On Aug. 21, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America approved, by a vote of 559 to 451, the ordination of practicing homosexuals and lesbians as pastors of the church.
It's unfortunate that many headlines have referred to the recent decisions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as something "Lutherans" have decided.
I do not agree with the resolution and neither does my congregation or my synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
To view same-sex relationships as acceptable to God is to place cultural viewpoints and human opinions above the clear word of God, which is the foundation of the Lutheran Reformation.
Our synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod -- along with our sister synod, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, other smaller Lutheran synods and a large group of dissenters within the ELCA itself -- maintain and uphold the clear teaching of the Bible that homosexuality is sinful in God's eyes and is contrary to natural design.
In 1992, at our convention, we adopted the following as the ELS position:
"We confess that Scripture condemns homosexuality and extramarital relations (fornication and adultery) as sin.
"Nevertheless, when an individual caught up in such sins truly repents, the forgiveness of the Gospel is to be fully applied.
We confess that the divine institution of marriage is to be heterosexual, in which, according to God's design, a man and a woman may enjoy a lifelong companionship in mutual love.
"We teach on the basis of Holy Scripture that marriage is the only proper context for the expression of sexual intimacy and for the procreation of children."
We included in our position the following scripture: Rom. 1:26-27, 1 Cor. 6:9, 18 and 7:2-9, John 4:17-18, 1 John 1:9, Gen. 1:27-28 and 2:18-24 and Matt. 19:4-6.
All Christians should stand ready to help those struggling with same-sex attractions.
As with any sin, it is the churches' responsibility to show love and compassion to sinners, not by condoning or justifying the sin, but by calling the sinner to repent and by assuring the sinner that there is full forgiveness in Jesus Christ.
"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isa 53:5).
Ron Pederson is the pastor of the First Lutheran Church in Suttons Bay, 271-3271. For past Perspective columns, written by area religious leaders, log on to record-eagle.com/perspectives.
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