If your church's position is that the Bible was written by humans and that their irrational (and non-spiritual) prejudices and bigotry was woven into the fabric of Scripture, and the church has a procedure for determining what these points are, then I think you can justify women priests or homosexual priests.
The question remains, however, of whether all morality is relative if it is not a trespass (defined legally) against another person or his or her property. You could let zoophiles become priests, too. In fact, let's go farther than that. Your church could, theoretically, endorse a socialist state that expropriated private property and say that all notions of private property, up to and including "thou shalt not steal", are products of the time, and not God's Word. I'm sure you could then take Christ's injunction to the rich young man - "take all your possessions, give them to the poor, and follow me" - and justify government confiscation of private property.
The point is that you're at a point where no prescriptive prohibitions set forth in the Bible are going to have any meaning. Is your church comfortable with that? In all fairness, I personally have no problem removing all prescriptive prohibitions up to the point where there is a trespass against a person or his property. I am just not sure if that many other people are comfortable with what I'm comfortable with.
I am also fairly confident that the Presbyterian position is a different one, moreover. As a Calvinist denomination (or at least nominally Calvinist), I would love to see how they are resolving the massive internal contradictions between doctrine and practice.
	The question remains, however, of whether all morality is relative if it is not a trespass (defined legally) against another person or his or her property. You could let zoophiles become priests, too. In fact, let's go farther than that. Your church could, theoretically, endorse a socialist state that expropriated private property and say that all notions of private property, up to and including "thou shalt not steal", are products of the time, and not God's Word. I'm sure you could then take Christ's injunction to the rich young man - "take all your possessions, give them to the poor, and follow me" - and justify government confiscation of private property.
The point is that you're at a point where no prescriptive prohibitions set forth in the Bible are going to have any meaning. Is your church comfortable with that? In all fairness, I personally have no problem removing all prescriptive prohibitions up to the point where there is a trespass against a person or his property. I am just not sure if that many other people are comfortable with what I'm comfortable with.
I am also fairly confident that the Presbyterian position is a different one, moreover. As a Calvinist denomination (or at least nominally Calvinist), I would love to see how they are resolving the massive internal contradictions between doctrine and practice.
		Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
	
	
	
	
	
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
			Presbyterian Church (USA) passes Amendment 10-A.
	    
	         - 11/05/2011 05:39:29 PM
	        1466 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
			What's the language?  Did they at least TRY to give a doctrinal justification?
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 02:10:46 AM
	        1041 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			Thank you for that rousing argument against married priests.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 03:36:51 AM
	        945 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			Why ARE you letting women into the priesthood?
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 04:16:50 AM
	        888 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			Because Episcopalians don't listen to the Bible much.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 05:47:03 AM
	        828 Views
	        
	
		
		
	
		
	    		
			That's just fine as far as I'm concerned
		
	         - 12/05/2011 02:23:44 PM
	        851 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			Yes, I suppose a church could go that route.
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 07:38:02 AM
	        796 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			I'm not attempting to impose a dichotomy on the Bible.
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 03:25:30 PM
	        872 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			I don't even know what following the Bible in its entirety means.
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 09:09:10 PM
	        1039 Views
	        
	    
	
	    
			As an exercise, I tried to think of how I would justify allowing homosexuals as clergy.
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 04:19:43 PM
	        862 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
	
	    
			Thanks (I'm actually OK with women priests though).
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 07:09:11 AM
	        927 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
	
	    
			There's ample precedent for female religious leaders, even within the bible.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 06:51:05 AM
	        977 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			Since when is Moses' society the be-all end all?
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 07:12:41 PM
	        828 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			Since never, which is why I referenced five other eras you completely ignored.
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 01:11:30 AM
	        933 Views
	        
	    
	
	    
			They did so, via negativa.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 04:22:17 PM
	        980 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			Sorry for the delay, particularly since it looks like I'll be spending a fair amount of time here.
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 12:31:33 AM
	        795 Views
	        
	    
	
	    
			Your church has a constitution?!
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 03:36:41 AM
	        854 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			My Church has a congress!  *NM*
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 03:37:52 AM
	        415 Views
 *NM*
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 03:37:52 AM
	        415 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
	     *NM*
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 03:37:52 AM
	        415 Views
 *NM*
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 03:37:52 AM
	        415 Views
	        
	
		
