Wee Donny writes c**p (again)

Hebrides News – 20 December 2014

Sir,

I see that the Church of Scotland continues to defy and undermine the word of God by asking its 46 Presbyteries to vote – before Hogmanay – on whether to allow congregations to appoint ‘gay’ ministers.

The folly of putting God’s law up for a vote, especially in a morally compromised church, is nothing less that demonic. The church is not a political entity and ought to know that the Bible, the word of God, is its operating manual and no law is paramount to that.

Who does the Church of Scotland think they are when they freely give presbyteries and congregations the opportunity to vote on whether they should accept ‘gay’ ministers?
National kirk is an “ungodly institution”
Any church that brazenly, and bizarrely, fancies it can decide on what is acceptable or unacceptable in the perfect word of God has lost its very right to be called a church. Not only is it an apostate church, it is also a synagogue of Satan.

The truth has to be formally recorded about the Church of Scotland. The national kirk is an ungodly institution run by godless, and graceless, men and women. The kirk is both a disgrace and a sinful blot on our nation’s spiritual landscape, and shame on it. The scandalous evidence of its reputation is in the public domain for all to see. Instead of being a light in the midst of darkness it has blackened the nation by approving of practices which a holy God, and His unchanging word, condemns and abhors.

Let us set the record straight here. Nowhere in the Bible does God approve of a homosexual relationship, and neither does a holy God let sinful man redefine marriage.

Scripture clearly tells us that the Rev Scott Rennie should not, because of his immoral lifestyle, be in the Christian ministry. A manse and a pulpit is no place for a man who unashamedly disregards God’s word and Divine law, and who has no love for the truth. The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Homosexuality and Christianity can never approvingly coexist beside one other. It never has and it never will. This is absolute truth as recorded in the Bible, and Divine truth cannot be edited.

When the Church of Scotland says and thinks otherwise, and it quite clearly does, then it is guilty of hypocrisy and religious sacrilege. In their approval of relationships which are depraved, ungodly and unbiblical, then God’s damning words of judgment are pronounced upon the hierarchy of the church. He regards them, not as true Christians but as “traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God…men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the truth.” (2Timothy 3v4&8) This is God’s verdict, not mine, and what solemn condemnation it is. He will not be mocked, when church commissioners dare to poke fun at all that is sacred and ‘change the truth of God into a lie’ (Romans 1 verse 25).

What is desperately needed more than anything else, both in the heart of the Church of Scotland and in the heart of every other Scottish church that has turned its back on God’s word is repentance and reformation.

Mr Donald J Morrison
85 Old Edinburgh Road
Inverness

The Covenant (article in the Herald newspaper)

Church ministers to sign covenant against gay ordination

Brian Donnelly
Senior News Reporter
Thursday 18 December 2014
EVANGELICALS opposed to gay ordination are forming a protest movement against greater acceptance of homosexual and lesbian ministers in the Church of Scotland.

The group, to be launched in Glasgow today and to be called the Covenant Fellowship, will push for a traditionalist stance from within the Kirk, rather than leaving the main body of the Church.

It comes as the Kirk’s presbyteries this week returned a majority backing in the penultimate stage of acceptance of gay ordination, with local churches expected to be able to opt to appoint a gay minister in a same sex relationship.

The issue must still reach a vote at the General Assembly in May when same sex marriage among clergy is also expected to be raised.

The Kirk’s struggle with gay ordination has led to members leaving.

New figures show 18 out of 795 ministers have left the Church over the possibility of the Church eventually agreeing to allow individual congregations to choose a gay minister.

Rev Professor Andrew McGowan, minister of Inverness East Church of Scotland and one of those involved in the fellowship, said: “The Church of Scotland is in the midst of a severe crisis.

“If approved, this (overture) will extend even further the disruption of the Church of Scotland.

“Many well-known congregations (individual ministers and groups of worshippers) in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Stornoway and elsewhere have already left the Church, or been split in two.

“In addition, many individual members, elders and ministers have left.”

Professor of Theology at the University of the Highlands and Islands and Honorary Professor in Reformed Doctrine at the University of Aberdeen, Mr McGowan was Principal of the Highland Theological College from its inception in 1994 until 2009.

He will be joined by other Kirk members in Glasgow to sign the covenant.

He said: “Today, members and adherents of the Church of Scotland are being asked to express support for a Covenant Fellowship.

“We invite everyone in the Church who feels the same way to stand with us.

“The hope is that the Covenant Fellowship, which begins today as a protest against recent events, will grow to become an effective campaign group within the Church on behalf of those who believe in Christian orthodoxy.”

Official figures show 28 of the presbyteries in favour and 11 against with six still to lodge their returns with the Kirk. A total of 45 are eligible to vote.

The gay ordination debate was sparked by the appointment of Rev Scott Rennie, who is in a civil partnership, to a church in Aberdeen in 2009.

Rev Dr George Whyte, Acting Principal Clerk to the Kirk, said: “The Church of Scotland welcomes Professor McGowan’s continued commitment to remain within the Church but we disagree with his criticisms.

“The focus of complaint is legislation which has been painstakingly considered. For many the discussion has been difficult.

“Some say the Church is going too far and others that is going too slow. Yet the issue has to be discussed and we are a Church which recognises liberty of opinion.”

Mr Whyte added: “Our General Assembly has agreed that this proposal falls into that category and is not an attack on the fundamental doctrines of the Christian Faith.

“We share Professor McGowan’s abhorrence of further disruption and we hope that across Scotland Christians will continue to work together despite their varied opinions.”

Liberal group Affirmation Scotland said the current proposal is “not perfect as it still enshrines inequality and discriminatory treatment” but added “we feel it is important that it is supported as it will allow the Church to take a significant step forward”.