28 December 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Death of Francis Nigel Lee

[2] Northern Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) Issues 22 December 2011 Statement

[3] Vatican Calls for One-World Government

[4] Reformed Church in Hungary Asked by Fidesz Party Leader to Determine Global Religious Communities to be Recognized by Hungary

[5] The Christian Pundit Continues to Write on the Discussions about Creation and Hermeneutics

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[1] Death of Francis Nigel Lee

The Reverend Barrister Professor Doctor Francis Nigel Lee died 23 December 2011 after a long struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Dr. Lee’s daughter Johanna Lee wrote of her father’s passing:

“It is with great sadness, that I need to inform you all on behalf of my family, of the passing of my father, Francis Nigel Lee. Dad died peacefully on Friday morning after a prolonged struggle with Motor Neuron Disease. Although the disease gradually robbed him of his speech, mobility and ability to write, he conducted himself with dignity and grace to the end. When I took him to a neurology appointment in October, he was already wheelchair-bound. The panel of specialists sympathised with his condition and remarked that it would be natural for him to be angry or hope for a less devastating diagnosis. He calmly replied, “Whether I die in two years or two months, is in God’s hands. My hope is in the next life.” On December 5th, Dad celebrated his 77th Birthday. Two days later marked my parents’ 48th Wedding Anniversary. My mother, Nellie, who was his full-time career during his illness, was at his bedside when he died. Her resilience and selfless commitment to Dad’s needs were inspirational. Thank you to all who have expressed their concern for his health and well-being in recent months. His suffering is over now.”

Nordskog Publishing wrote of Dr Lee:

“The world has lost a giant of a Christian man with the death of the Reverend Barrister Professor Doctor Francis Nigel Lee. At 7:50 am, Friday, Anno Domini 23rd December 2011 (Australian Eastern Standard Time), his Lord took Nigel Lee peacefully in glory to His presence. The Christian world will dearly miss this husband, father, passionately Calvinistic Christian, ponderously accomplished theologian, eminent gentleman, and devoted friend. Francis Nigel Lee dearly loved His Triune Savior and Lord, always treating of theology in due relational terms upon the mystery of the Holy Trinity.”

“….In accomplishment, Dr. Lee was an Advocate or Barrister (alias a Trial Lawyer) of the Supreme Court of South Africa before becoming a Minister and pastor to congregations of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) in Mississippi and Florida. He served as Professor of Philosophy at Shelton College in New Jersey; Scholar in Residence at the Christian Studies Center in Memphis, Tennessee; and Academic Dean of Graham Bible College in Bristol, Tennessee. Then for twenty years, Dr. Lee served as Professor of Theology and Church History at the Queensland Presbyterian Theological College, Brisbane, Australia, lately emeritus. Dr. Lee was Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Fellowship Scholar (1964-1966). His letters include Ph.D., Th.D., D.Phil., D.Min., D.Ed., LL.D., Dr. Sac. Th., D.Jur., D.Litt., D.C.L., D.Hum.”

A funeral for Dr. Lee will be held 30 December 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at the Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery Chapel, Graham Road, Bridgeman Downs, Australia.

Dr. Lee is survived by his wife Nellie and his two daughters Johanna and Anna-Marie.

Matthew 25:23 - “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”


+ Nordskog Publishing, 4562 Westinghouse Street, Suite E, Ventura, California 93003, 805-642-2070, Fax: 805-642-1862, Contact Page

+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org


[2] Northern Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) Issues 22 December 2011 Statement

“The Northern Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) hold that any proposals to permit “marriage” of homosexuals and lesbians amount to a direct attack on the teaching of the Bible and a repudiation of Scotland's Christian heritage.

“Presbytery notes that a United Christian Witness took take place outside the Scottish Parliament on 8th December 2011 to oppose legalisation of homosexual and lesbian “marriage.” Presbytery further notes that Rev. James Gracie, Minister of the Edinburgh congregation of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), had been invited to take part in the Call Kaye programme on Radio Scotland earlier that day and that in his contributions on the programme Mr. Gracie gave a clear exposition of the Biblical teaching regarding marriage.

