Do the Lutheran Church accept gay people? - Answers

Contents:

• WHERE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, OTHER RELIGNS STAND ON GAY MARRIAGE
• 3 OTHER CHRISTIAN DENOMATNS THAT ALLOW GAY MARRIAGE
• DO THE LUTHERAN CHURCH ACCEPT GAY PEOPLE?

WHERE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, OTHER RELIGNS STAND ON GAY MARRIAGE

In 1991, the Churchwi Assembly passed a rolutn statg that, "Gay and lbian people, as dividuals created by God, are wele to participate fully the life of the ngregatns of the Evangelil Lutheran Church Ameri. The Supreme Court lg earlier this year legalizg same-sex marriage natnwi has ntued to raise qutns about how the cisn will affect relig groups – pecially those that rema opposed to allowg gay and lbian upl to wed. ) (not to be nfed wh the Prbyterian Church Ameri, which oppos same-sex marriage) and the Epispal Church have wrtled wh the issue for years, often as part of a larger bate on the role of gays and lbians the church.

Schaefer’s se has spl the church, wh some clergy floutg the l and marryg same-sex upl and other, more nservative members threateng to leave if the church do not hold to s current l prohibg gay marriage. It has weled gay people sce 1976, when s General Conventn cid that “homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim wh all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral ncern and re of the Church.

The Synod's Commissn on Theology and Church Relatns has prepared a report tled Human Sexualy: A Theologil Perspective that discs the issue of homosexualy on pag 32-36. ANSWER: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod believ the Bible teach homosexual behavr is ntrary to God's Word and will, and the LCMS seeks to mister to those who are stgglg wh homosexual clatns.

3 OTHER CHRISTIAN DENOMATNS THAT ALLOW GAY MARRIAGE

Whereas, The need exists to make available a refully veloped Law/Gospel mistry plan to ngregatns and other stutns orr to mister to those who are troubled by their homosexualy; and. Rolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, nventn, reaffirms the posn stated 1973, "That the Synod regniz homophile behavr as trsilly sful"; and be further.

Rolved, That the Print of the Synod direct the appropriate boards and missns to velop a plan for mistry able by ngregatns, mp mistri, stutns, and agenci the Synod, for the purpose of providg biblil and Gospel-oriented mistry to persons troubled by beg homophile their sexual orientatns and to their fai; and be fally.

ANSWER: The posn of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, repeatedly affirmed, is that homophile behavr is trsilly sful, exprsly nmned as immoral by the Scriptur.

DO THE LUTHERAN CHURCH ACCEPT GAY PEOPLE?

For policy regardg homosexualy and service public offic of the Synod, we refer you to guil adopted by the Council of Prints for addrsg stanc of homosexualy the liv of profsnal church workers, which procr are outled for alg wh var s. 1964 July At s nventn, the Lutheran Church Ameri (LCA) releas the statement “Marriage and Fay, ” s first on the subject, which ntas no mentn of homosexualy. This statement ntas the Church’s first mentn of homosexualy, which is referred to as a s, but also claims that homosexuals are “often the special and unservg victims of prejudice and discrimatn law, law enforcement, cultural mor, and ngregatnal life.

1971 March An article the New York Tim claims that the LCA is one of only two “natnal church nomatns” that have released a statement support of “homosexual rights” The other nomatn is the Unarian Universalist Associatn. 1974 Lutherans Concerned for Gay People [or Lutherans Concerned], a group prised of laypeople, pastors and ngregatns, forms orr to promote tolerance and acceptance among members of the Lutheran church. 1975 October Lutherans Concerned is given $2, 000 by the ALC’s Divisn for Service and Missn Ameri, markg the first time a gay group has been given direct fancial support om s parent nomatn.

Jam Cmley, who rponds to qutns about his stance on homosexualy the church by strsg an emphasis on creatg ls dividual regulatns while keepg church prcipl “basic.