This past week, the national assembly of the 4.7 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, meeting in Minneapolis, gave local congregations the authority to choose pastors or lay leaders who are in "lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships."
Just as the Anglican Church was ahead of us on the issue of contraception in stating that it was permissible in 1931, so also the largest Lutheran denomination is ahead of us on the gay and lesbian issue. Though for them the issue resolves around scriptural interpretation instead of an interpretation of the natural law as it does for Catholics, it is still a monumental achievement (I will add an entry on the natural law in the near future, but it is safe to say that Catholic teaching does not rely heavily on biblical support on this issue and most citations of scripture are an afterthought) .
I do sincerely believe that we will one day, as a Church, reach the same conclusion as our Anglican and Lutheran brothers and sisters. It just takes us a little bit longer on some issues, particularly issues regarding sexuality. While I could be embarrassed that the Lutherans "beat us to it," I choose to be happy that they are pointing the way for us. When the Catholic Church finally corrects its imperfect teaching on this issue, the change will be easier.
A Faithful Catholic
7 comments:
The scientific consensus is substantial that homosexual orientation is "from birth", that its etiology is "from nature" not "nurture" or "choice". If homosexual orientation is a natural occuraance and the church says that it is an "objectively disordered" state the church must mean that God is making the same "mistake" over and over again.
Or you could simply follow your beliefs and go ELCA.
Dad, it should be obvious from the rest of my blog that I am Catholic through and through. I buy wholeheartedly into the foundations of the Catholic faith. Would you be so bold to say that Catholics have nothing to learn from any other denomination?
"I buy wholeheartedly into the foundations of the Catholic faith."
You define those foundations more narrowly than the Apostles Creed, given your post denying the Virgin Birth. And in your comment to that post you're pretty explicit that you shop selectively, rather than buy wholeheartedly.
Actually, other faiths should learn from Catholicism, as you ought to know.
And Martin Luther is spinning in his grave at the complete and total apostasy of the ELCA. One cannot but appreciate the irony that a Sect founded on the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, has now seen fit to ignore that Scripture completely. The ELCA, like the ECUSA, can no longer be considered a Christian Church.
The Roman Catholic Church is the Church founded upon Jesus Christ. She has the completeness and fullness of Truth, something every Protestant group falls (to varying degrees) short of. We have no need nor business to follow them to Apostasy.
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