Perhaps, but not according to God
It is more difficult to sympathize with a sin you do not understand, and remarkably easy to demonize it.
Sin has no need to be 'demonized' it is what it is, and those that have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them recognize it and try to avoid it. When they can't avoid sinning, which is the natural state of man since the Fall, the same Spirit convicts them and drives them to repent.
You don't see the same demonization of other sins, especially the more common ones.
Sin doesn't need demonization for believers.
Why not ordain unrepentant active drunks? Really, what's the difference?
There is none.
Or is this a refutation or redefinition of the biblical teachings regarding homosexuality?
Yes. The real question should be; "If active homosexuality is not sin, what is?" If unrepentant sin is OK, then the Law is invalid and there is no need for the Gospel and Christ died for nothing. I am not ELCA but I am a Lutheran unlike those wretched who subscribe to this abomination passed by their 'leaders'. This and many other ELCA activities are a result of a lack of spiritual teaching and the desire to treat the Word of God like libs do the Constitution; as a living document to be bent to people's will instead of people acting in accordance with God's will.
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Sin has no need to be ‘demonized’ it is what it is...[/i]
Yes, sin is what it is. That is my point. Homosexuality is perceived and portrayed by many as somehow more sinful than other sin. You and I agree there are no degrees of sin. It is therefore odd that some Christians focus so much on homosexuality as opposed to drunkenness, theft, lying, etc. I'm talking about Westboro Baptist type focus, the “God hates fags” crowd. It seems an odd position to take, that one particular kind of sin is more “evil” than another, as if the world would less fallen if all the homosexuals were rounded up and disappeared. It is an apostasy, in my view, as harmful as any other.