(The following article was written last year by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) United Lutheran Seminary in Pennsylvania is a seminary of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church an America. The President of the seminary, Guy Erwin, is a man “married” to a man and Erwin was also the ELCA’s first practicing homosexual bishop. United Lutheran Seminary is advertising a retreat for women in ministry called “Kindling Faith: Calm in the Chaos” and the main speaker is Dr. Crystal Hall described thus: She is a frequent speaker in churches and denominational conferences on topics including women’s leadership, LGBTQIA+ inclusion and immigration. She resides in Philadelphia with her fiancé and their cat, Lady Blue. The seminary is not shy about advertising that Dr. Hall is living with her fiancé, which used to be called “fornication” and is a serious sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). But if the ELCA affirms homosexual sex and abortion rights, why not fornication? The ELCA is not biblical, but, sadly, it is consistent. In Christ, Pastor Tom Brock (See United Lutheran Seminary retreat information here)
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ELCA’s pastor of public witness told her teen daughter she can stay overnight with her boyfriend11/1/2021
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
When her 18-year-old daughter asked to stay overnight with her boyfriend, Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, newly installed “pastor of public witness” of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said “I want you to love sex, sweetie…I want you to be comfortable in your body and learn what it desires and how to communicate that to your lovers. So start that process now. Know your body. Speak up for what you want or don’t want. That will serve you your whole life.” Divorced Pastor Bolz-Weber has publicly talked about how she enjoys sex with her boyfriend, so it is not surprising she told her teenage daughter she could spend the night. She didn’t tell her daughter to wait until she is married someday. She talked to her instead about having “lovers“: “I want you to choose well, and to treat your lovers with respect and concern. And I hope for your faith to be a part of your sexuality and vice versa. Also, you know that high you feel with Justin? It’s the most amazing feeling in the world. But I want you to understand that if it goes badly or if and when you break up, there may be a commensurate low. And it will feel awful. But that doesn’t mean something is wrong”. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says that sex outside of marriage is wrong and that “fornicators will not inherit the Kingdom of God”. But Bolz-Weber is the person the ELCA makes their “pastor of public witness“. In Christ, Pastor Tom Brock PS. Here is the full article from Bolz-Weber: https://www.christiancentury.org/article/first-person/talking-my-children-about-sex-without-shame
A few days ago a show by Bancroft TV was posted on Youtube titled "Being Polygamous And Christian Is Not A Sin | LOVE DON’T JUDGE."
The show spotlights two women and a man who are a "throuple" - or having a sexual relationship between three people. Appearing on the show is Leila Ortiz, who was elected this summer as bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod. (Rev. Ortiz was previously Assistant to the Bishop in the same ELCA synod.) Ortiz is interviewed, after we are told by the narrator that the trouple, “Having been asked to leave their Pentecostal church... went in search of a church that would accept their relationship." ELCA Bishop elect Leila Ortiz then recounted their meeting and her learning about their polygamous relationship:
“There’s still many people who would be scandalized and would even be scandalized by my acceptance of them. And that’s okay, that’s okay. I’m very grounded in my faith.”
This is an ELCA bishop proclaiming support for polygamous relationships. Polygamy is against God's will as He clearly outlined in Scripture. (See here) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has become so opposed to the Truth of God's Word that threesomes are fine. This is where the ELCA is headed and it will continue to get worse.
The following post is from ELCA pastor Lura N. Groen: This all began with a podcast about polyamory. "Polyamory...is the practice of, or desire for, intimate relationships with more than one partner, with the consent of all partners involved." (See here) Invited to speak on the podcast was "theologian" J.D. R. Mechelke, an ELCA Luther Seminary student who is getting his M.A. and is also a high school youth minister for an ELCA church. The headlines are numerous with this one so let's dive in and take a look at what this ELCA seminary student had to say, beginning with this blasphemous quote: - "Some would say that the Last Supper, Jesus is proposing to the 12 friends and so it's very gay and very polyamorous." Here is J.D. Mechelke's full statement beginning with a question from the podcast host: More from the ELCA seminarian: - "In the evangelical world, there are a lot of the songs and prayers that are used talk about, there's this very intimate, individualistic relationship that people have with God and it's very erotic sometimes. My favorite example is this old song. It's not old, but '90s, "In the secret and the quiet place, I want to touch you. I want to see the--" "You start to think, 'That's kind of erotic and yet it's evangelical.' It's that we're doing that, which is fine. There are queer theologians that are taking that and saying, 'Maybe we have this erotic thing going on with Jesus.' Also thinking about it, 'This is my body.' You're taking somebody's body in your mouth, and so there's some phallic-." - "There's this idea of the polyamorous crisis that's gained traction, but usually the safe way to say it is that God loves everybody. This isn't very safe to say, but God's a total slut in that sense." - "Oh, God, I love when Jesus says 'bush'...I don't think of the burning bush, I think of something else." (I believe the ELCA seminary student misspoke or there was a transcribing error in the second paragraph, and the first sentence that should say "...there's this guideline for pastors basically that says you can [not] have sex outside of marriage.") If you are wondering what church would be most welcoming to polyamory, J.D. Mechelke answers: "If a church is openly for gay and queer folk, my guess is that you probably