The practice of formally listening to people who experience same-sex attraction has been discussed in the CRC. Overture 20 speaks very highly of the Presbyterian Church of Canada when they recently made a major effort to practice such listening. The quote below contains this reference when it begins by mentioning the Human Sexuality Report (HSR):
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The report does not engage in the level of balanced study or formal listening that we have seen modeled by fellow Reformed denominations.
For example, the Presbyterian Church of Canada (PCC) is currently grappling with the issue of same-sex marriage. Part of its methodology was for its Committee on Church Doctrine to appoint two teams of learned and gifted people. One team thoroughly articulated the biblical foundations and theological arguments for a traditional view of marriage as only between one man and one woman, and the second team thoroughly articulated the biblical foundations and theological arguments for a view affirming same-sex marriage.
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One such thoroughly articulated argument for the traditional view is found in the PCC document on overtures dealing with sexuality in 2017:
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“First, some have argued that Paul is only condemning temple prostitution in the religious (and idolatrous) practices of the Roman Empire, or pederasty (man or boy relationships). However, the phrase in verse 27 that men were consumed with passion for “one another” (Greek: allelous) resists this interpretation. As Australian professor and pastor, William Loader, observes, “Paul’s formulations, especially ‘for one another’ (1.27), suggest mutuality rather than exploitation and so apparently envisage also adult-adult sexual relations of mutual consent.” (Overtures-re-Sexuality-2017.pdf)
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When wrestling with Romans 1 in an effort to determine exactly what its message is concerning God’s will for the church, this is a very good exegetical point to take into consideration.
However, in 2018 the majority report to their General Assembly recommended it be adopted that same-sex erotic acts are sinful (Sexuality-Overtures_2018-Report.pdf, page 5). It was not passed, but rather tabled.
Then, according to the PCC’s document on overtures from 2019, their General Assembly voted to fully accept same-sex marriages (2019-General-Assembly-Decisions-re-Sexuality.pdf) and it was remitted to the presbyteries. This was a significant change from year to year.
In 2021, after taking into account their effort to formally listen to people who are same-sex attracted, their reports then contain the following statement:
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“Romans was written c. 57–58 CE, so Paul, the writer, might have had in mind the sexual immorality and excess of the court of Emperor Gaius Caligula (12–41 CE) and others when writing this chapter.” (2021-Full-Report-and-Appendices_Special-Committee-re-LGBTQI_Listening-Rainbow-Communion.pdf)
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If the PCC’s work is an example of such balanced study, how does the denomination get from a statement that appears to be solid biblical exegesis in 2017 to 2021 when that statement has simply disappeared. In its place we have a tentative statement concerning what, “. . . Paul, the writer, might have had in mind . . .” (bold added). The 2021 report offers no exegetical reason for suggesting that possibility, but rather simply states it as a possibility.
The interpretation that Romans 1 prohibits mutually consenting acts in the HSR (page 104), agreeing with the PCC 2017 document. Consider three things;
- Is there specific exegetical reason in Romans 1 to believe Paul had Caligula in mind?
- Has the PCC stated why they do not agree with it as they published the reference to Caligula in their 2021 report, but not the mutual consent interpretation?
- Will those in favor of same-sex marriage in the CRC weigh the above interpretation on mutual consent and clearly state why they do not agree with it?
The 2021 statement from the PCC has 260 references to how same-sex attracted people have been harmed in its 117 pages. Thousands of years of solid biblical interpretation simply disappears and 260 references to people being harmed are now included. Is this a God-centered religion or a man-centered religion?
So . . . how can the path the PCC has taken be balanced when an interpretation that seems biblical in 2017 is ignored in 2019 and completely vanishes from view?
How can a report that barely references Scripture, but speaks of people being harmed 260 times, be a balanced biblical study?
Rev. David Linden, a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America has a good article on this year’s decision on same-sex marriages by the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
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