“Presbytery understands that complaints regarding some of what Mr. Gracie said on the radio have been made to the Police and to the BBC. The Northern Presbytery support the United Christian Witness as an appropriate means of witnessing to unequivocal Biblical teaching regarding marriage and fully support Rev. James Gracie in his clear exposition of Christian marriage as taught in the Bible.”


+ Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), Rev. John MacLeod, Free Church Manse, Portmahomack, Ross-shire, Scotland, principalclerk@fccontinuing.org

+ United Christian Witness & Protest Against Same-Sex Marriage


[3] Vatican Calls for One-World Government

(Friday Church News Notes, December 23, 2011, www.wayoflife.org bns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “The Vatican and the New World Order,” Herescope, Nov. 17, 2011: “The Bible paints quite a clear picture of the major events that precede the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth. While many of the smaller details may be difficult to interpret, the major events concerning the world’s religious, economic and political future are evident in Revelation, chapters 13, 17 and 18. ... Those informed regarding world affairs will recognize there exists an ever-increasing number of influential leaders who have begun to promote the idea of a global economy. The most significant of these is the G20 which in recent years has made several statements advocating such an economy. But the most startling statements were recently made in a 41 page ‘note’ by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, published in several languages on October 24, 2011. Speaking for Pope Ratzinger, the Council’s document is filled with legal verbiage and complicated language, but is an amazing document to read. It is amazing because almost word-for-word, it bears upon the prophecies of Revelation 13, 17 and 18, and places Rome at the center of the prophetic drama! ... the second half of the note calls for a single world government (point 3) and for a single world financial system (point 4)! Had we not read and studied the document, we would not have believed the statements made in it. ... The document quotes several recent Popes to show how support for a single world ruler is very much part of the precedent and philosophy of Rome. For instance, John XXIII (1881-1963) ‘... also expressed the hope that one day a true world political authority would be created.’ ... The document continues to state that today this teaching (of a single world government) is ‘even more vital and worthy of urgent implementation.’ ... The document speaks about the need for all nations to be part of this system and that none should be excluded: ‘… the world Authority should consistently involve all peoples...’ Revelation 13:7 says: ‘And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.’ The note says that policies must be binding on all and that the Authority should have ‘universal jurisdiction.’ ... In the fourth section that deals with a global economy they say there is a need for ‘... the commitment to create some form of global monetary management’ and ‘one can see an emerging requirement for a body that will carry out the functions of a kind of central world bank that regulates the flow and system of monetary exchanges...’ They then speak of the need for such a world economy to be under the control of the world government. ... In this document, the Vatican pledges its commitment for planetary financial control, calling for the fulfillment of Revelation 13 to the letter!”


+ Way of Life, Post Office Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, 519-652-2619, fbns@wayoflife.org

+ The Vatican, Città del Vaticano, Rome, Italy, 39-6-69-88-35-11, Fax: 39-6-69-88-54-47, Contact Page


[4] Reformed Church in Hungary Asked by Fidesz Party Leader to Determine Global Religious Communities to be Recognized by Hungary

A 22 December 2011 Politics.hu article titled “Leading Hungarian Protestant Churches Push for Official Recognition in Hungary of All “Global” Religions” reports that on 19 December 2011, Hungary’s constitutional court ruled that the recent law restricting what religious organizations are recognized by the government was unconstitutional. Fidesz parliamentary party leader Janos Lazar had announced on 16 December that the restrictive law would be repealed, revised, then reintroduced for a vote before the end of 2011.

Both the Reformed Church in Hungary (RCH) and the Hungarian Lutheran Church had asked Mr. Lazar to add more church organizations to the fourteen churches approved in the unconstitutional law. A 21 December 2011 RCH statement said that the revised law to be considered in 2012 should “recognise the church status of all global religions and religious communities that have demonstrated that their teachings promote values and their social services benefit the community both in a narrower and wider sense.”

