I received a lovely email from the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) news service, which just got me in a tizzy: LCMS President Responds to ELCA Task Force Recommendation, Statement 09-053-MRC (full text here). I’m just amazed at this fellow’s arrogance.
“Kieschnick also reminded LCMS members of a resolution passed by the church’s 2001 convention that the LCMS “cannot consider (the ELCA) to be an orthodox church body,” but “we of the LCMS recognize that many of our brothers and sisters of the ELCA remain faithful to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we resolve to reach out to them in love and support.”
I know it will shock Mssr. Kieschnick that there are people of thoughtful, prayer-filled, and committed Christians that are in support of the ELCA’s decision and direction (I am one of them). I, for one, am surprised that anyone can study the path of Jesus and subscribe to this anti-gay mindset.
Just because there is a 2,000+ year tradition of homosexuality as sinful is no reason to continue it. Tradition apart from reason and compassion is simply brutal. Kieschnick should carefully review the state of society (both globally and for the society in question) before wistfully wishing for a 2,000 year retreat. I, for one, stand against such on many principles.
I guess that I should be thankful that he and the LCMS are simply calling for them to pray for me/us – as opposed to the Fred Phelps “protest/harass/badger/nuisance mentality. However, perhaps it would be good for such folks to follow the guidance of a certain jewish philosopher from the 1st century CE and “remove the plank from their own eye before trying to remove the spec from mine”
(for the uninitiated, the LCMS = Lutheran Church Missouri Synod – and this isn’t the first time I’ve been tweaked by their stance on an ELCA issue)
