{"id":628,"date":"2009-04-05T22:09:00","date_gmt":"2009-04-06T05:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.gajunkie.com\/?p=628"},"modified":"2009-04-05T22:09:00","modified_gmt":"2009-04-06T05:09:00","slug":"reflections-on-the-amendment-08-b-voting-preliminary-musings-on-the-text","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.gajunkie.com\/?p=628","title":{"rendered":"Reflections On The Amendment 08-B Voting — Preliminary Musings On The Text"},"content":{"rendered":"

While not quite finished, at this time the voting on Amendment 08-B to modify the “fidelity and chastity” section (G-6.0106b) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)<\/a> Book of Order is closing in on the conclusion.  Yesterday there was a split vote, San Jose Presbytery voting “Yes” and the Presbytery of South Louisiana voting “No.”  This brings the unofficial tally to 65 Yes and 82 No. (Presbyterian Coalition<\/a>, PresbyWeb<\/a>)<\/p>\n

If you look at the remaining 26 presbyteries, there are five that have solidly voted against “fidelity and chastity,”  and another six that have split votes in the last two votes (i.e. voted once for it and once against it).  In addition, Boise tied on 01-A and Pacific was one vote away from a tie.  Of the remaining 13 that voted no on the last two votes, five presbyteries did overwhelmingly in near or total unanimity.  Those five, if they again vote “No”, should give the necessary 87 votes to defeat 08-B.  So after yesterday’s results I, and some others (e.g. John Shuck<\/a>), consider the passage of 08-B somewhere between highly unlikely and miraculous.  I won’t say “impossible” because that word is not in God’s vocabulary.<\/p>\n

This vote was much closer than I and many of those I talk with initially felt it would be.  At the present time 25 presbyteries have changed their votes from 01-A.  Why?  This question has been rolling around in my head for almost two months now and I’ll give some numerical analysis when the voting concludes.  Related to what I talked about<\/a> a couple of weeks ago, and what I see in the numbers, there is probably no single explanation.  Where there is truly a swing in votes why did the votes change?  One explanation is a greater “pro-equality” sentiment — that is that commissioners have switched views from “pro-fidelity and chastity” to “pro-equality.”  But I want to have a detailed look at something else first:  The text of the Amendment.<\/p>\n

Looking back at the history of G-6.0106b, and it is laid out in the Annotated Book of Order<\/a> and Constitutional Musings note 8<\/a>, you can see that attempts to add fidelity-like wording date back to 1986.  The current wording was added from the 208th General Assembly, approved by the presbyteries 97-74.  The next year the 209th GA sent out to the presbyteries an “improved” wording that would have left “fidelity and chastity” but removed the “which the confessions call sin” line.  At that GA the Advisory Committee on the Constitution advised against making the change.  The Assembly approved the change and sent it out to the presbyteries who did not concur by a 57-114 vote.  The 213th GA sent out Amendment 01-A to strike G-6.0106b and add a line to the remaining G-6.0106a about suitability for office and the Lordship of Jesus Christ, but that too was not affirmed by the presbyteries, this time 46-127.<\/p>\n

So here is my hypothesis:  I wonder if Amendment 08-B is having more success because it is more of a compromise text.  The previous two attempts to amend dealt with removing<\/i> all or part of G-6.0106b.  Amendment 08-B would replace<\/i> G-6.0106b with new language:<\/p>\n

Those who are called to ordained service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003), pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church. Each governing body charged with examination for ordination and\/or installation (G-14.0240 and G-14.0450) establishes the candidate\u2019s sincere efforts to adhere to these standards.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The new language does have a number of theological points that make it attractive and that are being used by those advocating for 08-B as benefits.  These include a pledge to “live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church,” and stating the hierarchy of Jesus, scripture and confessions, in that order.  While the opposition argues that this now leaves important standards up for interpretation and heterogeneous application across the denomination, I can see how this would be a more palatable form of standards for many in the church.<\/p>\n

So I do have to wonder whether comparing 08-B to 01-A or 97-A is comparing apples to oranges.  While it is frequently viewed or portrayed as a battle of “good versus evil” (you define the sides for yourself), when it comes down to the vote by a particular commissioner in a given presbytery if the decision and vote is much more nuanced.  How many commissioners have not changed their opinions but have changed their vote because the language has changed?  Because the wording changes from one vote to the next do these black and white decisions have many more shades of gray than we want to admit.<\/p>\n

Something to think over until my next post on this topic when I’ll put numbers on these shades of gray.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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