The Presbyterian General Assembly (PCUSA) rejected same-sex marriage. That's good news. At the same time, this top legislative body for the Presbyterians did something very curious--it proposed stripping the requirement that candidates for the clergy "live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness." Under the pressure of a perceived need to accomodate gay folks, the Presbyterian leadership voted to remove any explicit standard of sexual conduct. A metaphor for our times? Many doubt the new rules, which must be confirmed by a vote of the presbyteries, will be accepted by the Presbyterians in the pews.