By Bruce A. McIntosh, Special to The Layman

What I observed as counsel for the complainants in a remedial case currently pending before the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission was a real eye-opener. I saw there is a deep divide within the Presbyterian Church (USA), but one side barely acknowledges that it exists.

On one side are the evangelicals (and count me among them) who believe God has declared His standard for sexuality, expressly stated, once and for all, in His holy Word. On the other side are the progressives who feel the Bible is a “living word” that is interpreted by each individual to fit contemporary, personal enlightenment. Oddly many evangelicals barely acknowledge there are sides in the debate over Biblical authority and interpretation.