The 14 December 2011 Presbyterians Week article “[3] Reformed Church in Hungary General Secretary Supports New Religious Repression Laws” reported that the RCH had previously enthusiastically supported the unconstitutional law.


+ Politics.hu, 36-30-370-3561, editors@politics.hu

+ Reformed Church in Hungary, MRE Zsinata1146 Budapest, Abonyi u. 21., Hungary, 30-3361-666, info@reformatus.hu


[5] The Christian Pundit Continues to Write on the Discussions about Creation and Hermeneutics

The Christian Pundit has published two additional articles contributing to recent discussions about creation and hermeneutics:

-- Defining Adam and Eve on The Christian Pundit; and,

-- Polity, Power and Politics in The Aquila Report


+ The Christian Pundit, William.VanDoodewaard@puritanseminary.org

+ The Aquila Report, c/o Metokos Press, 211 Main Street, Suite 108, Narrows, Virginia 24124, 540-726-8223, operations@theaquilareport.com

+ Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, 2965 Leonard Street Northeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525, 616-977-0599, Fax: 616-285-3246, info@puritanseminary.org

21 December 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Death of Denise Sproul, Wife of the Rev. Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr.

[2] Free Smart Phone App for Westminster Shorter Catechism Available from Reformed Theological Seminary

[3] U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Says Religious Beliefs Should Not Be Allowed To Stand in the Way of Homosexual Rights

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[1] Death of Denise Sproul, Wife of the Rev. Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr.

Denise Elizabeth Sproul, 46, wife of the Rev. Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. and mother of their eight children, died 18 December 2011 from the effects of leukemia. A memorial service was held today at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Andrews Church (Presbyterian Church in America) in Sanford, Florida. The Sproul family requests that any donations be made to the Denise Sproul Memorial Scholarship Fund at Reformation Bible College in Sanford, Florida.

Dr. Sproul Jr. wrote of his departed spouse: “Denise, enjoying the blessed vision of our God and Father, is at home with the Lord. Cancer no longer afflicts her, and every tear has been dried away. The Queen of Orlando [Florida] casts her crown at her Savior’s feet, and together, they dance.”

Doug Phillips wrote the evening of 18 December: “And this is what I feel compelled to say: Tonight, stop and take a really good look at your spouse. Next, look at each of your children. Look really, really long and hard. Take a moment and thank God for every whisper of a moment that God has given you with them. Thank God for the little kisses offered, the stories told, the tickles dispensed, the games played, the readings shared, the silent moments cherished, the victories experienced, the losses endured, the kind words presented , the songs sung, the glances exchanged. These moments not only count for eternity, but they will be remembered for the next billion years after you leave this minuscule moment in time called “life.” Every moment with your loved one matters. Someday they or you will be gone. Every conversation matters. Every kind deed in the name of Christ matters. It all matters.”

Mrs. Tim Bayly wrote 18 December: “The path of the just is as the shining light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18 — “Tim and I rejoice that Denise Sproul, wife of R.C. Sproul Jr., has entered the full light of glory. But our spirits weep for our brother, R.C. Jr., in the loss of his beloved wife, and for Denise and RC's eight children whose mother lost her battle with leukemia in winning eternity this morning. May God gird them up in faith in the hours and days ahead.”

Douglas Wilson wrote 18 December:

“…the apostle Paul said, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). The grief and sadness is all on this side of that divide, and most certainly not on the other side.

“Christians certainly grieve, but it is the kind of grief you see in airports, when someone you love is going to be separated from you . . . but only for a time. This is in stark contrast to what the apostle Paul describes as being “without God and without hope in the world” (Eph. 2:12). The phrase "without God" is rendered from just one word -- atheoi. Godlessness is hopelessness.

