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Religion See other Religion Articles Title: Presbyterians Think Of Changing 'Father, Son, Holy Spirit' Presbyterians Think Of Changing 'Father, Son, Holy Spirit' POSTED: 5:09 pm EDT June 19, 2006 UPDATED: 7:11 pm EDT June 19, 2006 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The divine Trinity -- "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" -- could also be known as "Mother, Child and Womb" or "Rock, Redeemer, Friend" at some Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) services under an action Monday by the church's national assembly. Delegates to the meeting voted to "receive" a policy paper on gender-inclusive language for the Trinity, a step short of approving it. That means church officials can propose experimental liturgies with alternative phrasings for the Trinity, but congregations won't be required to use them. "This does not alter the church's theological position, but provides an educational resource to enhance the spiritual life of our membership," legislative committee chair Nancy Olthoff, an Iowa laywoman, said during Monday's debate on the Trinity. The assembly narrowly defeated a conservative bid to refer the paper back for further study. A panel that worked on the issue since 2000 said the classical language for the Trinity should still be used, but added that Presbyterians also should seek "fresh ways to speak of the mystery of the triune God" to "expand the church's vocabulary of praise and wonder." One reason is that language limited to the Father and Son "has been used to support the idea that God is male and that men are superior to women," the panel said. Conservatives responded that the church should stick close to the way God is named in the Bible and noted that Jesus' most famous prayer was addressed to "Our Father." Besides "Mother, Child and Womb" and "Rock, Redeemer, Friend," proposed Trinity options drawn from biblical material include: # "Lover, Beloved, Love" # "Creator, Savior, Sanctifier" # "King of Glory, Prince of Peace, Spirit of Love." Early in Monday's business session, the Presbyterian assembly sang a revised version of a familiar doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow" that avoided male nouns and pronouns for God. Youth delegate Dorothy Hill, a student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, was uncomfortable with changing the Trinity wording. She said the paper "suggests viewpoints that seem to be in tension with what our church has always held to be true about our Trinitarian God." Hill reminded delegates that the Ten Commandments say "the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." The Rev. Deborah Funke of Montana warned that the paper would be "theologically confusing and divisive" at a time when the denomination of 2.3 million members faces other troublesome issues. On Tuesday, the assembly will vote on a proposal to give local congregations and regional "presbyteries" some leeway on ordaining clergy and lay officers living in gay relationships. Ten conservative Presbyterian groups have warned jointly that approval of what they call "local option" would "promote schism by permitting the disregard of clear standards of Scripture."
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#3. To: Mind_Virus, TommyTheMadArtist (#0)
To borrow one of TTMA's old sayings: What the fuck are these morons up to? Why not get real modern and hip and just call them Big Daddy, Junior, and Spook? Or Moe, Larry, and Curly? Maybe God, Yahweh, and Allah? Nah.......Dolly, EmmyLou, and Linda!! Pretty damned pathetic. I await their pronouncement that we don't even need a God--that we are our own God, so feel free to call yourself whatever ya want! I don't believe I could even force myself to walk by a presbyterian church, or the episcopaleans!
Rowdee, I'm adding you to my ping list as a co-owner of You've Got To Be Shitting Me.
Thank you, but please don't. The only list I'm on and interested in being on is the one re the site, i.e., changes to the software, etc.
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