When Popular Culture Wins

Popular culture has claimed yet another Protestant church victim. This time, it is the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that has caved to social pressure to accept openly homosexual individuals as pastors and and other church leaders. I ran across this article the other day from Sam Hodges of the Dallas Morning News. Here's an excerpt:

"North Texas Presbyterians vote to ease rules on gay clergy"

In a break from the past, North Texas clergy and lay leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have voted to ease the way for ordination of openly
gay pastors, deacons and elders.

Clergy and lay leaders of Grace Presbytery – the regional body covering 177 churches in North Texas and other parts of the state – voted Saturday to
remove constitutional language requiring that ordained officers maintain “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or
chastity in singleness.”

The vote was 203-182 in favor of the change, with six abstensions, said Rob Allen, spokesman for Grace Presbytery.

How and why a church denomination with the history and tradition of the Presbyterian church would cave in to social pressure and spit on the pages of Holy Scripture is beyond me. God's word makes it clear that homosexuality is not only a sin, it is an abomination in God's sight that comes from a depraved heart. Can homosexuals become believers? Certainly. Can they come to church? Many do. But should they lead the church? As Paul said, "May it never be!" But it is. At least it is in some denominations.

What has happened to the Presbyterian Church (USA) is a classic case of the twisted system of this world invading and influencing the thinking of believers. The Church is called to engage our popular culture. This is certain. A read of Jesus' "High Priestly" prayer in John 17 makes it clear that the Church has been left in this world to draw the lost towards Christ. But while we're in this world, we are susceptible to the world's temptations and philosophies. We must be on guard to make sure that the world does not influence our own beliefs and convictions and -- maybe even worse -- twist the way we interpret God's word.

Stand for truth! Even when society tells you otherwise.

Be God's!