The US Presbyterian Church accepts gay marriage

Below is the official ratification of the amendment announced 14-F on the gay marriage. I chose the announcement ... in Korean because the Korean spokesman is cuter than his American counterpart. 🙂

Marriage according Presbyterians now defined as uniting "two persons traditionally a man and a woman." The previous definition was referring only to unions between "a man and a woman."

"Marriage Involves a single commitment entre two people, a man and Traditionally a woman, to love and Support Each Other for the rest of Their Lives."

"Marriage means the only commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman to love and support each other for the rest of their lives. »

Presbyterian ministers who do not wish to celebrate gay or lesbian marriage will not be required to do so. The US Presbyterian Church agreed previously to unite same sex couples, but only on a case by case basis and without giving the union called marriage. In some states or where gay marriage is legal, the Presbyterian ministers were allowed to celebrate gay or lesbians marriage provided their hierarchy was agreed.

Please do not confuse the US Presbyterian Church with the Presbyterian Church of America; it is firmly opposed to gay marriage.

The Presbyterian Church of the United States, which claims 1.8 million members, is the main US Presbyterian persuasion. The absolute majority of its 171 regional colleges - that unite nearly 10,000 local congregations - ratified the new definition of marriage as it had been passed by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church on June 19, 2014. At March 18, 2015, while 42 colleges had not yet voted, the absolute majority was already acquired by 87 votes to 41 votes against and 1 tie.

The vote by the General Assembly and ratification by the majority of collegial bodies have both sparked a wave of protests internally. Presbyterian College (the Americans call presbyteries) and faithful obedience to the left in recent years. Especially since 2011, when the Presbyterian Church USA has confirmed its decision to accept the ordination of gays and lesbians. This obedience has lost 428 congregations between 2011 and 2013, according to figures quoted by CBS.

(The Presbyterian Church of Scotland had undergone such turbulence two years later.

The start of the most conservative fringe facilitated obtaining an absolute majority for the recognition of gay marriage, even though many conservatives remained in the Presbyterian ranks.

Only a half-dozen American religious persuasions agree to marry people of the same sex, as counted by the Pew Research Center. The cumulative weight of these faiths remains a minority in the United States.

None of the three revealed religions has completely flipped, the United States, gay marriage camp. Muslims are hostile to it, while the subject divides the various Christian and Jewish faiths.

This article has been translated from our French blog, to view the original, click here.

Philca & Matt / MensGo

(Via all the press on 18 March 2015, including The New York Times)