“So pray for the Sprouls, and thank God for the resurrection of the dead. It is no more unbelievable that we shall live again than that we were given the gift of life the first time. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”


+ Ligonier Ministries, 400 Technology Park, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, 407-333-4244, Fax: 407-333-4233

+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org

+ Baldwin-Fairchild Cemeteries and Funeral Homes, 301 Northeast Ivanhoe Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32804, 407-898-8111, Contact Page

+ Vision Forum, 4719 Blanco Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78212, 866-440-0022, Fax: 210-340-8577, Contact Page

+ Bayly Blog

+ Blog and Ma Blog


[2] Free Smart Phone App for Westminster Shorter Catechism Available from Reformed Theological Seminary

Reformed Theological Seminary has made available a free iPhone app titled “Westminster Shorter Catechism in 90 Days”, available on the Apple Computer website.

The app is a flashcard application that coaches the student through a ninety day personalized memorization program.


+ Reformed Theological Seminary, 2101 Carmel Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28226, 704-366-5066, Fax: 704-366-9295

+ Apple, 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California 95014, 408-996-1010


[3] U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Says Religious Beliefs Should Not Be Allowed To Stand in the Way of Homosexual Rights

(Friday Church News Notes, December 16, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Hillary Clinton,” CNSNews.com, Dec. 7, 2011: “Religious beliefs and cultural values do not justify the failure to uphold the human rights of homosexuals, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday. ‘Now, raising this issue, I know, is sensitive for many people and that the obstacles standing in the way of protecting the human rights of LGBT people rest on deeply held personal, political, cultural, and religious beliefs,’ Clinton said. Her speech at the Geneva headquarters of the United Nations and its Human Rights Council (HRC) was delivered ahead of Human Rights Day on December 10, the anniversary of the U.N.’s adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ... President Obama [signed] earlier in the day of a memorandum which the White House called the ‘first-ever U.S. government strategy dedicated to combating human rights abuses against LGBT persons abroad.’ ... Republican presidential candidates Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Sen. Rick Santorum both criticized the administration’s LGBT announcements. ‘Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money,’ Perry said in a statement, adding that the policy was ‘just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith in this country.’ ‘Obviously the administration is promoting their particular agenda in this country, and now they feel its their obligation to promote those values not just in the military, not just in our society, but now around the world with taxpayer dollars,’ CNN quoted Santorum as telling reporters in Iowa.”


+ Way of Life, Post Office Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, 519-652-2619, fbns@wayoflife.org

14 December 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Inexpensive December Birthday Gift Ideas for Particular Presbyterians

[2] Catonsville [Maryland] Presbyterians Church (PCUSA) Provides Continuing Support for Hospital in the Congo

[3] Reformed Church in Hungary General Secretary Supports New Religious Repression Laws

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[1] Inexpensive December Birthday Gift Ideas for Particular Presbyterians

Today is the 20^th anniversary of the 18^th anniversary of the 18^th birthday of the editor, and the indeterminate anniversary of the editor developing the Egyptian River Problem, i.e. duh-Nile. As there are several other birthdays celebrated in December, the editor wants to make Presbyterians Week readers aware of several items that have crossed the editor’s desk that might make the perfect inexpensive gift for that picky Presbyterian on your birthday gift list:

-- Refuge: Selections From The Book of Psalms for Worship CD – from Crown & Covenant Publications – Seventeen psalm selections from The Book of Psalms for Worship, recorded by a choir from the Syracuse Reformed Presbyterian Church. Includes Psalms 3B, 27A, 30B, 34B, 42D, 48A, 51C, 68A, 73B, 76B, 84C, 130B, 123A, 107C, 134A, 140A, and 149A.

The quality of the individual and ensemble singing, along with the musical arrangements and harmonization would justify one travelling to Syracuse, New York, just to hear the choir. Add to this the inspired texts of a selection of psalms that call upon God for refuge in times of trouble, and you have true worship music of the highest caliber.

