Ping to the Swedish Ping List.
Posted on 10/22/2009 10:51:52 PM PDT by Steelfish
Sweden Church Allows Gay Weddings
Sweden's archbishop is broadly supportive of the move The Lutheran Church of Sweden - the country's largest - is to conduct same-sex marriages from next month.
Around 70% of the church's 250-strong synod, or church board, voted to back the move, making it one of few global churches to allow gay marriage.
Sweden's government introduced a new law in May allowing gay couples the same marriage rights as heterosexuals. Three-quarters of Swedes are members of the Lutheran church, though church attendance is low.
The Lutheran Church says gay couples can now get married by any of its priests from the beginning of November.
Individual priests will not be "forced" to perform same sex ceremonies, though substitutes will have to be found if they refuse. The church - which split from state control in 2000 - backed the government's decision to legalise gay marriage in May.
But some clergy had questioned whether church ceremonies - and the term matrimony - should be reserved for heterosexual unions. Others opposed the move on the grounds it contravened the scriptures. Limited opposition
In response, the Archbishop of Sweden, Anders Wejryd, told reporters: "For my part, the right decision was taken, but I can empathise with the many who believe this has gone too fast."
Sweden's largest gay rights group, the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL), welcomed the move. "[We] congratulate the Church of Sweden for its decision. [The church's] homosexual and bisexual members will finally be able to feel a little more welcome within society," the group said in a statement.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
I see more Catholics in the future.
I see more Baptists and Presbyterians in the future.
These people still bother pretending to be Christians only for the sake of bringing slow death to the Church.
It’s not the Lutheran Church anymore. It’s the Church of Sodom.
In response, the Archbishop of Sweden, Anders Wejryd, told reporters: "For my part, the right decision was taken, but I can empathise with the many who believe this has gone too fast."
Too fast? You want to go to hell and take everyone with you more slowly? He's making the fatal mistake that is in a sense the foundation of secular humanism/moral relativism - the society "evolves" - truth evolves, morals evolve, humanity evolves, understanding evolves. Gets better and better with time. But, because some of us are barbarian throwbacks, they can't push the future on us too fast, has to be done gradually.
This is also called "boiling the frog in the pot slowly so he won't jump out before he's cooked".
Makes me really glad there are so many gun owners in the US.
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At what point do these wierdos just come out and say, “In analyzing our policies and procedures, we’ve come to the conclusion that there are actually no teachings of Christ included at this point, so we’re changing our name to Feel-Good Club of Sweden”?
They must destroy the Bible to continue this farce; otherwise, it just becomes bizarre...
Nuther ex-church,very willingly too.
Nuther ex-church,very willingly too.
What’s the Lutheran position on Satanists? Still on the outs? Oh, the cruelty!
WTF!
Ping to the Swedish Ping List.
Could use a Lutheran ping.
Exactly right. My grandparents are members of the LCMS and there are more Lutherans joining their church,since no gay marriages will be allowed. There are no gay clergy men/women in my grandparents’church either.
Oh,and one more thing I need to add;My rabbi will not marry gays either as he comes from an orthodox backround. My synagogue is Reform but it’s the only one in my town.I’m not orthodox but I’m not reform either. I fall somewhere in between.I don’t think it matters to G-D as long as long as I try to be the best Jew I can be. I do like the Reform synagogue because women are part of the services,and I can wear my yarmulke and tallit (prayer shawl).
More true than perhaps you realize, as retired C of S Bishop, the late Kristen Stendahl, participated in the laying of hands to consecrate the openly gay/parterned TEC "Bishop" Vicki Gene Robinson back in 2003.
The ELCA Office of Secretary had sternly warned ELCA Bishops that while they were permitted to attend that ceremony there were absolutely forbidden to take an active part in the consecration.
No gay marriages in the ELS or the WELS either. ELS(Evangelical Lutheran Synod) and WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) are the more conservative synods with LCMS (Lutheran Church Missoui Synod) following. It really is sad the number of people who do not realize that there are BIG differences between the Lutheran Synods and just lump all Lutherans into the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) which endorses same sex marriage and practicing gay clergy.
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