More Light Presbyterians announces: No Turning Back

[mlpnews at mylist.net]

MLP logo
*Building a church for all God's people*

Dear friends of More Light Presbyterians,

The journey to equality continues. 

We've just released /No Turning Back/ 
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/mlp/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=356>, 
our declaration and strategy statement that will guide our journey 
starting immediately, all the way to General Assembly in San Jose in 
2008.  You can read this statement right now, below.

Consistent with our efforts at every General Assembly, we will again 
work with Presbyteries to bring overtures to delete the anti-LGBT 
G-6.0106b from the Book of Order.  General Assembly will again have the 
opportunity to do the right thing and eliminate discrimination from our 
constitution.

But this time, we're not stopping there.  As part of our commitment to 
work together, with all of you, for full equality in the PCUSA, we're 
expanding the scope of our work for justice. 
	
*
Sign the No Turning
Back declaration
*Add your voice in support of ordination equality, marriage
equality, and reclaiming
our language.
sign-petition 
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/mlp/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=356>


*Support MLP's work
for full equality*
Support MLP with a financial
contribution today
Contribute <https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=7550>


In 2008, the More Light movement will be at General Assembly, and we'll 
be seeking /marriage equality/ -- the right of couples, regardless of 
gender, to have their relationships of love and commitment recognized 
for the marriages that they truly are.

In 2008, the More Light movement will be at General Assembly, and we'll 
be seeking /representational equality/ -- we could see a watershed 
moment in history, with the first "More Light candidate" for moderator 
of the Presbyterian Church USA.

And starting immediately, /we're taking back language that belongs to 
us/: the language of marriage and family.  We are and always have been a 
pro-family, pro-marriage, pro-equality movement, and it's time for all 
of us to proclaim it loudly and proudly in those terms.

We invite you to read the No Turning Back statement included below, and 
then to add your voice in support 
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/mlp/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=356> 
and tell your family and friends.  We'll share your name and your voice 
with Presbyterian leaders as part of our work for justice from now 
through 2008.  We also invite you to make a financial contribution 
<https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=7550> to our efforts.  
Your voice, as well as your financial support, are critical to our 
continued efforts to bring equality to the PCUSA.

The journey to equality continues.  And there can be No Turning Back 
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/mlp/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=356>.

Thanks for all that you do,
  Bear Ride, co-moderator
  Kim Smith King, co-moderator
  and the entire board and staff of More Light Presbyterians

------------------------------------------------------------------------

NO TURNING BACK
More Light Presbyterians declaration and strategy statement
September 26, 2006

The 217th General Assembly (2006), while offering no immediate progress 
toward God's realm of equals, clearly demonstrated that a majority of 
the commissioners wanted to move forward.  More Light Presbyterians 
believes it is only a matter of time before the shame of injustice and 
discrimination will be lifted from our church.  We have set our face 
toward God's home and ours.  We believe God is calling us to this work.

There can be no turning back from
    Peace with justice
    Unity with equality
    Purity with wholeness.

There can be no turning back from the goal of the full embrace of 
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the life, ministry and 
witness of the PCUSA.

To provide direction for this journey, MLP is committed to:

*1. Ordination equality.*

    We will encourage presbyteries to overture the 218th G.A. (2008) to
    delete G-6.0106b. It is this discriminatory policy that is dividing
    our church.  We must stop rejecting our LGBT sisters and brothers
    and affirm as equals all baptized children of God.


*2. Marriage equality.*

    For years, those opposed to equality for LGBT Presbyterians have
    submitted overtures and resolutions to deny them the right to
    marry.  MLP reaffirms its continued support for both religious and
    civil marriage equality.  Scripture teaches us that the heart of
    marriage is the love and commitment between partners. Experience has
    shown us that LGBT couples fully display the love and commitment
    known by all as marriage.

    It is time to send General Assembly an /equal marriage overture/,
    which includes transgender persons. MLP will provide a model for
    such an overture and encourage presbyteries to submit it to the
    218th G.A.


*3. Representational equality.*

    We will encourage those who support full LGBT equality right now to
    stand for the office of Moderator of the 218th G.A.  It is past time
    for our denomination's slate of moderatorial candidates to include a
    voice that advocates for an immediate end to all discrimination.


*4. Reclaiming our language.*

    For too long, those who oppose acceptance and equality of LGBT
    people and their families have misappropriated the terms
    /pro-marriage/ and /pro-family/ in the service of an anti-gay
    agenda.  Right now /we reclaim the language of marriage and family
    as our own/.

    /Pro-marriage/ legislation and overtures seek to extend the rights,
    responsibilities and values of religious or civil marriage to all
    adults regardless of biological sex, sexual orientation or gender
    identity. /Pro-family/ legislation and overtures seek to sustain,
    uphold and protect the diversity of human families throughout God's
    creation.  We call on all those who support justice and equality in
    church and civil society to reclaim the true meaning and values of
    marriage and family.


The journey to peace, unity and purity through the full equality of all 
believers has begun.  Jesus calls to us from the future and is with us 
in the present.  No turning back.  No turning back!

More Light Presbyterians
September 26, 2006

Click here to sign in support of this statement 
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/mlp/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=356> 

________________________________

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mylist.net/archives/mlpnews/attachments/20060926/f7f106d8/attachment.htm
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 7702 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mylist.net/archives/mlpnews/attachments/20060926/f7f106d8/attachment.gif
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 2631 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mylist.net/archives/mlpnews/attachments/20060926/f7f106d8/attachment-0001.gif
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 2567 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mylist.net/archives/mlpnews/attachments/20060926/f7f106d8/attachment-0002.gif