Panel Asks Lutherans to Tolerate Gays

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Registered: 12-16-2003
Panel Asks Lutherans to Tolerate Gays
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Thu, 01-13-2005 - 2:09pm



U.S. National - AP







AP
Panel Asks Lutheran Body to Tolerate Gays






59 minutes ago







By MELANIE COFFEE, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO - Saying church unity is at least as important as resolving disagreements over sexuality, a panel recommended Thursday that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America officially maintain its positions against same-sex blessing ceremonies and ministers involved in gay relationships, but tolerate those who believe and act otherwise.

The Lutheran body, with 5 million members, is one of several mainline Protestant denominations torn over the place of gays and lesbians in the clergy and church. The panel's job was to issue recommendations on how to settle the dispute at the church's August assembly, though its conclusions were sure to be challenged by both the right and the left.


Existing Lutheran policy bars homosexual clergy involved with partners. Just in recent months, bishops expelled a congregation in San Bernardino, Calif., with an actively lesbian associate pastor and censured another in Minneapolis that installed a gay associate pastor.


The bishops' conference opposes same-sex blessings, but its 1993 statement on the matter has been regarded as guidance rather than official policy and the issue has provoked less rancor.


Thursday's proposals, issued at Chicago headquarters, say the church:


_Should keep its policy against gay or lesbian relationships for clergy and lay ministers, but "may choose to refrain from disciplining" ministers with same-sex partners and those who approve their employment. (The church allows gay and lesbian clerics if they are celibate.)


_Should "continue to respect" the bishops' statement against same-sex ceremonies. That statement goes on to say the bishops "express trust in" pastors and congregations and affirm "their desire to explore the best ways to provide pastoral care."


A third recommendation says "the God-given mission and communion we share is at least as important as the issues" about which Lutherans are "decisively at odds." It asks members to find "ways to live together faithfully in the midst of our disagreements."


The report acknowledges that the church faces a deep and "pervasive" disagreement over homosexuality, and says Christians who follow the Bible reach different conclusions on Christianity's traditional opposition to gay sex. The panel also insists that its recommendations "do not establish new policy or change existing policy."


Emily Eastwood, spokeswoman for the Lutheran Alliance for Full Participation, said the six organizations that make up her group felt "profound sadness and dismay" at the recommendations. "It sends a pretty loud message to gays and lesbians that this church, at this time, is going to legitimize selective discrimination while claiming to welcome them," she said.


The Rev. James Childs Jr., an ethics professor at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, who directed the project, said the panel's approach favors "pastoral discretion" over legislation. He said the panel understands that some people won't be happy with the results.


"We're aware of the fact that there are people for whom this has been a very painful matter and that pain was not dissipated by this report," he said. "We're conscious of that and care about it."


The 14-member panel of clergy, seminary professors and lay people also said it was divided. A few members favored a more conservative policy, and a few wanted to relax church rules.


The panel's chair, Bishop Margaret Payne, said "there's no way of knowing" how many ELCA congregations provide same-sex blessing ceremonies but the report underscores that Lutheran marriage is only between a man and a woman, regardless of secular laws. She said that in the New England Synod she heads, pastors support gay and lesbian couples through private prayer services rather than formal church rituals.


Payne said that if the panel's recommendations are adopted, bishops of the 65 synods might follow differing policies toward gay and lesbian ministers that have partners. "We will work on this," she said. "We will not allow this to divide us."


But the ELCA now joins the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Episcopal Church in the divisive struggle over sexuality. The United Methodist Church has also debated lifting its bans on gay clergy and ceremonies but strongly reaffirmed traditionalists' position at its conference last year.


The nation's other major Lutheran body, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is staunchly conservative on homosexuality, and other matters.






Kim
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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-15-2004
Thu, 01-13-2005 - 2:56pm

Thanks Kim, for presenting that, I've always enjoyed your articles. The Presbyterian Church is most definately going through the struggle about gay and lesbain clergy. But believe it or not, there are many of them that are closeted, but, they don't condemn the members that are.

My minister and his wife, accept me completely. In fact, my minister does civil unions. And I'm happy for that.

Thanks again.

 


Hugs,


Sebastian


 


http://www.facebook.com/sebastianbruce

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Registered: 02-15-2004
Fri, 01-14-2005 - 1:25am

Kim, Thanks for the post. You always keep us informed and I

Sandr

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Registered: 06-24-2003
Fri, 01-14-2005 - 1:41am
Thanks Kim,
AT least they are facing the issue where as before they did not even think about it. Just a big fat No, or wrong.
Very interesting.
Hugs,
Laurie

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-16-2003
Fri, 01-14-2005 - 8:56am

The headline aside,

Kim
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Registered: 02-15-2004
Fri, 01-14-2005 - 11:05am

"Because of the promiscuity myth, people mistakenly fear we will damage marriage, because we will bring our so-called promiscuity into this sacred institution and weaken it.

Sandr

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Registered: 12-16-2003
Fri, 01-14-2005 - 12:23pm
I agree wholeheartedly!

Kim
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If I can say God made me as I am, a heterosexual,
then homosexuals can say God made them as they are.

Kim
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 01-14-2005 - 1:51pm

You know what strike me the most… these church leaders always have sex on their mind.
They’re more concern with homosexuality than straight sex. You think they’re just jealous they not in the club so they want to close the clubhouse down?

Maybe this disagreement with the gay community is their marketing ploy. Their attendance has been down and now they have an issue that will titillate the people to come back to the church to hear what they have to say about homosexuals. You know bored people will do anything on a Sunday. What is that passage…an idle hands is the work of the devil?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 01-14-2005 - 2:00pm

This is why it is so important for our friends, neighbors, and colleagues to see us in our relationships, our families. We have to shatter the myth

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I agree but there will be a percentage of people that will keep to that myth no matter what. Also, to shatter that myth, we need to work within our communities. There are people within our community who like living that myth too. We might be surrounded by "family value" minded people but there are some that also doesn't believe in settling down too. How do you tell them to restrict their rights to be promiscuous so the rest of us can have acceptance?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 01-14-2005 - 2:04pm

Very few people take it seriously these days. Remember, there is a 50% divorce rate. They are afraid same sex relationships will weaken that?

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The divorce rate didn't tell me they took it less seriously. It just tells me they don't have the skills to work on having a successful relationship. Don't forget, that measuring stick will be held up against us once we get to marry too. MA already have gay divorcees after they got married just under a year, I was waiting for the I told you gang to show up on the news media.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-15-2004
Fri, 01-14-2005 - 3:06pm

I was holding my breath when I heard about that one! I can't believe they didn't jump right on it. Straight people have no room to talk anyway. There are good and bad people, in every category. We should all know that by now. Sometimes I get mad when a few gay people make all the rest look bad or if a few

Sandr