PC USA's Book of Confessions

[ESMDHokie77]

At the request of my girlfriend, I read the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Book of Confessions. Between this book and their Book of Order, it makes up their constitution. The Book of Order seems to be quite procedural, so I merely skimmed to read it.
Here’s a link to it.

Without going through the list of roughly 80 comments and questions that I have on the document, I will say that I find it incomplete, contradictory, and I can’t wait until my girlfriend is also done reading it so I can discuss my thoughts on it with her.

Has anyone else read this document?

Peace,
Phil

 

[icamay]

Yes. Now you understand why I am here.

My second issue with PCUSA - we are always changing our stance on issues. I have to read the PCUSA news on such a regular basis to find out where the Presbytery positions itself on the current issues.

Understand that, inherently, Protestants are encouraged to be independent in our specific thinking. For Presbies, a simple example would be that I must agree that I accept the Trinity, as this is who we are; however, I may find social drinking and gambling for entertainment acceptable, whereas the couple next to me find them both morally corrupt. Our Catechism simply discourages addictions to these behaviors.

 

[ESMDHokie77]

Thanks for your feedback icamay. I hope you find what you’re looking for here.
I did think that the coat of arms for each section of the book was cool though.

One thing that tickled me to death was that the book, in one of its references to Mary, called her the “ever Virgin”, (if memory serves…), yes capital V virgin… (My girlfriend has stated her lack of belief in Mary’s sinlessness and ever virginity).

Peace,
Phil

 

[jwright82]

I have many problems with the PCUSA, it is far to liberal for my tastes, I would always encourage individual members or churchs or that denomination to look at a more orthodox denomination like PCA, OPC, or URCNA. I can not speak of ther Book of Church order though but the general theological stance is liberal and unreformed so this might be the least of their problems. Doesn’t the Catholic church have canon law? This is the roughly on a practical level what we have in our Books of church order, which all Presbyterian denominations have.