Church's Stand on Gays Strained by 'Marriage'

One of the essentials of the Christian faith is the authority of scripture. Simply stated, the Word of God is the standard of what we believe, the foundation of our understanding of God's will. When an organization discounts the authority of the Word is when difficulties and divisions arise. This abandonment of the scripture as the authority by which the church operates is the source of the dispute over the ordination and marriage of homosexuals.

The United Church of Christ's endorsement of homosexual "marriage" -- a lone stance among the largest Christian denominations -- has stirred debate and divided dozens of its churches. Some have stopped sending money to the church's national office; others have left the denomination.

A prime example occurred last month at Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Toledo, Ohio, where, after the last votes were counted, some members applauded the decision to end their 45-year affiliation with the denomination. Others wiped away tears and walked out in protest.

"It has caused people to really think hard about their faith," said the Rev. Stephen Camp, administrator of the UCC's Southern Conference, which includes eastern Virginia.

"I think we're on the right side of history," said Mr. Camp, who backs the denomination's position. "We're seeking to be faithful to what Jesus Christ is saying, that we should all be one."

When history or society become the standard and not the written word of God by which the church determines right and wrong it ceases to be the church. The purpose of the church is to serve the will of God not the whim of man. Having the written word protects us from our own capricious nature. God's commands should not be subject to a vote.

Some conservatives, however, were angered by a UCC campaign that started about a year ago to reach out to homosexuals. Some of those same conservatives say leaders of the church crossed the line this time by supporting homosexual "marriage."

The "marriage" of homosexual couples "isn't what we preach, it isn't what we teach, it isn't what we believe," said the Rev. Lawrence Cameron, the pastor at Pilgrim UCC.

It is not that homosexuals should not be accepted as any other sinner is, but that no exception should be made to accommodate a sin rather than condemn it. In scripture the list of sins that includes homosexuality includes many others that all of us may be guilty of at least one. Help for the sinner starts with the acknowledgment that what he is doing is wrong. The church should be a light to reveal right and wrong and a place of help and healing so others may see and seek that help.