From: Darrell128@aol.com Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 04:56:33 -0500 (EST) NR #1996-112: Hamilton Classis Asks Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada to Retract Homosexual Rights Statement On September 18, Classis Hamilton of the Christian Reformed Church has asked the Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada (CCRCC) to retract a submission to the government regarding homosexual rights and same-sex "marriages." The submission by CCRCC's Committee for Contact with the Government (CCG), and a letter to Justice Minister Alan Rock from Reinder Klein, a research and communications associate with the CCG, were presented to the government and to Minister Rock as "the public sentiments of the CRC," said Classis Hamilton. But those sentiments "are in conflict with the expressed mind of the Synod of the Christian Reformed Church" as laid out by Synod 1973 in its report regarding homosexuality, according to the classis. NR #1996-112: For Immediate Release Hamilton Classis Asks Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada to Retract Homosexual Rights Statement by Marian Van Til Associate Editor, Christian Courier c 1996 Christian Courier. Reprinted with Permission Distributed by United Reformed News Service ANCASTER, Ontario (October 11, 1996) - Classis Hamilton of the Christian Reformed Church has asked the Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada (CCRCC) to retract a submission to the government regarding homosexual rights and same-sex "marriages." The decision was made at the September 18 classis meeting in response to an overture from the council of the Ancaster CRC. The submission by CCRCC's Committee for Contact with the Government (CCG), and a letter to Justice Minister Alan Rock from Reinder Klein, a research and communications associate with the CCG, were presented to the government and to Minister Rock as "the public sentiments of the CRC," said Classis Hamilton. But those sentiments "are in conflict with the expressed mind of the Synod of the Christian Reformed Church" as laid out by Synod 1973 in its report regarding homosexuality. Classis also said the churches were not consulted "in order to achieve some consensus on this matter." Furthermore, classis asserted that "this is not the first occasion where the CCG has run ahead of the churches in speaking to the government." A Question of Justice? CCG's submission to the government was concerned with "inclusion of sexual orientation for particular protection from discrimination" in Canada's human rights code. While saying that it affirmed the CRC's 1973 "biblical position," - "homosexual practice is incompatible with the will of God" but "sexual orientation itself should not be a barrier to full participation in the church" - CCG concluded that "the issue of benefits for same-sex couples is clearly related to some of the questions about public-justice-for-everyone in Canada." CCG encouraged the government to enact "appropriate legislationx ensuring that there is protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation with regard to housing, employment, and services." CCG's main intent, it said, was that the government ensure that it be illegal to arbitrarily discriminate against gays and lesbians. Klein's letter to Justice Minister Rock, however, added a different dimension. While the letter expressed concern for the "broadening definition" and "apparent and growing elasticity" with which the terms "marriage," "spouse," and "family" are understood, it then went on to suggest that "mutually supportive relationships of a private and perhaps intimate nature other than those understood by the familiar and historic termsx should be given a new designationx [namely], domestic partnerships." On behalf of CCG and the CCRCC, Klein then called for such partnerships to be registered "much like 'traditional' marriages are" so that the partners could have "rights and privileges similar to the spousal benefits married couples now enjoy." Via the Ancaster CRC overture, Classis Hamilton expressed concern that the CCRCC submission and Klein's letter exhibit a "double mind" on issues related to homosexuality. The church can't tell gay and lesbian members that their sexual relationships are wrong while telling the government that such relationships deserve the rights and privileges of heterosexual marriage. "We could rightly be charged with hypocrisy," said Rev. Bernard De Jonge of the Ancaster CRC. The overture also argues that the church can't say that we need to honor the historic understanding of family, marriage, and spouse while at the same time saying that human rights are based on an "established" or "common law." The overture maintains that "if we were secular politicians who stood on no particular moral-ethical grounding, then such a statement would be safe. Citizens would have common rights based on common morality, a morality determined by citizens themselves. But we are not secular politicians who base human rights on common moral law. We are Christians governed by biblical morality and we can never speak in any other voice than as Christians." Three Guiding Principles De Jonge and his church council said there are three "guiding