During their 2009 Churchwide Assembly, August 17-23, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) adopted a social statement entitled “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust.” Though the word “marriage” is never used, the statement includes resolutions allowing same-sex relationships to be blessed by individual congregations. Another resolution permits openly homosexual pastors to have committed relationships, while in the past they were only ordained on the condition of celibacy (one-night stands of both the hetero and homosexual kind remain frowned upon).

Predictably, many congregations responded to these gentle nudges towards greater acceptance with anger, withdrawal of financial support, and literal cries of heresy.

The ELCA “has fallen into heresy” said Rev. Paull Spring at the Annual Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Reform) meeting, according to a piece by Ken Kusmer of The Associated Press. The meeting convened soon after the resolutions were announced, and Spring’s statement earned him a standing ovation. He later described the experience as bittersweet. “That’s a very sad thing, to be a church that you belong to your entire life, that now really has fallen in heresy” [there’s that word again!].

A standing ovation strikes me as a strange way to express sadness, but there isn’t much about the opposition to these resolutions that I understand.

I am not a stranger to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. I was baptized, raised, and confirmed in an ELCA congregation. Of all the Lutheran sects, the ELCA is one of the most inclusive of women, allowing and even encouraging them to become pastors. I have always appreciated that I was raised in a church that understood no one should be held back from fully participating in their faith simply because of their genetic makeup, which is why some of the congregants’ response to “Human Sexuality” is so disappointing.

I know that this is a difficult issue for many, and part of me wants to be sensitive to that. At the same time, this fight has gone on for far too long, and quite frankly, I’m sick of it.

First of all, the idea that God has a strong position on whether or not your genitals match when you engage in intercourse sounds flat-out ridiculous to me. Of all the things to condemn, I just cannot conceive of a God that would get all hung up on that one. And if matching genitals are of such great consequence, how is it that they never made it into the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount? So long as your sexual activity is centered on consenting adults and doesn’t break any vows of fidelity, I’m pretty sure you’re in safe territory.

Secondly, it is not anyone’s place to judge the sexual orientation of their fellow parishioner or their minister. “Judge not lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1), “Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord” (Romans 12:19), “Get over thyself and for heaven’s sake stop putting condemnations in thy Maker’s mouth” (okay, that is my own interpretation, but the sentiment is the same). If you must see yourself as a member of the “winning” sexuality team, then you must. But leave the eternal damnations to God.

Thirdly, say you just do not approve of these resolutions and you never will-so what? There is no rule within the ELCA’s statement demanding that every church hire a gay minister to perform gay commitment ceremonies. All they say is that the option is there for those who want it. It’s a gesture of inclusion, not exclusion. Your personal relationship to the church and your place in its community hasn’t changed at all.

Not unless you decide to make it so.

Fortunately, Lutheran youth seem to be keeping a healthier perspective than that exhibited by many of their elders. As reported by the ELCA News Service, the board of the Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO) of the Lower Susquehanna Synod sent a letter to its council regarding the fractions occurring within the church. They stated that they saw the ongoing discussions about the resolutions as an “enormous opportunity to share the love that we have been shown” by God. “We understand that people have different opinions, and we as a board were very split,” said Sarah Embley, synod LYO president. “We think it is more important to look past our differences and keep the unity of the church and keep God in main view.”

Amen kids.

By Dana Gallagher