ELCA Vote

Hello folks, sorry for the lack of substantive content lately. This law review article is taking over my life. In just a little over a week, it will all be over.

Some of you may know I'm a member of an ELCA Lutheran church. I've been going there quite a while - meaning my entire life. Some of you may also know that this summer, the ELCA adopted a social statement, which in relevant part allows gay/lesbian persons in committed relationships to be ordained as Lutheran pastors.

Now, I think this is a good thing. Rather, I think it's the right thing. And I can't base this conclusion on any specific reference to the Bible, or teaching of Jesus, or anything like that. Well, that's a lie, I guess I'll base it on the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That's in the Bible, right?

Point being, not everyone in my church is as easygoing as I am, at least not in regards to this particular topic. In fact, from everything I've gleaned from a lunch I had with my pastor and my mom's report from the church meeting on the subject last Thursday, some people are going positively apeshit.

Now, I'll be the first to admit, I don't understand this at all. Reason being, I'm fairly certain I view the whole situation from a fundamentally different worldview, at least from those who are most objected to the proposition. Now, I go to church, I'm in general agreement with Lutheran theology, but I cannot say I'm a particularly devout individual. I don't read the Bible daily, I don't have little devotion books, I don't do any of that stuff. And I can't say I get riled up about people not being Christian. To a certain extent, I think everyone has to choose their own path to ultimate truth, or a spiritual being, or what have you. It's not my position to judge these sorts of things.

Point being, I have a worldview cultivated by a certain upbringing, certain friends, a certain education, a certain conception of what "faith" is, certain events, a certain political ideology. And none of these experiences lead me to really understand what makes these people in opposition to the ELCA vote so mad. Of course, I know they think the Bible says it's all wrong, or what have you, but even with that level of awareness, from a very fundamental level, I just cannot understand it. Which I think, makes it very difficult for me to accept this argument that somehow, the ELCA is becoming godless, or heretical, or what have you.

I see this sort of opposition, and quite to the contrary, I see the very essence of un-Christian behavior. As far as I can tell, from my limited theological mind, most of the point of the New Testament is to be open to everyone. The history of Christianity, unfortunately, is too often a history of exclusion and judgment, rather than inclusion and community. Continued fraction doesn't seem to me to make a whole lot of sense.

From a more basic, less historical, less theological level, I guess I ask this simple question: who the hell really cares? How does it affect me, if the pastor of my church is a gay person? See, I take the position that it has absolutely zero effect on me. None, nada, zippo. If we expect to be taken seriously, there have to be better issues to be indignant about. Maybe like poverty, or global warming, or homeless people.

So yes, I don't get it. But if my church, the one I go to, if it caves and decides they're going to pander to the fundamentalist right, I am out. It would be a very painful decision, but I'm not going to tacitly condone this sort of exclusion.