Major changes have been made by the Church of Scotland.
As reported by Christianity Today, on Monday, the Church’s General Assembly approved a measure related to same-sex couples and marriage. By a vote of 274 to 136, the Church granted authorization for parish ministers or deacons to oversee male-female and feminine-female weddings.
If you’re unfamiliar with the UK Presbyterian organization, its official website offers the following:
Through enthusiastic worshipping and witnessing to Jesus Christ, the Church of Scotland seeks out to encourage people in Scotland and around the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The Church of Scotland ranks among the top ten largest national organizations. Our membership numbers around 300,000. More members are involved with local congregations, and in our work. There are approximately 800 ministers who serve as chaplains in our parishes. We also have support staff from both the centrally- and local levels.
While most of our parishes can be found in Scotland, we have many churches throughout England, Europe, and the rest overseas. The Church of Scotland has a central role in Scottish society, and it works closely with other communities around the world.
The Church’s “identity was principally formed by John Knox in the Reformation of 1560. That time the Church separated from Roman Catholicism and adopted the Reformation tradition. The Church of Scotland is Calvinist Presbyterian.”
Furthermore:
[W]We recognize that there is no other faith than the Lord God and that no group or individual within the Church holds more power than anyone else.
It adheres to “Five Marks of Mission”:
- The Good News of the Kingdom must be broadcast
- Teach, Baptize, and Nurture New Believers
- Loving service to humanity in response to people’s needs
- In order to seek justice in society and to combat violence, and to pursue peace and reconciliation.
- To protect the integrity and sustainability of creation, and to sustain and restore the earth’s life.
According to Christianity Today, the “denomination is preparing new suggested liturgy to bless same-sex marriages as well as guidance for the change in church law.”
It seems to me the best way to judge any cultural force’s influence is to review its most traditionally-opposed arena. For example, to assess the depth of America’s softening, see if it’s impacted the military.
In order to measure social liberalism’s reach, evaluate whether it’s affected the rigidity of religion.
An investigation into change
Christian Church will host Drag Show for Young People 12-18 Years Old
Lutheran Diocese announces that the Church Itself is Trans
Church Pastor Claims Jesus ‘Transgenders Himself’ in the Bible
Christian Church Leads Prayer to the ‘God of Pronouns,’ the ‘Great They/Them’ Who Breastfeeds
Divinity School Recites Prayer to the ‘Great Queer One,’ Who’s a ‘Drag Queen and Trans Man’
And the latest?
Iconic Baptist University Organizes Its First LGBT Student Organization
The West was fed by the Christian church for a long period of time; now it appears that the direction has changed.
Culture is now our religion, perhaps more than ever.
Back to the Church of Scotland, gay marriage opponent Mike Goss — a minister in the presbytery of Angus — said there remains a group firmly planted in dissent:
“The group of folk are called traditionalists, folk who stand by the Bible, we’re not going away. We’re still there.”
He is also convinced that conversation will go on.
“We are committed to ensuring that debates on this subject are held in a spirit of humility and grace, that the tone and tenor of discussions are civil and people are respectful of those who hold opposing views.”
That discussion won’t be as large as it once might’ve been. Per CT, “Faced with continued decline, the church has been reassessing its mission by considering new expressions of church and new approaches to engagement that involve restructuring its presbyteries.”
In 2002, 12 per cent of Scotlands citizens attended Church of Scotland services. However, it has fallen to 7 percent since 2016, according to the Scottish Church Census conducted by UK-based Brierley Consultancy.
So goes a change that clearly isn’t limited to America.
As for the United States, perhaps our religion isn’t culture; it may be nothing at all…
Atheism is Now America’s Largest Religion. What is the best way to return to a nation under God? Here’s a Start. https://t.co/8dJ1rWZnlO
— RedState (@RedState) April 8, 2019
-ALEX
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Dixie State University is the Other One to Bite:
San Francisco School Officials’ Attempt to Ban the Word ‘Chief’ Foiled by a Faux Pas
Florida’s Public Universities Go Full Throttle to Fuel the Preferred-Pronoun Revolution
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