Michael J. Adee is a Gay Man and the president of the More Light Presbyterians. In his most recent article he uses mountain climbing as a metaphor for the end of a long campaign.
I have never met him so I cannot speak to his character otherwise. But from what he has written, I can assume some things about Michael J. Adee’s intentions. It is for Mr. Adee that many leaders in the Presbyterian Church (USA) work so hard to recognize proud homosexuals as fitting moral and spiritual examples to the next generation of Presbyterians. It is for Michael Adee that our leadership and many of our presbyteries would risk schism in order to include and approve him.
I am wondering what position of leadership he will hold when his summit is reached and his understanding of sexual justice is realized? Perhaps he, or his ilk, will be elected as Moderator of the General Assembly or the President of the General Assembly Council? Maybe he will take the lead for our evangelism program (when we start one). He will no doubt join the ranks of many other progressives to plot the mission course for the PC (USA).
I am interested to learn what I might expect from our new leaders. Below are two paragraphs that will make clear our perspective into the shape and contours of our likely future. In the More Light Webpage he writes the following;
“I know first-hand why some of my LGBT sisters and brothers do not trust the church and want nothing to do with religion. But many do not know that congregations and faith traditions have been changing. Media images of Christianity tend to focus on hate-filled extremists and Evangelicals who think they can pray-away-the gay. Mostly those churches have just prayed us out the doors of their congregations.”
The great irony is that those who claim to be motivated by gratuitous tolerance are themselves most intolerant of those who hold to a different set of standards. When Mr. Adee takes his place as our leader I wonder what place Evangelicals, like me, might expect in the newly Informed Presbyterian Church (USA). Will he tolerate what he deems our hate-filled extremism? Surely not! I would not tolerate folks who are hate-filled.
It is no easy task to make one’s way through anti-gay interpretations of Scripture, the judgmental attitudes toward same-gender loving people, or the awkward silence many of us have experienced when we show up at church. But our assuredness in our own value is bearing fruit. The truth is, things are changing for the better. Presbyterians are at the brink of policy change. When it comes, some people will walk into churches for the first time in decades and help the church with the next steps in the journey toward inclusion and acceptance.
Because the amendment we are about to pass Mr. Adee has the blessed assurance in his own “value.” Since he regards the old interpretations found in our confessions to be anti-gay I wonder what new interpretation of Scripture will replace it. Now that his value has been fully assured, he stands ready to lead our church to its “next step.” Mr. Adee likens the progress of full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons to climbing a mountain. He says advocates for the ordination of homosexual persons are not quite to the summit, but it is in their sight. It is in fact, as of this day, only seven votes away. My fully assurance lies in the fact that, we are standing on the cusp of an abyss and the next step we take will be our last.
6 comments:
Like many who consider themselves Christians by belief and Presbyterians by choice, I'm more than a little disturbed by Mr. Adee's words. Apparently, we are only God-like if we agree that society must be brought into the church and the church must adapt. The doors swing both ways. If a gay individual wants to worship, we have no problem. The problem arises when that individual insists we change our denomination to fit his beliefs without Biblical foundation. I have little sympathy for Mr. Adee and less for those who believe the Bible is merely a document which should be adapted to fit the template of today's society.
Well said. If the bible stands between me and the behavior that gives me happiness, I will alter the bible but never my behavior.
Sooner or later we have to admit that either some of this MLP nonsense arises from people who have not truly encountered the living Christ, or whose faith is just SEVERLEY retarded!
How on earth can someone who personally knows so little about the redeeming aspect of God's grace proclaim to know anything about God's justice?
Keep up the good word/work, Gary!
Michael Adee seems to base his feelings of belonging and self worth on the acceptance of the church to ordain and allow leaders who are gay. It should be based on the fact that Christ died and rose again and he is included in God's salvation and found worthy - only if he believes and puts his full weight and trust in Christ alone.
When a person is so focused on one aspect of their life, a behavior, addiction, or some object over Christ, they fail to feel worthy and accepted because the "idol" that is the object of their life and thinking overtakes everything and becomes their salvation.
If the church has forgotten their message - that God gives us worth because of Christ's death and ressurection on the Cross and because God was able to raise Christ from the dead, opening the way for His people to be saved from sin and its consequences - then God please forgive us.
The love of the church is not based on accepting people by their behavior, or color of their hair, or their personality or anything else, except only the grace of God in Christ.
Lifting up gay behavior is not the way to acceptance, but if Christ be lifted up He will draw all people to himself. He alone gives us purpose and worth.
Happy Easter!
Welcome to the future. If it is unjust to refuse to ordain GLTB folks then we must seek justice. How soon we will move from tolerance to "justice" will be very interesting. 2016? 2020?
Over the past years, the issue of gay ordination has been brought back over and over for reconsideration. It will be interesting to see how quickly the system is changed so it can never be brought back again--in case it might lose. It is also interesting that now that the left seems to have the upper hand we are hearing about "unity" (i.e. the Belhar Confession)--while for the past years "diversity" has been the very highest good, even the only good.
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