Free Republic

L.A. Region's First Two Female Episcopal Bishops Are Ordained The two — Diane Jardine Bruce and Mary Douglas Glasspool — are ordained to applause and cheers. Glasspool is also the church's first lesbian bishop. Two protesters are removed from the ceremony. Mitchell Landsberg May 15, 2010 There was a moment on Saturday when even the usually unflappable J. Jon Bruno, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, held his breath. It was the point when the 3,000 people at the Long Beach Arena were asked if anyone had any objections to the ordination of the region's first two female...

Jennifer Knapp, the Christian music artist and Dove Award winner who announced this month that she is gay, recently questioned the authenticity of Bible translations on the issue of homosexuality. During her appearance on CNN’s Larry King Live on Friday, Knapp pointed out that believers rely on a text that is not in the original language. She said scholars have questioned the interpretation of the original Greek words that have been translated to homosexuality. Though acknowledging that she is by no means a scholar or theologian, Knapp brought up the Bible translation issue to challenge those who cite the Bible...

Nebraska and Iowa are feeling the fallout from a decision by the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination to allow non-celibate gay clergy and church leaders, as well as recognition of same-sex couples. Thanksgiving! Lutheran Church in Bellevue voted Jan. 31 to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or ELCA. It takes two votes with at least a two-thirds majority, taken at least 90 days apart, for a congregation to split from the national church. The Jan. 31 vote was Thanksgiving!’s second vote, so it appears to make the church the first Nebraska congregation to break from the ELCA since a...