Saturday, August 22, 2009

Results of ELCA vote

The results from the ELCA conference this week make me proud to be a Lutheran (and being proud to be any sort of Christian is something I often hesitate to say, being that I am a scientist, academic, and social liberal in today's American society!):
"Monogamous" Gays Can Serve in ELCA
I think the lay delegate quoted in the article makes an excellent point when he says ""We live today with an understanding of homosexuality that did not exist in Jesus' time and culture...we are responding to something that the writers of Scripture could not have understood." The scripture writers did not understand that people are born with their sexuality. This is not something people choose, and thus we shouldn't discriminate against them. Being monogamous, however, IS indeed a choice, and so it makes sense if the church wants their single clergy of all sexualities to pledge celibacy. Of course personally, I don't understand what's so sinful about such a deep expression of mutual love and intimacy (I certainly don't consider my sex life sinful - it causes no one harm and makes our relationship stronger, and a marriage certificate wouldn't change that one bit), but I wouldn't expect a national church to espouse such views.