The overturning of the ban will have no effect if the local presbyteries don't affirm the decision and they have refused to do that for nearly 20 years. The fight, as the article suggests, will continue! As to the RC's, your joke is actually well put, Daroak, though celibacy is supposed to cover all sexual activity and when practiced hasn't been a problem for any denomination!
Actually, that has "officially" been stopped, AFAIK, a person who has had homosexual urges is supposedly barred from entering the Seminary to become RCC Priests. As for the Presbyterian Conferences decision, this has happened before (the ELCA for example is still trying..) and what happens is the congregations shrivel, the members leave for either A. Other Denominations (like Tony Blair joining the Catholic Church) B. Form different Communion of the same Denomination such as the Anglican Split, the head of the Anglican Church in the UK is literally sitting in on the fracturing of his Church, the Bishop of Canterbury now has less Authority then the Bishopric of Rwanda. Literal scores of Congregations are breking with the Anglican Diocese and going with the Rwandian Dicoese, they also are walking away from centuries old Church Buildings, some of the oldest Churches in the US are Episcopalian, yet their Congregations are leaving and renting places at Strip Malls or having Home Churches. For me, I think that is a good thing Darkoak, once things become to Tradition bound, a renewal process strips off the dead wood and unproductive things.
Nit picking point: Some in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) are trying to change the rules and allow practicing homosexuals onto to the clergy rosters but unlike the Presbyterian Church where the attempt has been made from the "top down", the attempted move in the Lutheran Church has been from local activists. I sit on the ELCA's national Church Council and we have not been "trying". Testy point with me and I want to try for some clarity. The rest of your point about people drawing lines in the sand is right on!
Every year the ELCA holds a conference, and every year the same thing happens, only I "think" the ELCA has gotten closer to approving such "clergy" every year... For me it's a touch Ironic, I've been reading Gary North lately, and he is a Presbyterian who is very much of the school of thought of "There is no salvation outside of the Church"...err....So the OT law expert is now in a bit of pickle vis a vis the Presbyterian Conference USA... He does make the same point about how destruction can lead to a new and better creation by citing Acts wherein the early Disciples sold their Jerusalem land holdings and donated the money, which meant that when the Revolt started in 66 AD there was no reason to stay in doomed Jerusalem when it fell and everyone was either slaughtered or enslaved. That sale of land allowed them to not only leave, but the Charity that had been performed had unwittingly given them someplace to go after fleeing Jerusalem. And "proving" Paul's words about "All things work for good" Insightful Stuff for me at least.
Our polity allows any member to bring a resolution to a synod assembly. Thus every biennial assembly has had someone from a congregation in Washington DC bring a resolution advocating change to our national assembly. Other synods have periodically brought forth different resolutions and memorials but DC has been consistant. Thus it "comes up every two years". Until twelve years ago it lacked the support to be forced to the floor but since then it comes up and is defeated by similar margains each time. Will it come up again in 2009? Of course and I know from where. My prayer is that the fiirebrands will get tired and we can get back to more substantive work but.....
