The Presbyterian stance on homosexual practice is the position of the vast majority in Christendom

George McNally in his lead letter ('˜Love is an abstraction with many subsets of meaning and practice', June 18) seeks advice on his expressed views re PCI, homosexuality and same sex relationships.
Letters to EditorLetters to Editor
Letters to Editor

As a teaching elder in the denomination let make the following points:

1. Every elder (teaching and ruling) at their ordination takes a vow accepting that the Bible is ‘the only infallible rule of faith and practice’. Therefore they are not at liberty to use Scripture as George does ‘like a recipe book.’ We need to remember that it is elders (both teaching and ruling) who are voting members of the General Assembly.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

2. Scripture has more to say concerning homosexual practice than the three texts George quotes in Leviticus and Romans. There is also reference made in Genesis 19; 1 Corinthians 6 vs9 and 1 Timothy 1 vs10.

3. The present position of PCI re homosexual practice is the position of the vast majority in Christendom. This has been the position for almost two millennia in the Christian church. To put it succinctly this is orthodox Christian teaching. The view that the prohibitions on homosexual practice are ‘context bound’ rather than ‘absolute for all succeeding generations of humankind’ has never been the position of orthodox Christianity.

4. In stating that doctrinal attitudes to usury, slavery and eternal punishment have all changed George is correct but in this area on sexual morality doctrine has not changed and for one simple reason - It is seminal to the One who has made us and who ordained that only man and woman were to be in sexual union with one another in the bond of marriage (Gen. 2 vs24). This Jesus clearly underlines in Matthew 19 and Mark 10.

5. The love George quotes from in 1 John 4 vs 8 is ‘agape’ which in its meaning is neither physical nor sexual but rather supernatural i.e. it comes from God and therefore can only be shown and expressed by God and by those who are in fellowship with Him (Roms 5 vs5). It is entirely separate from ‘eros’ which is passionate or sexual love.

I hope these points are helpful.

D. Howard Gilpin, Moira Co Armagh

Related topics: