February 28, 2010
From: Jim Miller
To: CtK Church Council
CC: Heidi Jacoby, chair, homosexual welcoming study conversations.
CC: Participants
Dear Heidi & all,
I have been thinking about the discussion held February 6, 2010 in which I participated. I mentioned something along the line that I could not find any credible scriptural evidence that same sex unions are acceptable according to Christian scriptures. Not that we shouldn’t welcome all, but that we should minister to them to change their sinful ways as Jesus taught us. We should not approve their behavior and bestow the church’s blessing on continuing same. We discussed the fact that advertising as a “RIC” style welcoming congregation implies blessings and marriages and in the future considering calling homosexual clergy. My credentials, quite correctly, were challenged as to scripture knowledge. I am not a biblical scholar nor expert in biblical languages or anything close. But I can refer to the writings of others who are. The item that I was trying to remember was one from the ELCA study material used in the earlier “Journey Together Faithfully” ELCA Studies on Sexuality: Part Two Page 5. Quote:
CONFERENCE OF BISHOPS
October 5–8, 1993
Blessing of Homosexual Relationship
CB93.10.25
We, as the Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, recognize that there is basis neither in Scripture nor tradition for the establishment of an official ceremony by this church for the blessing of a homosexual relationship. We, therefore, do not approve such a ceremony as an official action of this church’s ministry. Nevertheless, we express trust in and will continue dialogue with those pastors and congregations who are in ministry with gay and lesbian persons, and affirm their desire to explore the best ways to provide pastoral care for all to whom they minister.
—www.elca.org/sr/blessing
homosexual.relations
I also noted that the ELCA constitution, as stated in Chapter 2, (2.03) relies on the scriptures as the authoritative source of our faith. Since the acceptance of homosexual unions and marriage relies on “re-interpretation” of scripture and that logically must have happened after the Conference of Bishops statement in 1993. Shouldn’t such major additions to the scriptures be widely circulated and endorsed by the Conference of Bishops and respected Lutheran Theologians, and the ELCA Constitution amended to include the new interpretations before we begin promoting homosexuality?
Other matters. At the second previous congregational meeting, when Mr. Voss promoted the RIC study materials and said council would have a series of meetings based on RIC study materials,. I pointed out that RIC is an advocacy organization and that whatever they provided would be propaganda. No one else spoke, agreeing or not. Now let me point out one bit of propaganda supplied to the congregation recently. It is a leaflet titled “RIC Sunday January 31, 2010.” Why is it propaganda? Because it uses propaganda language “reconciling”, etc., claims RIC Sunday is a Lutheran tradition, includes a heart-warming story about a homosexual couple, and a clip-out coupon titled “I want to be a Reconciling Lutheran!” No stories about how homosexuality has damaged families, or anything negative at all. And there is no coupon that allows for saying joining RIC is a harmful decision. Propaganda – you can choose “yes”, but not ‘no.”
