Episcopal Church approves same-sex blessing rite

[No Elephants]

Jul 10, 10:51 PM EDT

Episcopal Church approves same-sex blessing rite

By RACHEL ZOLL
AP Religion Writer

Episcopalians approved a churchwide ceremony Tuesday to bless same-sex couples, the latest decisive step toward accepting homosexuality by a denomination that nine years ago elected the first openly gay bishop.

At the Episcopal General Convention, which is divided into two voting bodies, about 80 percent of the House of Deputies voted to authorize a provisional rite for same-sex unions for the next three years. A day earlier, the House of Bishops approved the rites 111-41 with three abstentions during the church meeting in Indianapolis.

Supporters of the same-sex blessings insisted it was not a marriage ceremony despite any similarities. Called "The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant," the ceremony includes prayers and an exchange of vows and rings. Same-sex couples must complete counseling before having their unions or civil marriages blessed by the church.

Other mainline Protestant churches have struck down barriers to gay ordination in recent years or allowed individual congregations to celebrate gay or lesbian unions. However, only one major U.S. Protestant group, the United Church of Christ, has endorsed same-sex marriage outright.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EPISCOPALIANS_GAY_UNIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-07-10-22-51-56

Very mixed feelings about this.

If you believe the church may bless a same gender couple, why do you also believe that can you withhold marriage?

On the other hand, this is light years better than the position of the Catholic Church and most of the evangelicals, they are working toward full acceptance and it is better than nothing.

If I were gay, I would attend only the Church of Christ or I'd start my own church, though. (I would start my own church anyway, if I thought going to church were important. However, hearing the Bible twisted in almost every sermon drove me out of weekly services years ago.)

[Divine Discontent]

1. yeah, it's hard to find an inspiring loving church where you feel the clergy is not

saying the texts, then says, "what God really is saying here" every other minute.

Congrats to the Episcopalians! Good move.



www.zazzle.com/youre_not_in_the_1_why_vote_like_you_are_bumpe_bumper_sticker-128479630785214922?rf=238107662556833486

[No Elephants]

3. You know all those parts of the bible that say ony God gets to judge and

only God gets to enforce ("Vengeance is mine..."). it is "pastors" doing the opposite of those things and allowing, even encouraging, the flock to do the opposite of those things that drive me up the wall--and out of the church building.

[lbrtbell]

2. It's a step in the right direction, at long last - n/t