The legalization of homosexual 'marriage' is effectively being used to pressure weak church leadership into abandoning Scriptural Authority in favor of politically-correct acceptance by the popular culture.
The following secular news media story is a case study of success of the 'gay agenda' in corrupting the church
-- From "Same-Sex Couples First Must Find A Willing And Able Cleric" by Elizabeth Hamilton, The Hartford Courant (Connecticut) 11/21/08
As [the lesbians] knelt on the altar in the soaring main sanctuary of Immanuel Congregational Church, [they were married] with the "blessing of Christ's church" . . .
Just because the [Connecticut] law says homosexual couples can marry, it doesn't mean clergy have to perform the ceremonies, or even have the authority to do so.
United Church Of Christ ministers . . . belong to one of the few mainline Christian denominations that are allowing their clergy to choose how they respond to the new law, along with Reform and Conservative Jews.
Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Evangelical Lutherans, Orthodox Jews and a variety of other denominations have clearly stated policies that clergy are not permitted to perform marriage rites for same-sex couples.
For many of these religious groups, the twin issues of same-sex marriage and the ordination of openly homosexual clergy have been divisive — some, like the Episcopal Church and the Methodists, have suffered painful schisms because of disagreements over the church's position about biblical authority and homosexuality.
In California, for example, United Methodist ministers defied orders from their bishop last summer and performed same-sex marriages before the law was overturned on the Nov. 4 ballot.
The American Baptist Church also allows its clergy to make up their own minds when it comes to marrying same-sex couples.
Connecticut Episcopal Bishop Andrew Smith said this is the first time in history that the state's definition of marriage no longer agrees with that held by the church.
Smith gave his permission in 2006 for Episcopal priests in his diocese to perform "pastoral blessings" for same-sex couples who have been joined in civil unions. He has extended that permission to allow for such blessings at same sex wedding ceremonies, but priests may not actually officiate at the weddings.
But at the denomination's annual conference last month, 26 clergy and lay people signed a resolution that passed by a two-thirds vote, imploring that Smith allow his priests the right to exercise their own discretion when officiating at same-sex marriages. Smith said he would take the resolution under advisement.
Obadiah Ballinger, the religious organizer for the advocacy group Love Makes a Family, said she has heard that some clergy, including Episcopal priests, "are working creatively within their guidelines" to participate in same-sex marriage ceremonies.
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