	    
			Haha no way! *NM*
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 03:46:32 AM
	        375 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			Well, we have one group of laity and one of bishops, so it is only mildy utter chaos.  *NM*
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 05:51:09 AM
	        410 Views
 *NM*
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 05:51:09 AM
	        410 Views
	        
	    
	
	     *NM*
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 05:51:09 AM
	        410 Views
 *NM*
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 05:51:09 AM
	        410 Views
	        
	    
			I'm happy to hear this, personally.  I also wonder how you reconcile this with the Bible.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 04:11:31 AM
	        1039 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			Every direct reference to homosexuality in the Bible is a reference to rape.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 04:12:43 PM
	        869 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			Every single word that you wrote in your response is complete bullshit.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 05:50:07 PM
	        999 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
	    
			Knock off your eisegesis, try some exegesis
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 07:02:45 PM
	        911 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
	    
			I'm trying to figure out just what your "gifts" are, because I don't see any.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 07:30:39 PM
	        883 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			There are cases in which hypocrisy is far better than the alternatives.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 10:04:32 PM
	        955 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			Hypocrisy is better than, say, setting gays on fire, yes.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 10:10:40 PM
	        931 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			My statement is that, from a pragmatic point of view, hypocrisy shouldn't be discouraged too much.
	    
	         - 13/05/2011 10:05:39 PM
	        955 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
	
	    
			Oh, is that how we're playing this, then?
	    
	         - 13/05/2011 06:29:31 PM
	        890 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
	    
			I'm not playing.  I'm pointing out some glaring errors on your part.
	    
	         - 13/05/2011 07:25:08 PM
	        789 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
	
	    
			The Bible says what it says.  The problem... people like to tell us just what else it's saying.
	    
	         - 13/05/2011 05:31:29 PM
	        857 Views
	        
	    
	
		
	    
	
	    
			You don't reconcile... you pick the parts you like and adjust the rest to suit you.
	    
	         - 13/05/2011 09:33:54 PM
	        777 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
	
	    
			Another example...
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 09:19:52 AM
	        779 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			If you claim to follow the entire Bible, then you are completely correct.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 06:04:38 PM
	        776 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			On the contrary, this move will take some butts out of the seats.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 07:16:22 PM
	        831 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			We both know that isn't the case
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 07:55:41 PM
	        924 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
	
	    
			Cool cool.  I have a question on a semi-related note, about Protestant Gospels
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 05:33:49 PM
	        897 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
	
	    
			No Protestant denomination has added so much as a word to the Bible
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 05:58:16 PM
	        768 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
		
	    
			So, everyone hates Judith, then?
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 06:40:11 PM
	        852 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			The Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Churches accept Judith as part of Scripture.
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 07:51:27 PM
	        800 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			Does the Eastern Orthodox Church also segregate deuterocanonical works like Roman Catholicism does?
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 02:19:03 AM
	        1108 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			The Eastern Church bases everything on the Septuagint.
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 02:34:41 AM
	        855 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			That sounds appealing, and makes sense.
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 02:44:56 AM
	        866 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			Oh, I just enjoy calling Protestants "heretics" to remind them not everyone agrees with them.
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 03:25:42 AM
	        816 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
	
	    
			Re: Cool cool.  I have a question on a semi-related note, about Protestant Gospels
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 08:52:48 PM
	        832 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			The NIV is terrible. The NASB has the best translation I have found (of the NT, at least).
	    
	         - 12/05/2011 10:43:58 PM
	        984 Views
	        
	    
	
		
	    
			I find this really weird, to be honest
	    
	         - 13/05/2011 05:48:28 AM
	        870 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			Well, it wasn't just Athanasius. But yes, we are lucky in that respect. *NM*
	    
	         - 13/05/2011 06:32:48 AM
	        351 Views
	        
	    
	
		
	    
			Athanasius's list reflected the victory of Pauline Christianity
	    
	         - 13/05/2011 02:52:53 PM
	        806 Views
	        
	
		
	    
	
	    
			There's a school of thought that says that's a strong vindication of Athanasius.  - 14/05/2011 02:37:49 AM
	        758 Views
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 02:37:49 AM
	        758 Views
	        
	    
	
	     - 14/05/2011 02:37:49 AM
	        758 Views
	    
	         - 14/05/2011 02:37:49 AM
	        758 Views
	        
	    
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  *NM*
 *NM*