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The Presbyterian Church has voted against a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage within the church.
More after the jump!
The Presbyterian Church (USA)'s biennial General Assembly convened in Pittsburgh on Friday. The vote, which ended with 338 opposing legalization of same-sex marriage and 308 in favor, showcased the deep division over this issue within the church.
No members of the church's General Assemby abstained from voting.
According to Huff Po, "The proposal would have changed the church's Book of Order to define marriage as between "two people." It would have required approval by a majority of the church's 173 presbyteries, or regional governing bodies, in order to become final."
As a result of the vote, the Presbyterian church will continue to define marriage solely as a union between "a man and a woman."
The church's next national meeting will take place in two years, at which point, pro-same-sex marriage activists will have a new opportunity to make marriage-related proposals.
Younger members of the church express support for same-sex marriage in far greater numbers than the church's older members, and the Presbyterian Church's pro-same-sex marriage stance continues to increase as younger members take on more leadership positions.
With a vote of 338-308, it's not a huge stretch to imagine that the Presbyterian Church may officially change their stance in the coming years.
The vote is disappointing nonetheless.
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