drewjmore

As an atheist infiltrator in a christian institution, I see this as my opportunity to positively infuence a significant religious body. I 'belong' to this particular congregation precisely because of its inclusive stance, put in place by the now de-frocked pastor. If the larger ELCA body sees fit to squash our little 'revolution,' the character of the place, and many others, will be irrevokably changed for the worse, and all my tithing will have gone to waste. Therefore, I must disagree with Mr. B's sentiment.

There is a paucity of biblical texts that can be rigorously demonstrated to even cast aspersions upon the homosexual orientation. The strength and directness of the above defence of the homosexual condition, in Christ's own words, is definitve.

hatsoff

Even if you manage to twist the text so that it no longer condemns homosexual behavior, you still have to get around the fact that the ex-pastor and her former denomination (and congregation) disagree on a hot button issue.

drewjmore

"twist the text":
You've obviously formed your opinion. I encourage you to open-mindedly examine the opposing viewpoint. The most difficult, and illustrative, thing you could do in that capacity is seek out the precise translations from Greek & Hebrew. Both seebs (a devout christian, btw) and Pervy have done this, and conclude that the modern english translations are unjustifiably stilted against homosexuals in the passages where 'true christians' find their ammunition for this battle. The opposing debators do not even scratch this analysis, IMV.

"disagree on a hot button issue":
They claim to do so on scriptural grounds.
This raises a family of questions: how can the will of god as expressed in the scriptures be so vague as to bisect a population who claim that they are 'one body in christ'? Thus I conclude that His will is not at issue here.
The issue is that the ELCA puts these things to popular vote, and the resolutions on which they have voted expose their division.

My inclination is to follow 'our leader' (i.e. the former pastor) and break from the ELCA. However, the world gets no benefit from this course of action. A more meaningful pursuit would be to make a rigorous presentation to church leaders-- at the indiviual congregation level, if necessary-- of the objective facts in support of removing the ban on gay ministers. That main fact is that an anti-gay position cannot be fundamentally supported on scriptural grounds. [derail/ Any more than you can support slavery on scriptural grounds /US civil war derail]

If the leadership can be convinced to carry this through, and end their fence-sitting, I predict that the general esteem of the un-churched will rise for the ELCA, they will reap financial rewards and otherwise unsavable souls will find solace.

Toto

Oh but you can very well support slavery on scriptural grounds.

The United Churches of Christ accept gay pastors.