principles" by which this whole debate should be reformulated. They set out these principles in a letter addressed to the CCG a week before Classis Hamilton met. The entire CCRCC and Classis Hamilton also received copies of the letter. First, we need "prophetic consistency," said the Ancaster letter. The church - in this case, the CCRCC - must speak from "an integrally biblical faith stance"; that is, we must declare to the government what we would declare to the church. This is in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets: "Our public witness is not to be at odds with our profession of faith." Second, we need to be "Kingdom advocates," said the letter. "In our increasingly secularizing times, government of the people, by the people, for the people will advocate a common public morality at variance with the morality of the kingdom of God. In Revelation, the antithesis of these two worldviews comes into sharp [focus]. It is the urgent responsibility [of] the church [to] serve as an advocate of the Kingdom of God, aiding and abetting its progress." The third principle set out in the letter is "rule of principle, not persons." The Ancaster CRC council noted that "the Kingdom of God is a vision of principled society, people ruled by and submitting to laws which our God has described in his Word.x It is our responsibility to submit human nature to the principles of God's Word and not submit God's Word to what may suit our changing human nature." Went Too Far No one from CCRCC or CCG attended the September 18 classis meeting. CCRCC executive secretary Rev. Arie Van Eek was travelling in the Middle East, and Reinder Klein and local CCG members were unaware the classis would address an overture related to their government submission. Klein, however, admitted that "I went too far," saying on behalf of the CCG "something the committee had not decided." Klein was sorry the letter went out. "I regret it very, very much," he said. "And I regret the negative press [the letter] has brought to the CCRCC and CCG. I would be more than willing and eager to retract the statement." CCG chair Rev. Bill Veenstra, pastor of Maple Ridge (BC) CRC, said "the statement about domestic partnerships is not part of what the CCG subscribes to. But we want to take some collective responsibility for the letter." "Domestic partnerships" came up in discussion in the CCG because the government was discussing the issue, said Veenstra, but endorsement of government recognition for such relationships shouldn't have been part of the letter to Justice Minister Rock. When the CCG met two weeks ago in its semi-annual meeting, it reviewed the way it makes public statements, "building in some check and balances and protections," Veenstra explained. "Reinder will meet with the two local [Ontario] members of the CCG executive once a month" to discuss how the CCG will respond to specific issues. A letter or statement would then go to Veenstra and go out over his signature as chair of the committee. Veenstra noted that the CCG must keep in mind all Canadians, not just Christians, when it responds to the government. "We do abide by the '73 [synodical] decision [regarding homosexuality]," he said. "We want to protect what marriage is. But the government has to be a government for all its people. Major companies like IBM are recognizing homosexual relationships [in their benefits packages]. Such relationships exist, and the government can't bury its head in the sand. While we don't like it, we have to have a way to deal with it." Cross-References to Related Articles: [See related articles list at crossreferences] #1996-111: November 11-12 Special Meeting of Canadian CRC Council Asked to Retract Brief to Canadian Government Supporting Homosexual Domestic Partnership Legislation Contact List: Marian Van Til, Associate Editor, Christian Courier 261 Martindale Rd., Unit 4, St. Catharines, ON L2W 1A1 O: (905) 682-8311 _______________ Rev. Bernie De Jonge, Pastor, Ancaster Christian Reformed Church 177 Manitou Way, Ancaster, ON L9G 1X9 O: (905) 648-2323 * H: (905) 648-0969 Rev. Gerard Ringnalda, Interim Committee Chairman, Canadian Council 294 Bay St., Orilla, ON L3V 3X3 O: (416) 229-4610 * H: (705) 325-7056 Rev. Arie Van Eek, Executive Secretary, Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada 23 Niska Dr., Waterdown, ON L0R 2H3 O: (905) 336-2920 * H: (905) 689-5226 * F: (905) 336-8344 Rev. William Veenstra, Pastor, Maple Ridge Christian Reformed Church 20886 Alpine Ave., Maple Ridge, BC V3Z 1C1 O: (604) 465-9416 * H: (604) 467-8967 To Reach United Reformed News Service Regional Office Staff, Contact: Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer [For news tips or content-related inquiries] Voice: (616) 674-8446 * FAX: (616) 674-8454 * E-Mail: Darrell128@AOL.com PO Box 691, Lawrence, MI 49064-0691 Greg Rickmar, Circulation Manager [For missing or back issues, subscription inquiries, or address changes] Voice: (616) 968-5110 * FAX: (616) 966-3659 * E-Mail: grickmar@msn.com Box 583, Battle Creek, MI 49016-0583 .c1.World Wide Web Site: "http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/reformed/reformed-home.html" ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr96-112.txt .