Tag Archives: Lutheran

3000 Parishoners Leave Finland’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Over Anti-Gay Group Subsidy

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In Finland, being a homosexual has been legal since the early 1970’s and discrimination based on sexual orientation has been illegal since 1985 but that still doesn’t stop anti-gay “christians” from trying to debase and harm the LGBT Community thier like in the United States.

 “älä alistu” (“Don’t acquiesce”), claims that gay people can become straight and urged youths not to give in to thoughts of homosexuality.and in one promotional video, a young woman called Anni describes how she stopped being bisexual and compared her situation to that of being a reformed murderer.

The Lutheran Evangelical Association, which is Finland’s national church, did not lead the campaign but they do subsidize the organization that did. 

Archbishop Kari Mäkinen, of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, criticised the campaign and said it should be stopped. immediately and stressed that gay people were not sick and had been created by God the way they were

In protest over 3000 Finnish Lutherans have signed an online petition declaring that they were leaving the church because of the financial backing of  “älä alistu” (“Don’t acquiesce”).

Martin Luther would be proud.

REALITY CHECK – Less Than 2 Percent of Lutheran Comgregations Have Left The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Snyod Supposedly Over "Gay Clergy"

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Being a Lutheran (although very laxed at this point in my life) and growing up with Davey and Goliath I’ve been following the story of the “more conservative churches” that are splitting away from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America over the recent acceptance of gay clergy, and their recent ordination of gay bishops who are involved in committed relationships and its time to put it into perspective.

There are  over 10,239 ELCA churches in America totaling over 4.5 million members.  So far LESS THAN 2 PERCENT, 199 Churches have left the ELCA.  But it becomes more interesting because these churches are not leaving the ELCA to join one of the other two organized major Lutheran bodies in the America  Lutheran Church – The much more conservative Missouri Synod (with approximately 2.41 million members and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (with approximately 390,000 members). But instead have opted to start their own called the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) through the Lutheran group called Lutheran CORE (COalition for REnewal) which will be headed by Lutheran NALC  Bishop Paull Spring

The question that remains is why if the congregations are leaving the ELCA over “gay clergy” did they simply not join the other two more conservative Synods?  The answer is simple.  It’s power,  a bit of fanaticism, and not really about “Gay Clergy” at all/

In a recent Press release from Bishop Paull Spring the hyperbole was thick hyperbole and full of prideful presumption that the actions of CORE and the NALC  Spring suggests that the ELCA gay friendly resolutions of a year ago were merely the tipping point, and it was the ELCA’s long term drift away from Scripture that is really the issue. According to an Associated Press report on the Convocation and an interview with Bishop Spring, which was reported in the Huffington Post

He gave as an example the ELCA’s use of inclusive language that strips male references to God — such as “Father” and “Son” — replacing them with words like “Creator” and “Savior.”

Okay……but I went to confirmation classes.  Even I know that Martin Luther refers to the Trinity as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifer in the Large Catechism.

This whole split is is all about power, and those who will be the leaders. The congregations who join will have more power because they will be in a smaller pond than ELCA’s large one. Spring wants to be a Bishop,and the small percentage of hardline homophobic congregations are using “gay clergy” excuse.  Which is not only unchristian, but stands against almost everything Martin Luter stood for.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Church Council Has Abolished ALL Anti-Gay Policies

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After twenty-five years of deliberation, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Church Council has abolished its anti-gay policies, effective immediately.

 Discussions at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly last summer, the ELCA will now allow people in same-sex relationships to serve as rostered leaders. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) human beings are no longer considered abominations but blessed church members with full standing. Same-sex partners and families can now fully participate in the ELCA Pension Plan. And best of all, the ELCA is reinstating people who were removed from ministry positions because they were truthful and came out of the closet, as well as those who conducted holy unions for non-heterosexual couples. The ELCA has practiced restorative justice.

The Lutherans have broken away from religious bigotry and will now set an example for the rest of the fundamentalist world

The ELCA conducted itself with grace and dignity.  The ELCA members didn’t wage war in public with one another. There was no public outcry that diminished everyone while they worked their way through a quarter century of discussion.

The ELCA press release about the decision reads:
Marin Luther would be proud.

These actions are important because they are a major milestone along the journey of full inclusion. We have a policy that recognizes the gifts of its members […] and that will allow the return of those who have been removed or alienated […]. [There will] be new life in the church through new leaders. […] [W]e have lifted up crucial questions for the church: What is the relationship of sexuality to salvation in Christ? What is the diversity in God’s wondrous creation? What is sinful? […] Who continues to face barriers to ministry and mission? How do we journey together faithfully, in spite of so many differences? What some people have dismissed as a narrow issue has both opened up and profoundly deepened our moral and theological life.

P.S.
I was raised and am a Lutheran.  If you are seeking an alternative to Catholism check Lutheranism out. (The ELCA,   NOT The Missouri Synod still live in caves)  No more confusion about which Saint to pray to.  No more false belief that the Pope is getting to heaven before you, and best of all.  You confess SILENTLY to yourself during the service and all is forgiven!  Check it out!