Nineteenth General Synod Resolution

In 1993, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ adopted a resolution "Calling on the Church For Greater Leadership To End Discrimination-Against Gays and Lesbians" as amended:

WHEREAS, God is the creator of all people, including people of differing sexual orientations; and

WHEREAS, human sexuality is a gift of God, a gift to enjoy and to express responsibly, and

WHEREAS, moral judgments should not be made about who people are but rather on the basis of how community and covenant are formed and what responsible expression of sexuality might mean among people of all sexual orientations; and

WHEREAS, anything that robs people of their human dignity is a sin; and

WHEREAS, laws that discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation and rob them of their human dignity are wrong and sinful; and

WHEREAS, Scripture is God's word of love for the human family, a history of God bringing good news to the oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captives, calling all people to redefine who should be called the neighbor that human community might be built; and

WHEREAS, those who turn the gospel of love into a gospel of hate should be considered false prophets; and

WHEREAS, the Tenth General Synod in 1975 issued a pronouncement an Civil Liberties Without Discrimination Related to Affectional or Sexual Orientation, and similar national statements have been issued in 1969, 1973, and at every General Synod since 1975,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the 19th General Synod of the United Church of Christ:

1. Calls for the passage of a federal gay and lesbian civil rights law that will end discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and federally assisted opportunities, 

2. Calls for an end to all state "sodomy laws" used to provide legal sanction for discrimination against gays and lesbians, 

3. Calls for passage of domestic partnership laws designed to provide greater justice for gays and lesbians, 

4. Oppose attempts in Missouri and any other states to file petitions and pass laws to prevent the civil rights of gays and lesbians from being protected, 

5. Calls for the lifting of the ban on gays and lesbians in the military and expresses its gratitude to United Church of Christ chaplains in the military who have been working to help the military come to terms with the issue of social justice, 

6. Calls for education and leadership to help the church and society understand moral and legal issues relating to bisexuality, 

7. Urges churches and church members to take more leadership in ending the legal sanctioning of discrimination against gays and lesbians and in countering the prevailing public perception that the religious community supports such discrimination. Subject to the availability of funds.

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