Dear Brother in
Christ,
I am writing you
with the request that you share these thoughts with my brothers and sisters in
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):
It is incumbent
upon all of God’s children to speak out against injustice. It is
sometimes equally important to speak in solidarity when justice has been
done. For that reason I am writing to affirm my belief that in
making room in your constitution for gay and lesbian Christians to be ordained
as church leaders, you have accomplished an act of justice.
I realize that
among your ecumenical partners, some voices are claiming that you have done the
wrong thing, and I know that you rightly value your relationship with
Christians in other parts of the world. Sadly, it is not always popular
to do justice, but it is always right. People will say that the ones you
are now willing to ordain are sinners. I have come to believe, through
the reality shared with me by my scientist and medical friends, and confirmed to
me by many who are gay, that being gay is not a choice. Like skin color
or left-handedness, sexual orientation is just another feature of our diversity
as a human family. How wonderful that God has made us with so much
diversity, yet all in God’s image! Salvation means being called out
of our narrow bonds into a broad place of welcome to all.
You are
undoubtedly aware that in some countries the church has been complicit in the
legal persecution of lesbians and gays. Individuals are being arrested and
jailed simply because they are different in one respect from the
majority. By making it possible for those in same-gender relationships to
be ordained as pastors, preachers, elders, and deacons, you are being a witness
to your ecumenical partners that you believe in the wideness of God’s merciful
love.
For freedom
Christ has set us free. In Christ we are not bound by old, narrow
prejudice, but free to embrace the full humanity of our brothers and sisters in
all our glorious differences. May God bless you as you live into this
reality, and may you know that there are many Christians in the world who
continue to stand by your side.
God bless you.
Archbishop
Emeritus Desmond Tutu (Cape Town, South Africa)
Every era and place has its own version of the 'Pharisees' ready to criticize those who are too 'open' to certain types of people. If Jesus Himself showed up today, these social conservatives would run him out of town on a rail -- I hear he hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors and the like. He also spoke highly controversial mottos like, "Judge not..."
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