Yet Another Study on Sex from the ELCA
PIcked up this news story just now on my lunch break. Prepare for another opportunity to explain to people what confessional Lutherans believe, teach and confess on these issues as, once again, we are lumped into the "general" Lutheran bucket on this stuff. No doubt homosexuality will be a major part of this latest "study" and so a short, to the point treatment of the subject will prove helpful. I would recommend What About Homosexuality.
CHICAGO (AP) “Lutherans talk about human sexuality."
That’s the subject of a study being released today by the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which has lost members amid
divisions over homosexuality.
Last year, delegates to the denomination’s national meeting split
almost evenly on whether to let gays and lesbians in long-term
relationships serve as clergy. The proposal, which needed a two-thirds
majority, failed but a church task force was told to keep studying
issues of sexuality and prepare the report that’s being issued today.
E-L-C-A officials say the new study will invite Lutherans “to
consider human sexuality through the lens of Scripture and Lutheran
teaching."
“…to consider human sexuality through the lens of Scripture and Lutheran teaching.”
It seems that we don’t need a *new* study to do this. I think what we have is working just fine. It’s pretty simple and straightforward, really. Abstainence/Chastity as an unmarried person, fidelity as a married person. Simple as that.
For the whiners who think that this is too difficult, they better take a close look at the other much more difficult things required of us: loving our neighbors, fogiving our transgressors, loving our enemies, taking up our crosses.
Yikes! Chastity is a walk in the park compared to those radical ideas!
“a church task force was told to keep studying issues of sexuality and prepare the report”
Translation: Find some way to present Scripture in such a way that it will make those who remain opposed to gay/lesbian clergy look hopelessly backward, legalistic, uncompasionate and disappointing to Christ. Then we can take another vote.
“E-L-C-A officials say the new study will invite Lutherans ‘to consider human sexuality through the lens of Scripture and Lutheran teaching.’”
Translation: We have found a way to present Scripture in such a way that it will make those who remain opposed to gay/lesbian clergy look hopelessly backward, legalistic, uncompasionate and disappointing to Christ. Now lets vote and get it right this time.