US$15.00 plus shipping


+ Crown & Covenant Publications, 7408 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-241-0436, info@crownandcovenant.com


-- Alleged – a new movie based on the Scopes Monkey Trail of 1925 – starring Brian Dennehy as Clarence Darrow and Fred Thompson as William Jennings Bryan – Alleged is an entertaining, educational, and family-friendly movie centered around the battle between the Genesis account of creation and Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory, and the Dayton, Tennessee, show trial of 1925 that captured the world’s attention. Several subplots dealing with the eugenics movement in the 1920’s, worldly pressure to spin the truth for personal gain, and how these factors and the Scopes Trial influence the romance and courtship of two young newspaper reporters demonstrate some of the practical consequences of Darwinian theory and worldly compromise. There is much here for parents to use in teaching about early-twentieth-century history and the questions of ethics and morality explored in the film.

The editor’s one concern about the movie is that pre-air-conditioner Dayton, Tennessee, in the summer of 1925 probably did not have the pleasant temperatures and low humidity so apparent in the movie. Sweaty clothing, lots of insects, and copious quantities of paper fans with tongue depressor handles would have made the movie more climatically, ecologically, and culturally correct, but probably would have drawn attention away from much more important matters.

US$15.99 (DVD) US$16.99 (Blue Ray) plus tax and shipping


+ Alleged, www.allegedthemovie.com


-- The Confessional Presbyterian – The 7^th issue of this scholarly and always interesting journal for the discussion of Presbyterian doctrine and practice has been published for 2011, and issues one through six, published 2005-2010, are also available. Each issue provides hours of thought-provoking and informative reading for anyone interested in the history, doctrine, and practice of confessional Presbyterianism.

US$18.00 in 2011, US$25 in 2012 and beyond, US$25 Institutional and Foreign, post paid (Issue 7)

US$75, US$125 Institutional and Foreign, post paid (Issues 1-7)


+ The Confessional Presbyterian, Post Office Box 141084, Dallas, Texas 75214


[2] Catonsville [Maryland] Presbyterians Church (PCUSA) Provides Continuing Support for Hospital in the Congo

A 7 December 2011 article by Penny Riordan in CatonsvillePatch titled “Catonsville Presbyterian Church Has Impact in Congo” reports that the Catonsville Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)) (CPC) in Catonsville, Maryland, began contributing to a hospital in the Congo through IMA World Health (IMAWH) by purchasing an electric generator. The hospital then needed fuel to run the generator, so CPC sent funds to buy fuel. Prior to these donations, the doctors had to work by flashlight after dark. CPC’s most recent donation to IMAWH will purchase medical equipment for a cervical cancer screening program in Tanzania.

CPC was attracted to IMAWH as a conduit for their donations due to IMAWH being named number five of Forbes magazine’s 2010 ten most efficient charities.


+ CatonsvillePatch, Contact Page

+ IMA World Health, 500 Main Street - Building Old Main, New Windsor, Maryland 21776, 410-635-8720, Fax: 410-635-8726, imainfo@imaworldhealth.org

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005

[3] Reformed Church in Hungary General Secretary Supports New Religious Repression Laws

A 7 December 2011 Huffington Post article by Doug Bandow, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, titled “Hungary Threatens Religious Liberty” reports on the new “Law on the Right to Freedom of Conscience and Religion, and on Churches, Religions, and Religious Community” in Hungary that officially recognizes only fourteen of the 362 religious organizations registered under the prior law from 1990, and places onerous requirements on other organizations applying for official recognition.

The Reformed Church in Hungary (RCH) is one of the fourteen religious organizations that retained official recognition under the new law. RCH General Secretary Zoltan Tarr, is a strong proponent of the new law, and is quoted as saying: “We wanted a new law to make it more difficult to establish churches here -- and we're happy the present government has now done something. We're very much for freedom of worship and believe everyone should have the right to practice their religion. But this law represents a positive step, since it excludes quite a few communities which don't legitimately qualify as churches.”

Among the religious organizations dropped under the new law are the Methodists, Pentecostals, Adventists, Reform Jews, the Salvation Army, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu congregations.


