Good As You

I know that this is only "sort of" related, but did you guys know that the reformed church of america is doing a survey on homosexuality? Its online...what do you guys think about it?(that is, if you have seen it?) I wasn't sure if it made me really really sad...or just sort of annoyed.

hi lesley... i don't know if you'll go back read this, but here's a possible take on the issue that you raised:

First, consider that not all churches are the bible-thumping, angry, anti-gay, conservative Evangelicals you've heard about so much in the news.
Most churches (especially progressive Protestant denominations) want to do what will best serve their congregations-- the people that attend and join their churches. Many United Church of Christ congregations, for example, actively and enthusiastically affirm, marriy, and ordain LGBT people. It seems from the Reformed Church's website that they're gearing up for Synod, a meeting of lots of that denomination's leaders and members, to discuss the direction their church wants to take in the future.

I see it as a sign of progress, really, that they have a steering committee in place and a considerable amount of time set aside to discuss the place of LGBT people in their church at Synod. They're non-committal, referring to it as a "dialogue" because they know there are many church members on both sides of the issue. They talk about it on this page:
http://www.rca.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=2548&srcid=2759

This is how churches keep up with the times and allow God's word to be a fluid, still-speaking message of love and hope for all. It expresses the view that churches should be places of true community, not an indoctrinating or dogmatic institution.