ELCA VOTE ON HUMAN SEXUALITY - AUG 19, 2009

[MrsSarb]

I just remember driving home that day in Minneapolis and on the news they kept saying that there was no scientific reason that they could come up with to explain why there was a tornado that day. I think this was clearly from God. This is profound. I do not hate gay people. I love gay people. However, the Bible is very clear on this. There is a huge difference between tolerance and love and a stamp of endorsement. The church has put their stamp of endorsement on this with this vote.

[IantoCross]

Have you ever considered, perhaps, that some things in the Bible were what men thought God wanted, and not necessarily direct doctrine? And even many things in the Bible we don't practice anymore, such as slavery, women bought and sold as wives, etc. because we know better. Perhaps we now know better about sexual & romantic orientation than we did previously? That it's an innate, or hard-wired, part of every human being?

[jes381990]

I resigned my membership in the ELCA and joined a Baptist church because of this.

[Markpink21]

really a baptist church? Im in Ga and thats all around me..lol I have to say I was raised Lcms and I converted judaism. What a change! :)

[CMLovejoy]

This will split in the denomination in half.

[bdawg6]

I was there, It was intense haha

[MrRockythesquirrel]

ditto for you mrwebb

[sandworm3]

ELCA. The big question is who first left who?

[sandworm3]

Sodomy is not an act of love just as any straight sexual sin is not an act of love. Sin hurts us, that is why the authority of scripture is to stay away from certain things, this is one of them. The true tragedy in this all is the undermining of the authority of scripture to accomadate a sinful act.

[MrRockythesquirrel]

sandworm3, i don't know whats worse, your lack of under of human sexuality beyond a bible or your self-righteousness.the only thing it really "underminds" as you put it, is the rigid defining of the sexual identities and roles between men and wimen

[sandworm3]

You apparently have very little fear or understanding of how holy God is. If he has outlined in his Word to stay away from certain things, stay away from them. Why is that hard for you to grasp as a christian? You choose sin over holiness. For the gay, stay away and abstain from homosexual urges, thoughts, actions. For straight, stay away from fornication, adultery, lust, perversions... all sin... Very clear..

[MrRockythesquirrel]

no sandworm, i choose honesty rather than a lie. who i am vss. who i am not. i am a christian who happens to be gay

[DoormanPriest]

My curate is a lesbian. She can't "do" sodomy.

What of the gay men who aren't into sodomy - a significant proportion (I'm told it's not compulsory).

These Biblical injunctions are not about faithful, loving and committed relationships. They are warnings not to follow the religious practices of the neighbouring tribes; practices which included cultic prostitution of both genders.

This is not a warning about personal morality, it is a warning about the dangers of apostsy. morality

[sandworm3]

It is apostasy. There is no teaching that would back this unnatural relation up. These bishops should be ashamed of themselves as they are to be guardians of sound doctrine and scripture. Humanism, autonomy, post-modernism are all present here. Tolerant intolerance. If it feels good do it, nobody is going to tell me what to do... I AM ME... I do whatever I want despite clear doctrine.

[MrRockythesquirrel]

it is only "unnatural" to those who do not understand human sexuality. who dislike folks whose sexuality is different from themselves, and have to hide their dislikes behind the bible and the cross. and you can add to that the mis-interpretation of scripture, and the taking of portions out of context

[DoormanPriest]

4) I pick up a strong sense of a double standard here.

[DoormanPriest]

How sad that it becomes "lust" as if gays were somehow worse at sexual self-control than straights. I fear we are going to hear a lot of such petty and mean spirited misinformation.

Still, together with the Holy Spirit in Minneapolis, I could have got it wrong.

[sandworm3]

Tragic. not a vote of love but a vote of lust. interpreting clear teaching wrong to accomodate a lustful and perverse lifestyle. Turning grace into a license to sin. This never was about not loving the homosexual but having compassion for them that through Christ those chains of bondage could be broken and restoration and sanctification to begin. I have my own sin, but I loathe it, and with Christ I try to avoid the next occasion. I don't try to change God's word so I can sustain it.

[DoormanPriest]

Calliemagnolia, we have an eternal, not an unchanging gospel. Neither you nor I are Paul's original nor implied audience. We are in the wrong age and on the wrong continent to have been either. That said we must work out our own salvations in fear and trembling as he told us in Philippians 2.12.

[calliemagnolia]

Mr. Door~ Don't shoot the messenger! God has his last and final say. The scriptures are God breathed!

[DoormanPriest]

I agree entirely, but that doesn't mean they are inerrant.

[calliemagnolia]

1 Cor 6:9-10 "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." ELCA closes their eyes to this. love is used as an excuse to violate scripture loving homosexuals does not mean approving of their sin. ELCA relies on humanistic and relativistic morals.

[MrRockythesquirrel]

as i have said to someone in another anti-gay vid, i wish that folks would stop taking scripture verses out of context and misreading and misinterpreting scripture to justify their own personal prejudices

[calliemagnolia]

Mr. Squirrel~ You need to take it up with The Hoy Father. God Bless you and I pray that you repent and turn away from your sin. May God bless you with his peace and love and truth.

[MrRockythesquirrel]

callie, my truth is that i am a christian, and i am gay. and i accept both

[JoeyBoya]

Godbless all those who voted in favor of love! Equality peace and love to all... im so proud to be a lutheran

[calliemagnolia]

My prayers are with the ELCA for this is troubling times. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 states: "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical iars, who consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." God clearly teaches in Leviticus 18:22 "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is DETESTABLE." Read Romans 13: 13-14. These are GOD'S WORDS...not mine and I believe them

[crimthann86]

For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law."

[JoeyBoya]

Inclusion of all gay straight black white women men.... ALL CHILDREN OF GOD

[GFS05np]

that verse says put the Lord first (if you love me, you will follow my commands with my help) then others (people) second. (love the Lord ; repent ; turn from your ways; pray & read the bible.)