+ Huffington Post, 560 Broadway, New York, New York 10012, 212-245-7844, info@huffingtonpost.com

+ Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest, Washington DC 20001, 202-842-0200, Fax: 202-842-3490, Contact Page

+ Reformed Church in Hungary, MRE Zsinata1146 Budapest, Abonyi u. 21., Hungary, 30-3361-666, info@reformatus.hu

7 December 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] New Christian Observer Articles for December 2011

[2] Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) Says Scottish Government in Danger of Bringing Divine Judgement Upon Scotland

[3] Church of Scotland Rejects Homosexual Marriage Legalization – For Now

[4] U.S. Senate Approves Bill that Legalizes Sodomy and Bestiality in U.S. Military

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[1] New Christian Observer Articles for December 2011

New articles in the Christian Observer for December 2011 include:

-- Should Cornerstone Ministries Investments Have Existed? – Part Three – by Bob Wildrick – conclusion of a three-part series exploring The role of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) Stated Clerk and Administrative Committee, 1993-1994, in the establishment of the Presbyterian Investors Fund (PIF) and Cornerstone Ministries Investments (CMI);

-- Book Review – Jesus of Nazareth: His Life, Times, and Teaching – by Rob Roy McGregor; and,

-- American Education for Anarchy – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – the American educational system’s fostering of “the wilderness of anarchy spreading across our land.”;

Plus, regular features including weekly Sabbath School Lessons and Westminster Shorter Catechism lessons by Christian Observer Assistant Editor Dr. Robert LaMay, and Daily Devotionals by T.M. Moore, dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe.
.

+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 24450, christianobserver@christianobserver.org

[2] Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) Says Scottish Government in Danger of Bringing Divine Judgement Upon Scotland

2 December 2011

“Statement on Same-Sex Marriage

“The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), through its Public Questions, Religion & Morals Committee, has submitted a response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on the Registration of Civil Partnerships and Same Sex Marriage. The Committee feel that this subject is of such importance that it warrants a further statement which in addition to being sent to the Government is being made public.

“We wish to state that in contributing to the consultation we do not condone it. To seek approval for legislation favouring a lifestyle clearly condemned in the Word of God is irresponsible; it indicates a Government which has forgotten its calling as the servant of God (Romans 13:4) and a nation which though in covenant with God has badly lost its way.

“The Government is proposing to redefine marriage to suit a vocal and aggressive minority. Yet marriage was not invented by man but appointed by God, who made us male and female. It is designed for one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:31), providing mutual help, enabling procreation and preventing promiscuity. As a divine institution marriage is above legislation: no government has any business in attempting to re-write it. Instead the Government should protect and promote it as God gave it to us, recognising it to be at the very heart of a healthy society as has been the case in Scotland for centuries.

“We are of the view that what is being contemplated represents a further step in a scheme to ‘normalise’ homosexuality. First homosexual activity was legalised, then a law preventing local authorities from promoting homosexuality was repealed, next civil partnerships were introduced for same-sex couples and now the intention is to permit same-sex ‘marriages’. For some the process will not be complete until every trace of our traditional, God-given values has been removed.

“Behind the proposed change in the law is the Government’s commitment to ‘equality’. We submit that there can be no equality between heterosexual marriage based on a natural attraction and homosexual unions based on what the Bible terms “vile affections” (Romans 1:26). Moreover if ‘equality’is everything then why should the Government stop at same-sex marriage? What about incestuous and polygamous marriage? The logic being followed means that it will be difficult to withstand calls to legalise these too. This is the result when governments mistakenly adopt a secular or morally-neutral approach to such matters.

“We respectfully point out that moral matters are not to be decided by popular or parliamentary majorities but by the unchanging law of God. The Holy Scriptures are the only authoritative rule of faith and life and they declare all homosexual conduct to be sinful. “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” (Leviticus 18:22) Making same-sex unions equivalent to marriage mocks the God who made marriage honourable and a symbol of the union between Christ and His bride the church (Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:32). Such unions will not bring happiness to those involved but sorrow and shame. We do not say this out of hatred but in love to our fellow men and with a regard for the truth, which we should all have an interest in.

