Southern California Conference (SCC) released a statement Tuesday distancing itself from the controversy surrounding past comments made by Pasadena Public Health Director and SDA associate pastor Dr. Eric Walsh regarding homosexuals, Catholics and Muslims. SCC spokeswoman Betty Cooney said, "[H]e does not hold ministerial credentials from the Adventist Church, does not speak on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, and as far as we know, does not represent his views as anything other than his own.”
Her statement appeared to imply that Walsh's views on homosexuality did not reflect the church's; however, the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference issued this statement in 2012:
The Bible makes no accommodation for homosexual activity or relationships. Sexual acts outside the circle of a heterosexual marriage are forbidden” (Lev 18:5-23, 26; Lev 20:721; Rom 1:2427; 1 Cor 6:911).
The SCC was unclear about which of Walsh's views did not represent the church, leaving room for speculation that the conference's politically correct statement was more concerned about public opinion than standing by its beliefs. You can read the Pasadena Star article here.
Contributors: Gerry Wagoner