Civil Unions and Marriage Issues:
The debate about the definition of marriage:
The
General Assembly, during its afternoon session on Friday July 6, debated the
question of marriage as presented by the General Assembly Committee on Civil
Union and Marriage Issues. The Committee brought a Report asking for a
Constitutional Amendment to change our definition of marriage. The Committee
also brought TWO minority reports. Both
minority reports were defeated.
The Committee recommendation was also DEFEATED
by a vote of 308 YES to 338 NO. The
Committee recommendation is copied here, but please note that the report was
DEFEATED. The Committee Report and two
Minority Reports were all DEFEATED.
The Presbytery of
Hudson River overtures the 220th General Assembly (2012) to direct the Stated
Clerk to send the following proposed amendments to the presbyteries for their
affirmative or negative vote:
1.
Amend W-4.9001 as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through;
text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]
“Marriage is a gift
God has given to all humankind for the well-being of the entire human family.
Marriage is a civil contract covenant between a woman and a man two people, and according to the laws of the
state also constitutes a civil contract. For Christians marriage is
a covenant through which a man and a woman two people are called to live
out together before God their lives of discipleship. In a service of Christian
marriage,two people make a
lifelong commitment is made by a woman and a man to each
other,publicly witnessed and acknowledged by the community of faith.”
2.
Amend W-4.9002 as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through;
text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]
“a. In
preparation for the marriage service, the teaching elder† shall provide for a
discussion with the man and the woman two people to be married concerning” [The remainder
of this section remains the same.]
3.
Amend W-4.9004 as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through;
text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]
“The service begins
with scriptural sentences and a brief statement of purpose. The man and
the womantwo people to be married shall
declare their intention to enter into Christian marriage and shall exchange
vows of love and faithfulness. The service includes appropriate passages of
Scripture, which may be interpreted in various forms of proclamation. Prayers
shall be offered for the couple, for the communities which support them in this
new dimension of discipleship, and for all who seek to live in faithfulness. In
the name of the triune God the teaching elder† shall declare publicly that the
woman and the man they are
now joined in marriage.” [The remainder of this paragraph remains the same.]
4.
Amend W-4.9006 as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through;
text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]
“A service of worship recognizing a civil marriage and confirming it in
the community of faith may be appropriate when requested by the couple. The
service will be similar to the marriage service except that the opening
statement, the declaration of intention, the exchange of vows by the husband
and wife two people,and
the public declaration by the teaching elder† reflect the fact that the
woman and man they are
already married to one another according to the laws of the state.”
