Homosexual Lutheran clergy who are in sexual relationships will be able to serve as pastors, the largest U.S. Lutheran body said on Saturday. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) passed a resolution at its annual assembly urging bishops to refrain from disciplining pastors who are in "faithful committed same-gender relationships." The resolution passed by a vote of 538-431. "The Church ... has just said 'Do not do punishments'," said Phil Soucy, spokesman for Lutherans Concerned, a gay-lesbian rights group within the church. "That is huge." The ELCA, which has 4.8 million members, had previously allowed gays to serve as pastors so long as they abstained from sexual relations
So what Bible are they teaching and preaching from????
2007-08-15 05:31:25 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Maybe it's not just "PC" for them. Maybe they feel genuinely spiritually fulfilled by accepting and embracing all people. Foreign concept?
2007-08-15 05:35:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 14⤊ 3⤋
I actually noticed this quite a few years ago first occurring as I went to Valparaiso University, a Lutheran-sponsored school by some of the students studying to be clergy. The times they are a changin' -- as the song goes! Obviously, same-sex marriage is becoming more acceptable in modern society, and the church is simply reflecting that. I'm sure this is a way to increase the numbers too, or maybe it's just a trend in garnering support for it overall.
Hmmm, New Revised Standard --> the Updated Edition maybe?
2007-08-15 05:55:03 · answer #2 · answered by Andy K 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Lutherans strive to earn the title of Christ followers unlike many other Christian religions that claim to follow the whole Bible. Jesus is the new Covenant and teaches us that marriage isn't for everybody and after Jesus returned to Heaven, Peter made a Eunuch into a Christian, so if their Christian, their saved fully, not half saved as so many religions want to claim.
2007-08-15 05:50:38 · answer #3 · answered by Marcus R. 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
From a position of evolving understanding of what it means to live in the world today and be inclusive of everyone . Elcia and Elcic are not fundamentalist based, where they take everything in the bible literally. People have evolved and no longer stone women who committ adultery, and so the church is evolving in their stance of clergy whether homosexual or heterosexual being in a committed relationship , is a sin against God or not . Love is love and that's what Jesus taught us to love our neighbours as ourselves and to treat others as we would want to be treated.
Good on the elcia!
2007-08-15 05:44:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
they are smart enough to understand that the Bible isn't the one and only source of all Christian faith. They understand that the Bible was written for one time in history - not all of history. They understand that only God can judge a person's life - and they allow God to do that.
really - if you are not Lutheran, why should you care?
2007-08-15 06:10:59 · answer #5 · answered by yarn whore 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Let's keep something straight for the record: This decision was made by a single so-called "Lutheran" denomination--one that had already been allowing such blasphemous practices that this decision was almost trivial in comparison. Please don't blame Lutherans in general for this. =(
2007-08-15 06:32:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous Lutheran 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How is it that you think you can see into their hearts?
You have deicded that you know why they have done this.
I, for one, will ask them why if I want to know rather than thinking that I know their hearts and minds.
I have found it to be true for me at least that when I decide I know why someone does something and that 'why' is a bad motivation, it usually means that is why I would do it.
Those who are good see good in others...
2007-08-15 06:18:19 · answer #7 · answered by Praise Singer 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I guess now the Lutherans have fallen away. At least, as a credible denomination.
That something such as this is even being talked about says much about how far away certain churches have gotten from the Bible, and Bible doctrine.
I imagine their membership will now drop...all the believers will leave.
2007-08-15 05:47:56 · answer #8 · answered by Jed 7 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Good news... and bad.
The good news is, of course, that gays have finally been given some affirmation by a large religious body.
The bad news is that by taking this flexible posture, the Lutheran church will live on a while longer to preach its nonsense of faithful belief in god... and now it may attract and indoctrinate the weaker-minded of gays, (those who believe the fallacy of god or are willing to,) as new members to help it along.
This appears to be an evolutionary step forward for the church .... survival of the weakest philosophy ironically being the fittest to last .... but for mankind and for the good of its societies overall, it will be better when the god-touting institutions of the church cave-in and die altogether.
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/Southpaw_GIF.gif
[][][] r u randy? [][][]
2007-08-15 05:43:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
A falling away,
2 Peter 2:1
even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
That about sums it up, but look on the bright side, the Day of the Lord, is even closer.
Even So Lord Jesus Come quickly.
by the way you get a star
2007-08-15 05:45:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
I thought Christians were suppose to love their neighbors. I never heard the "love thy neighbor, except..." clause.
Also there is the "do unto others as you would have done unto you". So if gays can't get married, doesn't that mean you can't get married either?
Geez, if god was so great, why didn't he put, "unless their gay", at the end of these really cool sounding sayings?
2007-08-15 05:42:25 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 1⤋