Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA)
2009 CWA: Reactions to the social statement by
delegates & media

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Reactions by CWA delegates:
 | Curtis Sorbo of Adams, N.D., a convention delegate from the ELCA's Eastern
North Dakota Synod said: "We are asked to affirm a description of sexuality
based on a reality that's shaped not by Scripture but by today's culture."
6
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 | "Chefhomier" posted a comment to an article in the Minneapolis St. Paul
Star Tribune, saying:
"The original, orthodox qualifications for church leaders are clearly
presented in the cannon of Holy Scripture known as the New Testament and are
specific to The New Covenant and The New Testament Church. Holy Scripture, The
Bible, is the inspired Word of God and not open to interpretation. Literary
criticism and the hermeneutic principals are used to determine the one meaning
of Scripture. You may then apply your decisions to this one meaning or draw
some significance. The qualifications for Bishops, Pastors, Elders, Deacons
and Deaconess are clearly stated in 1st Timothy 1:3 and Titus 1:5. Both of
these states that male church leaders should have one wife and children and
that female church leaders should have one husband and children. Because The
ELCA now practices extra-biblical folk religion, official statements of belief
in the Bible as the inspired Word of God should be removed because these are
confusing. God says in His Word that He is not the author of confusion,
therefore it is concluded that your currant policies and statements are
apostate and diabolical. ..." 7 |

Reactions by the media:
 | Associated Press: Patrick Condon wrote:
"Leaders of the country's largest Lutheran denomination have agreed to
disagree on homosexuality, endorsing an official statement on human sexuality
that says there's room in the church for differing views on an issue that's
divided other religious groups."
"Delegates to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's nationwide
assembly in Minneapolis on Wednesday approved a "social statement on human
sexuality. ..."
"The 34-page social statement actually touches on homosexuality only briefly,
and is intended as a sweeping definition of the ELCA's approach to matters of
human sexuality. It also sketches out the church's approach to gender,
friendship, marriage and children, cohabitation outside marriage, the
commercialization of sexuality, and the global sex trade."
"But it acknowledges what Larson described as an utter lack of consensus
toward homosexuality and same-sex relationships across the ELCA's membership.
She said the statement's drafters agreed that such differing views could be
accomodated because the homosexuality issue is "not central to our faith," the
[Rev. Rebecca] Larson [an official in the ELCA's headquarters] said."
6
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 | The Lutheran World federation stated:
"Prior to the assembly vote, speakers opposed to the social statement said
they believed endorsing the document would abandon the church?s reliance on
the Bible and separate the Lutheran denomination from the majority of
Christendom. But those favoring the document insisted that a greater
acceptance of gays and lesbians in the church and its ministry is consistent
with the command to care for one?s neighbor and to build trusting
relationships."
"Speaking earlier at a 17 August news conference as the ELCA opened its
eleventh biennial assembly, Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson said a respectful
discussion on sexuality by the church would demonstrate that while Lutherans
may not be 'of one mind,' they can still be 'united in faith and in our shared
mission together'."
" 'We have an opportunity this week to bear witness in a culture that often
wants to polarize and see all questions in their polar opposites,' Hanson
noted. The bishop said he was confident that the church could learn to live
with its differences." |
 | The Minnesota Independent: Andy Birkey
stated:
"The social statement is a long document that essentially says that the
church will agree to disagree on the issue of same-sex relationships, but will
neither punish congregations that decide to bless such relationships nor force
congregations that reject blessing same-sex couples."" 'This church also
acknowledges that consensus does not exist concerning how to regard
same-gender committed relationships, even after many years of thoughtful,
respectful, and faithful study and conversation,' the statement says in part.
'We do not have agreement on whether this church should honor these
relationships, uplift, shelter and protect them, or on precisely how it is
appropriate to do so'." 9
|

References used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
- "ELCA Assembly Adopts 'Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust'," ELCA News
Service, 2009-AUG-19, at:
http://www.elca.org/
- David Virtue, "MINNEAPOLIS: ELCA Leaders follow Episcopal Church on
Homosexual Marriage," VirtueOnline, 2009-AUG-19, at:
http://www.virtueonline.org/
- "Press Release from Goodsoil regarding the human sexuality social
statement," ELCA CWA blogspot. 2009-AUG-20, at:
http://elcacwa.blogspot.com/
- Ted Olsen, "ELCA Assembly: Was God in either whirlwind?," Christianity
Today, 2009-AUG-20, at:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/
- John Piper. "The Tornado, the Lutherans, and Homosexuality," Desiring
God blog, 2009-AUG-20, at:
http://www.desiringgod.org/
- Patrick Condon, "Lutherans move toward more open view on gays," Google
News, 2009-AUG-19, at:
http://www.google.com/
- Jeff Strickler, "ELCA validates
'chaste' same-sex relationships," Star Tribune, 2009-AUG-20, at:
http://www.startribune.com/
- "LWF President underscores focus on Church witness," Lutheran World
Federation, 2009-AUG-20, at:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/
- Andy Birkey, "A day of close calls: ELCA braves a tornado and a tough
vote on LGBT issues," The Minnesota Independent, 2009-AUG-20, at:
http://minnesotaindependent.com/

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Copyright © 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2009-SEP-09 Author: B.A. Robinson

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