that SIN is a problem of all churches and denominations, even normally conservative ones. I won't go into great detail here, I believe it speaks for itself, but I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Blessed!

UPDATE: You can hear Bishop Blake address his endorsement for the document and it's signing 2008 personally HERE. Be sure to let us know what you think.