Like any church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America can only survive with parishioners’ donations. Which is why presiding Bishop Mark Hanson is pleading with the church’s 4.7 million members not to begin withholding donations as a means of protesting the recent homo vote.
The conservative group Lutheran CORE is advising members to “direct funding away from the national church,” because of the way delegates voted last month, which CORE’s director Rev. Mark Chavez called “a departure from God’s clear word.”
It’s got Hanson reminding ELCA members that holding out on the church’s coffers is, like, sacrilegious and stuff: “Although these actions are promoted as a way to signal opposition to churchwide assembly actions or even to punish the voting members who made them, the result will be wounds that we inflict on ourselves, our shared life, and our mission in Christ.”
Namely, who’s gonna pay all those pastors writing for Queerty?
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Eugene
Christianity: it’s all about the money.
AlanInSLC
@Eugene:
Religion AND government are both about the money. Its never about what is good or right, its always about keeping the power and influence towards filling up those bank accounts and keeping the higher ups pockets full of the green stuff, all while fooling the masses to feel they are on the rightous path.
tavdy79
How does the ECLA work out funding? With some denominations, individual churches are responsible for maintenance of the buildings they own, rather than the denomination; in others maintenance is split between the two. If either is the case with the ECLA then the Lutheran-CORE churches will end up hurting themselves more than the non-CORE congregations.
Brian
This is the beginning of the “big divide” for Christians. I have exchanged emails with Bishop Hanson and leaders of Lutheran CORE. While Lutherans only voted to allow “gay clergy,” that is enough to piss off about a third of all Lutherans – the very conservative ones.
This is our goal as LGBTQ: split religion into two easily identified groups – the conservative and the liberal. Liberal Christians will “un-wrong” homosexuality and Conservative Christians will still teach the belief that we’re wrong. It’s good news.
This weekend we’ll learn how many conservative congregations are leaving the ELCA. Pastors Lura, Erik and Ryan are all part of the ELCA. Apparently Pastor Lura was ordained prior to the change in clergy rules and CORE is using her statement on Queerty that “homosexuals are not wrong, sinful or deviant” against her. They claim it violates scripture. Maybe she will comment further.
It is time for religious people to take stand – either for our equality or against it. We’ll know soon.
Andrew
I agree with Brian. This “division” within the Lutheran denomination can only be seen as a positive development for all LGBTQ persons. In the future there will be two kinds of Christians – those that hate us and those that don’t. Progressive (or liberal) Christians will no longer teach the traditional Christian belief that we are wrong. Hallelujah.
With all the attention focused on the Gay Bishop or those so-called “gay friendly” churches, it is interesting to not that this bit of progress can be credited to the “conservative” Lutherans – the Pastor-Ryan-like bunch. They are actually taking an “action,” and not just “talking.”
I hope we have some of our colorful gay clergy willing to take a stand in the near future. Yeah, we know you might risk your salaries, but it is about our equality, including yours.
hyhybt
Well, certainly it’s good in some ways (for example, if you’re looking for a church, or are in one and tired of the fighting) but there have been so many, and they so rarely heal… and once you separate you don’t talk much anymore, which cuts down on the chance of changing minds, which only makes things tougher come election season.
Brian
Wait – there is an explanation. A Catholic Priest sent me this email:
The Bible talks of a great falling away in 2 Thessalonians. People that claim to follow Christ will preach a different gospel and reject the Gospel.
“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being assembled to meet him … Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion [in the original greek: apostasy – ‘great falling away’] comes first, and the lawless [one] is revealed, the son of perdition…” 2Thess 2:1,3
This must happen before Jesus returns.
So, this division amongst Lutherans was a “prophecy.” Those bad gay-friendly Lutherans are preaching a “different gospel.” Is it asking too much to get some of this in writing? Maybe those gay-friendlies will sign the Declaration:
Homosexuality is Not Wrong, Sinful or Deviant.
Please. We’ll call you the “New Lutherans,” and the “others” can be the Old Lutherans (this is supported by demographics, btw). Let’s get started – we’d like to be able to identify the “good Christians” and the “bad Christians.”
Brian
Last night an Anglican Bishop posted a video on youtube encouraging Lutherans to leave the ELCA and join his “conservative” bunch:
(AP) The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) is encouraging them to move out, according to a short video posted on YouTube. CANA’s lead bishop, Martyn Minns, until recently the rector of Truro Church in Fairfax, Va., shows up in somewhat informal garb with a number of icons and religious paintings behind him. Am not sure the reason for the rodeo music accompaniment but sure enough, the bishop tells Lutherans that “We know the pain; we’ve been there” in reference to how his parish and 14 other churches left the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia from 2005-2007 – and the ensuing lawsuit that occurred when they tried to take their property with them. (They won the suit on the local level but it is on appeal).
“We know the joy and freedom that came when we move away from a church that has frankly lost its way,” the bishop said. “You’re not alone…”
Brian
Fighting for Lutheran dollars.
The link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RJnfL8l8cw&feature=player_embedded