black@nisysg.DEC (03/20/85)
>Well, I know gay ministers. Most of the ones that I know were ordained >in denominations which were, at that time, not supportive of gay people >at all (some have changed their views and some have not) and those ordained >were deep in the closet. Some of them married and had children. Most >of them have since severed their ties to their original denominations, >due to the anti-gay sentiments of their church's hierarchy and their >own needs to be free. Many of them are still excellent ministers to >their flocks. Many have joined with MCC, Dignity, or other groups >catering to gay Christians. Rev. Troy Perry and Rev. James Sandmier >are two examples of Christian ministers (fully out, which is why I use >their names) who have dedicated their ministries through MCC. Troy was >a Baptist and James was a Mormon. >-- >Richard A. Brower Fortune Systems Somehow, I can find no fault with congregations that are not supportive of "gay" ministers. No matter where I look in scripture, nowhere can I find a single verse that approves of homosexuality. I find only condemnation of the act as abominable. Scripture teaches, however, that we Christians should put out the sinner from our congregations only if he (or she or it) refuses to repent the sin and sin no more. I find this reasonable, after all, salvation is promised to all flesh that believes in Christ, and true repentence is a sign of faith. Luther teaches that if a person is called to the ministry, and is secretly an unrepentant sinner, his (her, its) ministry is still valid. He also teaches that it is fitting and just to excommunicate a blatantly unrepentant sinner, which would obviously include defrocking if necessary. Of course a congregation made up of unrepentant sinners will obviously follow with great gaity a minister who is also an unrepentant sinner. (I could have great fun with the terms "flock" and "sheep" here, but I'll spare the net. I'm not that crass.) By the way, I think God's UUCP path is cute. I believe that He created Man (that's intended as Mankind, not as in the male/female context) to His own image and likeness. I believe that since He gave Man a sense of humor, His own sense of humor must be infinite. So He must have a good chuckle when we mere humans poke good, clean fun at Him. Imagine a Universe-wide belly-laugh. In Hoc signo, Don Black