“Marriage ought to be about more than just the fulfilment of personal sexual desire. Same-sex marriage would result in unions where there is either no husband or no wife and where any children would have either no father or no mother. The complementary roles of loving headship and loving submission operating in traditional marriage for the mutual benefit of the couple and the good of the family would not be possible. To establish such a perverse arrangement in law could only destabilise our society and harm some of its most vulnerable members. The First Minister has pledged to do all that he can to make Scotland a better nation but the consequences for any country carrying out this experiment are frightening. Indeed history suggests that they could be fatal.

“We are concerned about the possible repercussions for our religious and civil liberties if same-sex marriages are made lawful. From recent precedent we believe that the Government will enforce the acceptance of these unions as normal through the education system and in public bodies generally and that those who in conscience disagree will be penalised. Any safeguards in the legislation will not prevent complaints against those who speak out. The police will investigate and the courts will be involved.

“If the Government attempts to coerce the church into accepting same-sex marriage in any way, shape or form then by the grace of God it will meet with strong resistance. The Free Church (Continuing) requires her officebearers to uphold the doctrine and discipline of God’s Word and expects her people to submit to the same. The Bible teaches unambiguously that sodomy is a sin worthy of divine punishment which needs to be repented of (Genesis 19:4-7, 12-14, 23-25; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). This we are bound to preach, come what may. It also teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Head of the church and is to be obeyed before men (Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 7:23; Acts 4:18-20). This we are bound to practice, come what may. Thus we will never solemnise, bless, celebrate, register or otherwise approve same-sex marriages or civil partnerships.

“We hereby call upon the Government to cease from a move which would further erode our nation’s Christian heritage, won for us at great cost by the Protestant Reformation and secured to us by the Treaty of Union.

“We hereby warn the Government that if it continues on its present course then the prospect is increasing moral disorder, family breakdown, disrespect for authority, conflict between church and state and divine judgment upon our land.

“We hereby request a meeting with representatives of the Government to take this matter further. Meanwhile we pray that the Lord in His mercy will so guide those who handle our nation’s affairs “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:2).”


+ Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), Rev. John MacLeod, Free Church Manse, Portmahomack, Ross-shire, Scotland, principalclerk@fccontinuing.org


[3] Church of Scotland Rejects Homosexual Marriage Legalization – For Now

The Church of Scotland (COS) in a 1 December 2011 response to the Scottish Government has come out against proposals to legalize homosexual marriage, saying: “The Government’s proposal fundamentally changes marriage as it is understood in our country and our culture - that it is a relationship between one man and one woman. In common with the historic position of the Christian Church, the Church of Scotland has always viewed marriage as being between one man and one woman. Scriptural references to marriage, whether literal or metaphorical, all operate under this understanding. To redefine marriage to include same-sex marriage may have significant and, as yet, inadequately considered repercussions for our country, for the well-being of families, communities and individuals.”

A 3 December 2011 article by Duncan Hamilton in The Scotsman reports that on 2 December 2011, the Rev. Ian Galloway, convener of the COS’s Church and Society Council, said the COS General Assembly might come to a different conclusion, saying: “We have a commission looking at some of these questions that will report in 2013. The one thing that I contend is that the government’s consultation process has come in the middle of a process that the Church of Scotland is already engaged in among its membership looking at these issues.”


+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722

+ The Scotsman, Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS, Scotland, 131-620-8620


[4] U.S. Senate Approves Bill that Legalizes Sodomy and Bestiality in U.S. Military

A 3 December 2011 CNSNews.com article by Pete Winn titled “U.S. Senate Approves Bill that Legalizes Sodomy and Bestiality in U.S. Military” reports that on 1 December 2011 the U.S. Senate voted 93-7 to approve a defense authorization bill that includes a provision repealing Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which makes it illegal to engage in both sodomy with humans and sex with animals.

[“And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.” Daniel 5:25 - ed.]


+ CNSNews.com, 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 877-267-6397, newsdesk@cnsnews.com

+ United States Senate, Washington DC 20510, 202-224-3121, ahazen@aoc.gov