Posted on 09/23/2009 2:12:10 PM PDT by george76
The presiding bishop of the nation's largest Lutheran denomination warned Wednesday that withholding financial support to protest a recent gay clergy vote would be "devastating" to the church.
Bishop Mark Hanson laid out his concerns in a letter to leaders of the 4.7 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which is based in Chicago. The ELCA churchwide assembly voted last month to allow gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy, dropping a requirement that gay clergy remain celibate.
The Rev. Mark Chavez, director of Lutheran CORE, said the gay clergy vote was the devastating event — "a departure from God's clear word." He called Hanson's letter "an attempt to shift the responsibility of this devastation and crisis within the ELCA away from the people who presided over it and are responsible for it."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Well, if it ain’t a real church (and it ain’t!), I wouldn’t give it money anyways.
I see the master of the vineyard coming to do a little pruning.
No, it was the bishops’ decision that devastated ELCA. This is jut the logical result of their decision. It was their choice to cease acting as shepherds of their flock and instead to become wolves preying upon the flock.
Recall the words of St. Peter from Milton’s “Lycidas”:
“How well could I have spared for thee, young swain,
Enow of such as for their bellies’ sake
Creep, and intrude, and climb into the fold!
Of other care they little reckoning make
Than how to scramble at the shearers’ feast,
And shove away the worthy bidden guest.
Blind mouths! that scarce themselves know how to hold
A sheep-hook, or have learned aught else the least
That to the faithful herdman’s art belongs!
What recks it them? What need they? They are sped;
And when they list, their lean and flashy songs
Grate on their scrannel pipes of wretched straw;
The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed,
But swoll’n with wind, and the rank mist they draw,
Rot inwardly, and foul contagion spread;
Besides what the grim wolf with privy paw
Daily devours apace, and nothing said;
But that two-handed engine at the door
Stands ready to smite once, and smite no more.”
BIG +1.
They’ve put greed above God, but they don’t want to be held accountable.
Ah, no. Actually, the Churdh allowing gay clergy is what will hurt the Lutheran Church. Look what it has done tom the Episcopal Church!
Thumbs up. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is a REAL church.
Destroying Christianity is the real agenda.
Thanks, George. ~ Pinging Iowan.
Let’s see.
They take and sustain what they know will be a controversial vote and one which the positions, pro and and con, are not simply different but very strongly so.
So on what basis can they now complain that some are, even faithfully, moved to withdraw and/or withhold their financial support for the institution, because of that vote?
None.
The only possible type of decision in a truly Christian faith based entity is a decision by consensus, not “majority vote”. Only in a consensus, in a faith community, do opponents find their differences and their compromises minimal enough, and not foundational enough to prevent a consensus view. There was no consensus view possible, on this issue, among the ELCA, so a majority told a minority their concerns would simply be over-ridden.
The method employed - “majority vote”, regardless of people’s arguments and beliefs, often supplies the means for permanent divisions in faith-based communities, particularly among protestant Christians who believe they are, as individuals, called to their faith by God, not by “the Church”.
The Lutheran hierarchy that makes these insane, umbilical decisions to pacify a tiny minority (gays) that love to see Christian churches implode while they pretend to be believers humbly seeking ‘equality’, now whine about the church’s work on the ground being harmed if irate Lutheran’s decide to give their money committed to God, elsewhere? Talk about irony!
Just a thought.”
It was Luther's original intent to get the Catholic Church to reform itself. It was thought expedient to just get rid of Luther at the time.
So who is to blame, The Chicken or the egg?
Probably just mans sin nature once again.
Donations are the least of your worries Bishop Mark.!!
I think Homer Simpson must have a higher IQ than Bishop Mark Hanson. Guess he forgot about the law of unintended consequences.
Could it be that the far left National Council of Churches is adding another denomination to it’s one world church? Not a dime of mine goes to the NCOC.
Many thanks for the update, LucyT.
Ping.
Come join us post-Episcopalians and join the Anglican Church of North America.
Nope, Your Lowness, what is devastating to your Church is your vote to allow faggots and rugmunchers to be ordained.
But WordAlone, a renewal group within the ELCA, reported that both sides sought to find commentary in the weather: "A supporter of the social statement typified the storm as a mighty wind of the Holy Spirit and as a positive message. Some WordAlone Network members heard a different message, a warning of God's anger at the ELCA in the wind."
Witholding donations will get their attention fast.
They can either straighten up and fly right or close the doors and their homos can go find another Church to destroy.
I have told me reletives in the ELCA, don’t wait, get out NOW! They are a corrupt organization who work for the devil now.
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