This Friday the Holy Cross Lutheran church in Newmarket, Ontario, will become the first Lutheran church in Canada to ordain a gay man, 45-year-old Lionel Ketola.
However, if tomorrow’s plan goes forward, the congregation could face anything from a verbal warning to expulsion from the national church organization according to Bishop Michael Pryse of the Evangelical Lutheran church of Canada.
While Bishop Pryse has worked to establish full church status for gays, he said many Lutheran congregations simply aren’t ready for such a sweeping social shift: “Most members of our church aren’t going to be happy.”
In the United States two congregations have ordained lesbian pastors who are in stable relationships.
Mr. Ketola says he “feels thrilled and very privileged. I feel excited about the opportunity to offer a public witness that really has the potential to open up safe spaces in the church for queer people.”
Do you agree the Lutheran church should ordain gays who are in relationships?
Today the Supreme Court of California ruled that gay marriage is legal in the state.
“Do you agree the Lutheran church should ordain gays who are in relationships?”
I can’t imagine a more boring subject… and I can’t imagine caring much.
Religious institutions have had no problem discriminating against people in the past - why stop now? If I was gay and wanted to be a part of a religion that didn’t want me I’d simply find one that did (or smarten up and ditch religion altogether!). There’s a whole buffet of religions out there and most of them differ very little from each other - find one that likes gays! It’s not like it matters WHICH one you choose - they’re ALL wrong anyway!
Good morrow, all!
Yes. God is supposed to be all-encompassing in his love, or so we interpret from the teachings of Yeshua bin Yoseph of Nazareth. All of us are supposed to belong to Him. It is not up to any of us to say who is not worthy of any aspect of worship.
Anyone who presumes to speak for God, and discriminate against anyone else, based on WHATEVER sounds like a good excuse, will have to account for such presumption.
God either made all of us — or He made none of us. CTZen.
Amen Cornelius
Amen Cornelius!!
“Anyone who presumes to speak for God, and discriminate against anyone else”
Well - that rules out just about every religion I can think of then… Can you think of any organized religion that doesn’t claim to speak for god and discriminate against others??
And the “amen” replies… I guess there’s more of us atheists out there than I thought! Amen-ing this ‘dis’ of organized religion is surely a sign of atheism right?
Sounds to me like Bishop Pryse doesn’t believe his own propaganda and press releases. Since when does he have license to say how the people in Lutheran congragations will feel? And if he doesn’t believe they’ll be accepting of gays, why is he publicly promoting just that? Is he looking for opposition for some reason? It seems that he’s disappointed not to get any.
Maybe I don’t have enough information?
“Today the Supreme Court of California ruled that gay marriage is legal in the state.”
W00t!
The Catholics do, why not the Lutherans?
dez:
So far as I know the Catholic church does not ordain gays who are in active sexual relationships.
Well, not on purpose, anyway. ;D
Oh, you mean OPENLY gay?
Why not?
We left the ANGLICAN CHURCH when it ordained gays-homosexuals.
The Bible is specific on the subject of man with a man -woman with a woman ‘laying’ each other. Christians DON’T hate the Person, they hate what they do if still acting out on, participating in man with man-woman with woman sex. It IS the act which is sinful.
expulsion from the national church organization is what ought to occur should they go through with ‘ordaining’….ha…ordain, please-give me a break- Ordain and homosexual in the same sentence. This is just too silly to even talk about. Ordain homosexuals?….what next….
Anton, it seems to me that if the people who make up the congregation decide to change their minds and their attitudes — about anything the bible says (remember the advice to slaves and masters that used to bolster the attitude that it was perfectly okay for one person to own another?) — than that is up to the congregation.
Of what, exactly, are you homophobes afraid? Because it is fear that drives you. Biblical quotes (one of which can be found for any occasion that needs “justification”
are only excuses.
Dunno where that smiley face came from — it was supposed to close the parentheses…
Good morrow, all!
Anton: “Ordain homosexuals? What next?” World peace, perhaps? Or would that be too much to ask?
Re: “organized religion” — the word, “religion” has its roots in the Greek word “religios”, meaning “re-linking” or bringing together. Look up Joseph Campbell sometime. It is actually the pursuit of means to exclude those who will not submit to a given dogma. The Puritans left England, because they were no longer allowed to impose their fanatical dogma on other people there. Ironically, they regarded that as “religious intolerance.” (recognize a redundancy when you see one?) So, they left England, to find a place where they could wear funny clothes, ban Christmas, and, oh, incidentally, kill Indians. Ah, Paradise!
I have little patience for “religious” people. On the other hand, I hold a world of respect for People of Faith, who walk the talk, who do the works, who practice what is preached, who love without condition or limit, who value life and peace, who understand the brevity of our existence, and who contribute to the quality of our few and precious moments in the world. All they lack… are wings. CTZen
You know what would be great?
If Christians would start practicing tolerance.
I think the first guy to suggest that got nailed to a cross - oh, but you already know that, right?
Our world probabely would long ago have self destructed if we did not have all these people of real faith that still take care of the lonely and depressed and other sick people. Thanks to the guy that that gave us an exampel and got “punished” on the cross. What our world needs is more of these angels. It is them that give me the courage to live.