A gentleman named Pat Quinn submitted the following comment for this blog a few days ago:

"I remain astonished at the entire dispute that is raging in the community of believers. Truth telling, yes, but only the truth that you want to get out. This goes for both sides of this issue. Our church is privileged to have doors and windows that lock, an alarm system to warn of fire or unwanted entry, and a local police department to quickly intervene. Most important is the warning system that God gives in the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

"It has been painful to watch the General Assembly, with the help of those with agenda to dismantle a great belief system. Truths that have been settled by Scripture are now somehow open to debate or personal choice as th which we want to follow or discard."

It is my privilege to know Pat Quinn and to respect him as a dedicated servant of the Lord. At the same time, it seems to me that the wording of his second paragraph suggests that he has been getting his "news" about trends in the PCUSA from what I sometimes call "Publication L," a periodical that consistently bends the truth to fit its agenda -- and then accuses others of having "an agenda." That was confirmed in my mind today in a phone conversation with Pat in which he used the word "scruples." "Publication L" has used that word the way that Rush Limbaugh uses the word "liberals" -- as an all-purpose term of disparagement of those who do not share the speaker's views.

The word "scruple" was used in Presbyterian circles in the early 19th century in situations where a clergyman didn't quite agree with the dominant theology and wanted to be free to have his own beliefs to a limited extent. It was used in discussions at last summer's PCUSA General Assembly but (here's the important point) not in any of the resolutions that were debated and passed. It's a bogyman, and it's time to bury it.

There are in fact some ongoing differences among Christians about the true meaning of parts of Holy Scripture. That's not surprising since the Bible is a complex and deeply meaningful document that was written in Hebrew and Greek over a period of several thousand years, during which time the world was very different from what we see about us today. I agree with those who believe that we are called as Christians to try to understand interpretations that vary from our own even if we do not accept them. I believe that we should carry on a dialogue that will enable us to resolve most disagreements and to live, as loving sisters and brothers in Christ, with conflicting Bible interpretations that we cannot resolve at this time.

Comments are welcome, as always.