Posted on 01/13/2005 10:01:46 PM PST by kattracks
A Lutheran task force handed a victory to homosexual rights groups yesterday by recommending that although the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America should not change its policy against ordaining homosexual clergy, it should not censure churches that break the rule.
But "those who feel conscience-bound to call people [as pastors] in committed same-sex unions should refrain from making the call a media event either as an act of defiance or with the presumption of being prophetic," the task force warned. The 14-member task force pronounced itself conflicted and unable to agree about how the ELCA should proceed.
What emerged in their report — released at church headquarters in Chicago — was a compromise in which congregations could hire homosexual clergy without making this the official policy in the 4.9-million-member denomination.
The compromise came as three recommendations:
•That Lutherans "learn to live together faithfully," while disagreeing, thus avoiding the splits over homosexuality that have dominated the Episcopal Church, which has shared sacraments, clergy and ministry with the ELCA since 2001.
•That the ELCA continue to have no official policy on same-sex unions, but "respect" a 1993 ELCA bishops' statement that does not approve such ceremonies as official church acts;
•That the denomination not discipline churches that hire homosexual clergy, nor the clergy themselves. At least 14 openly homosexual seminarians or clergy serve in ELCA churches, according to the San Francisco-based Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
You're missing the point of the "throwing stones" story. Jesus saves the woman by pointing out to those about to stone her that they too are guilty of sin. When they leave, Jesus does not turn to the woman and say, "You know a significant part of society are adulterers, so don't sweat it." He says, "Go and sin no more."
Homosexuals should be treated with dignity and respect, they struggle with sin like the rest of us. But their sins should be treated like all other sins, with repentance and an attempt to overcome them. Christianity is not about defining deviancy down so we can all just get along, it's about aspiring to live our lives to Christ's standards to the best of our ability.
..and left shortly before they caved/converted/compromised to the ELCA.
We are thankful and happy for the Presbyterian Church, PCA who does not compromise or ....condone such as this!
That's not to say there may not be some conservative pastors around but as a whole, the synod is EXTRMELY liberal.
The same statement could be made...'Add the Presbyterian Church to the lost...'
...and would not be a true statement!
The Presbyterian Church PCA left the mainline USA Presbyterian 30 years ago...because of such as this!
They'll rue the day they turned a blind eye to this. I say give it 10 years and you'll see a sex scandal in the Lutheran church with young boys at vacation bible school getting molested by gay clergy. It's a shame they won't learn the lessons from the Catholic church scandal. We didn't have a pedophile problem, we had a practicing homosexual priest problem.
We left the ELCA at least a dozen years ago and are now LCMS but a few years ago we attended the baptism of a great grandchild at an ELCA church. I kid you not, the "minister" talked about Clinton's underwear and played a song by the Rolling Stones.
We will see what we can do from where we are. I am not sure if we as members of an ELCA church that is relatively conservative can change the direction of the whole organization or even the Maryland/Delaware synod, but I believe we have to try.
ESAD
Well said.
tSG
so they decided to leave things as is and continue to play violins while their churches burn.
or
The lazy sheppards decided allowing wolves with the flock are a nusance and not a problem.
After many years in the ALC and then the ELCA, my wife and I were led to same conclusion nearly 11 years ago. We began attending Mass and a serious exploration of Catholicism which ultimately resulted in our becoming Catholic. The move has been, and continues to be, an extraordinary blessing in our lives for 10 years now. During that decade, the ELCA has stagnated at 5 milliion members, while the Catholic Church in the US, even with all it's public difficulties, has grown from about 52 million to 64 million members. We have been heartily welcomed, and you will be, too, should you pursue the same quest. Godspeed in your search.
I highly doubt I'd ever consider Catholicism. Perhaps LCMS or WELS, or maybe even SBC. The truth is, though, that after finally giving it a some thought, I realized my home church didn't change with this announcement, so I'm best served staying put until something does change locally. My church is very rural, and very conservative, but I hate to think of any of my contributions ending up in an NCC pocket.
More ear-tickling.
I suspect they fell prey to the same infection.
The Lutheran church was already "not condemming" the gays; However it is going way to far in allowing them to LEAD the congregation in sin, by allowing pastors and marriages to be gay.
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