As a Presbyterian elder, I long ago wrote off the Presbyterian Church in Canada as irrelevant. Since moving from my congregation, which over 15 years ago declared support for the ordination of gay and lesbian clergy, I have not kept up-to-date on the PCC's struggles with the issues confronting our society.
I recently happened across the letter from Ron Benty. In it, he characterized the overture to General Assembly seeking a response to Canada's same-sex legislation as "an attempt by disobedient ministers and elders to open the door for carte blanche acceptance of all forms of homosexual practice." He further accused the authors of engaging in "utter rebellion against Holy Scripture."
I still marvel at the church's obsession with select parts of the Holiness Code in Leviticus that are the basis for its position on practicing gays and lesbians, while ignoring other prohibitions in this code, such as marrying cousins or shaving beards that are similarly irrelevant to our society. I have always chuckled at the preoccupation of PCC's clergy on where and how its members (gay or straight) practice sex.
After almost two decades, I can only conclude that the PCC has regressed in dealing with this social issue. No wonder its membership continues to decline.
Notwithstanding the above, I applaud Benty and others for beating a dead horse on the same-sex issue and furthering the cause of relegating The Presbyterian Church in Canada to its well-earned position of irrelevance in our society.
Till I check in in another 20 years!
