Thursday, August 16, 2007

ELCA Says 'Committed' Relationships OK for Gay Clergy

Can you still call yourself a church if you endorse outright disobedience to God?

From "Lutherans Say 'Committed' Relationships OK for Gay Clergy" by Jennnifer Mesko, posted 8/13/07 at Citizenlink.org

The 4.8 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) continues to loosen its standards on homosexuality and clergy celibacy.

During its weeklong assembly that ended Saturday, members voted to encourage church leaders to "refrain from or demonstrate restraint" in disciplining gay clergy who are in committed relationships.

The thousand church members, meeting at Chicago's Navy Pier, voted down a measure that would have ended the church's celibacy requirement for gay clergy.

"To refrain from discipline in the home is bad parenting, but we're about to do so in Christ's Church," said Jaynan Clark Egland, president of WordAlone Network.

WordAlone is a Lutheran grassroots network concerned that the ELCA is losing its Christ-centered focus.

This isn't the first sign that the ELCA no longer has faith in the God of the Bible. Live birth abortions are performed at ELCA Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn. Apparently the ELCA believes that Jesus just isn't enough for mothers of Down Syndrome and Spinal Bifida babies either...

Read the rest of this article.