Saturday, September 05, 2009

Dr. Timothy J. Wengert on a biblical foundation for the decision in Minneapolis

1] If there is one rule we need to follow in the wake of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, it is this: Do not break the eighth commandment (against false witness) in order to defend the sixth (against adultery and other sexual sins). Both those who supported the changes in policy and those who did not need to remember this. We must speak what we know and not cast aspersions on those who disagreed with us. Luther’s comments on the eighth commandment in the Large Catechism are helpful here. Even when forced by one’s office to speak out, one must not lie or distort the truth.

[2] In light of some implied (and explicit) attacks on the decision, however, it is also necessary to make one thing clear. The change in policy was grounded in Scripture. In fact, the calls for justice toward gays and lesbians in committed relationships and the recitation of examples of healthy same-gender relations, as important as these are to some folk, finally do not in themselves constitute a complete standard for changing church policy, since even calls for justice must for Christians be grounded in and normed by sound interpretations of Scripture as God’s Word for us....

And it goes on. I'd read it, Dr. Dubya is good folk, thinks things through,tries to be fair.

3 comments:

Judah Gabriel Himango said...

The Torah, which contains the very commandments Wengert mentions here, commands us explicitly "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman. That is an abomination to the LORD your God."

Sorry, had to mention the elephant in the room. Scripture does not support the decision in Minneapolis. The secular world supports the decision in Minneapolis. That's usually a good indicator that you're going against Scripture.

Noah said...

Judah Himango: Do you eat shellfish?

tonyhb said...

Noah: He probably does, but that is not relevant to this.