Date: Thu, 22 Aug 96 22:46:45 HST
From: ramsey@math.hawaii.edu (Tom Ramsey)
Subject: HAWAII, AUG. 22

	     GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A)
	     ENDORSES FULL CIVIL RIGHTS FOR SAME-GENDER COUPLES


The recent, and controversial, general assembly of the U.S. Presbyterian
Church passed the following resolution:

"Affirming the Presbyterian church's historic definition of marriage as
a civil contract between a man and a woman, yet recognizing that committed
same-sex partners seek equal civil liberties in a contractual relationship
with all civil rights of married couples, we urge the Office of the Stated
Clerk to explore the feasibility of entering friend-of-the-court briefs and
supporting legislation in favor of giving civil rights to same-sex partners."

This resolution was overshadowed in the news media by the closely fought
decision to NOT ordain (non-celibate?) lesbians and gays as ministers, which
is entirely the Presbyterian Church's legal right to do.

We should applaud the Presbyterian Assembly's clear understanding that civil
is separate, and different, from religious.

As a non-Presbyterian, I'll hazard an interpretation of the phrase "historic
definition of marriage as a civil contract".  This phrase reminds me of the
bitter controversy over whether marriage is a "sacrament" (which it is for
Roman Catholics, and for some Protestant Christians but not all).  This
phrase positions Presbyterians on the "non-sacrament" side.  

The Assembly's standing Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy has
made an even stronger statement.  For a copy of the Committee's recommendation,
please contact 
	Presbyterians for Lesbian/Gay Concerns
	James D. Anderson, Communications Secretary
        P. O. Box 38
        New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038
        telephone numbers:  249-1016, 908-932-7501 (the latter at Rutgers)
	

					Best Regards,

					Tom Ramsey
					Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project


SEE ALSO:
http://www.xq.com/hermp/
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/orgs/hermp/
http://www.tnight.com/hermp/
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/usa/hawaii/marriage.update/
http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/solcvr.html
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/legal/
http://nether.net/~rod/html/sub/marriage.html
http://www.well.com/user/davadam/hermp.html
http://www.eskimo.com/~demian/partners.html

      The Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project, h.e.r.m.p, is the sole support
of the work of Dan Foley on Baehr v. Miike.   Please be generous in support of
h.e.r.m.p; Hawaii is a small state!  Donations to h.e.r.m.p are fully
tax-deductible, and should be made out to
                     GLCC-HERMP
                     1521 Alexander Street, #503
                     Honolulu, HI 96822.
 
      The h.e.r.m.p branch in Kona, on the Big Island, has produced a T-shirt
for sale.  One can send a check for $17.50 to HERMP, P.O.Box 902, Captain
Cook, HI 96704, together with a note about being sent a T-shirt (S, M, L,
XL, XXL).  It is also available in a tank top.  The design is multi-color
on white.  A large triangle points down, with the letters h.e.r.m.p above
the triangle, some male-male, female-female symbols in the border of the
triangle and some palm trees.  To place an email order for T-shirts, or
to obtain more information, please email skippero@aol.com.  An image of
the T-shirt is available via the WEB on
       http://www.qrd.org/QRD/www/usa/maine/hawaii-tee.html