BEYOND AMENDMENT A
By Aurelia T. Fule
[2-28-02]
With deep sorrow we have learned that Amendment A has
been defeated. Does our church want to be "pure" in the view
of a few biblicists however many members we lose? How many times can we
go through this heartbreak for those whom we exclude, and heartbreak for
all of us who know that God includes them?
I suggest that a small group of people backed by
supporters with deep, deep pockets plays a game with us that we must
refuse to play any longer. This game is subsidized by people who do not
care about the private life of Presbyterians, but who find the sex
agenda (women, abortion, homosexuality) the most igniting subject. They
want to keep people defending or attacking these issues so the church
has no time, energy or resources to look at the world around us, the
world created and loved by God.
When it seemed that we were not sufficiently
interested to fight this battle endlessly, the same planners discovered
interfaith dialogues and congregational confession writing. The first
did not draw large enough numbers, the second is scoring but not
winning. So back to the old agenda.
How can we stop this game?
Let us take a radical turn: Agree with the
anti-Amendment-A group that there be no overtures to the General
Assembly on this issue for a number of years for a decade? I realize
this suggestion hurts many, but the annual defeat also hurts, and we arc
bleeding away.
Rather, on the one hand, let us use More Light, That
All My Freely Serve and similar resources to work with individual
congregations. The field is wide open. The issue must be before us to
discuss and debate. Send speakers around in large numbers, and let us
try to invite the opposition to speak with us. Could presbyteries
"for" and "against" have a joint weekend and do
biblical exegesis together, invite medical experts, one of each side if
possible, and hear them out? Lots of possibilities - but no overtures.
On the other hand, let us encourage the church to do
the work God gave us to do: "To bring good news to the poor ...
release to the captives ... sight to the blind ... and let the oppressed
go free." (Luke 4:18).
Most discussion in the PC(USA) on the Book of
Confessions starts with the beginning of this church in the 1700s. But
our roots are in both Scriptures and the Reformation. In the latter our
main teacher is John Calvin, who is hardly mentioned lately. He taught
us to "love God by being useful in the world." He taught us
that the ecclesial, social, economic realms must be transformed by the
Christian community. Not by individuals who choose to do so, but by the
community the church. (Read Calvin, or at least H. R. Niebuhr's Christ
and Culture.) Calvin was not expelled front Geneva because he
prayed too much, but because he and his church meddled with the
political structure of the city. We, the church, are commissioned to
"meddle" with economic exploitation, issues of war and
weapons, weapons in space, human rights, the environment all that is
God's creation There is a large field of responsibilities Presbyterians
need to attend to, matters that touch on realities of daily living, and
also speak to the younger generations.
When the "chastity amendment" was
deliberated in the G. A. the then moderator, David Dobler of Alaska,
told the church there will be no accusations, no legal cases. "We
are not that kind of a church," he assured us. Remember? How many
cases have been brought against people, or congregations or presbyteries
since that time? Many, at great cost.
Did we notice that no case has been brought against
congregations that have no women elders, even 17 years after the
reunion? I am told we have 170 congregations without "capable
women" to fulfill the office.
In this game only one side throws the book at the
other.
Let us get out of this game and pray that God enables
the church to undertake a way of caring for God's beloved world.
Aurelia T. Fule
February 20, 2002
The Rev. Dr. Fule is now retired and
living in Santa Fe; prior to her retirement she served in the Office
of Theology and Worship of the General Assembly.
Dr. Fule has presented her thoughts on "what
next," after the defeat of Amendment A. What do you think?
Please send a note, and we'll
share your thoughts here!