won't have that much push back (on) polyamory..." See here for transcript or see the video below) (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Reverend Nadia Bolz-Weber, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and speaker at the ELCA Youth Gathering, has stated publicly that she enjoys having sex outside of marriage with her boyfriend. She signed a statement by a group of ELCA leaders called “Naked and Unashamed” which wants to overthrow the old 1990 ELCA rules that said pastors should not have sex outside of marriage. The ELCA bishops are presently working on a new set of standards for ELCA clergy to reflect the fact that the ELCA now ordains practicing homosexuals. The bishops state:: “We express our profound grief and deep regret for the times when Vision and Expectations (the 1990 rules) has been misused to single out, marginalize, and block people seeking to be leaders in this church when their peers were not always held to the same vision and expectations. This has caused considerable pain that has disproportionately been borne by those who have been historically marginalized or excluded from leadership in the church because of their gender, sexuality, race, or status. We apologize to those whose treatment under this document has made them feel targeted and less than the beloved children of God that they are.” I think this means, in part, that the bishops feel bad for not supporting practicing homosexual pastors and their partners in the past. That all changed in 2009 when the ELCA voted to allow non-celibate homosexual pastors. The proposed new statement reads that “Those who serve as (ELCA) pastors and deacons reflect a variety of sexual orientations and diverse gender identities…the greatest sexual intimacies should be matched with marriage. Pastors and deacons, as public witnesses to this church’s respect for marriage, are therefore to live in accordance with the understanding that deepening degrees of sexual intimacy are aligned with deepening levels of commitment to one another and the relationship. Such relationships are to be exclusive, monogamous, consensual, and in the ELCA, require marriage before cohabitation for those serving as pastors and deacons.” Thus, in this new statement, cohabitation (living together) is forbidden for ELCA pastors. I believe this means that a homosexual pastor living with a partner in a sexual relationship now needs to get “married”. This is tragic. What if the homosexual pastor gets “married” and then later comes to realize that homosexual behavior is sin? But now the pastor has been saddled with a “marriage” at the insistence of the bishops of the Church. This is the strange new world of the ELCA. And what about a heterosexual pastor like Bolz-Weber who engages in sex with her boyfriend, presumably in a “loving, monogamous relationship”? Since only cohabitation is explicitly forbidden by the proposed statement, is she allowed to continue to be sexually active and face no discipline? The statement is in its rough draft form and hopefully the language will eventually make it clear that both cohabitation and fornication are forbidden. But we shall see. I believe the greatest error of the statement is telling homosexual pastors they must “marry” their sexual partners. Back in 2009 the ELCA agreed that the conservative view regarding homosexual behavior would be honored alongside the liberal view. Where is the conservative view being honored in the ELCA today? What if an ELCA bishop were to say “I hold to the conservative view and I refuse to ordain a practising homosexual”? Would such a bishop be allowed in the ELCA? You can read the entire proposed new statement in the link below at the very bottom. And I hope it will make you consider leaving the ELCA if you are still a member. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock PS If you want to read what ELCA Pastor Bolz-Weber said in a podcast about how great sex is with her boyfriend, I have edited out her foul language below. As you read it, keep in mind she is an ELCA pastor in good standing with the denomination and spoke to 31,000 ELCA teens last summer: Reverend Nadia Bolz-Weber: “But I get together with my boyfriend and start having sex and it was like 'holy s___,’ I was like, it felt like an exfoliation of my whole spirit. I'm like 'This is so good for my brain chemistry, and my body, and my heart. And I’m like f___ man, why in the world would the Church say ‘Don’t do this?’ Like I could tell it was what I needed, and it was so good.” For new proposed standards for ELCA pastors: https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Trustworthy_Servants_Common_Draft_3-4-2019.pdf -- ELCA Bishop Tells 'The New Yorker' Magazine, Nadia Bolz-Weber's Sexual Reformation is Long Overdue2/9/2019 The New Yorker magazine wrote a feature story on Rev. Bolz-Weber this week, titled "The Lutheran Pastor Calling for a Sexual Reformation," which provides a window into the life, thoughts and vile nature of this beloved ELCA pastor, which I will highlight. The most important revelation came from Nadia's bishop, Rev. Jim Gonia, of the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He begins by comparing Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber to Martin Luther, "He talked about farting and drinking and he was kind of like Nadia.” The feature writer continues, "Gonia summed up Luther’s idea like this: 'Now that we don’t need to worry that we’re good enough for God, how do we direct our attention to our neighbor?'” Then we have the ELCA leadership's public approval of Nadia, who wants to undo Biblical teaching reserving sexual relations to one man and one woman within marriage. Here is the whole paragraph from the article to give you context: "Bolz-Weber argues that this idea should be extended to sex. For millennia, the Church has taught Christians to deny their physical selves, and to consider carnal urges sinful. 'We keep looking for a set of laws that will save us,' Bolz-Weber told me. 'Relying on grace can feel shaky. If it’s free it must be worthless.' As a result, both men and women lead fractured lives, believing that their sexuality is at odds with their spirituality. 'This idea that salvation comes through sexual repression,' Bolz-Weber said, 'that shit comes out sideways.' In “Shameless,” she sets out to build a sexual ethic around human flourishing rather than around rules encoded by men centuries ago. This begins by recognizing that with sex, as with everything else, 'it’s not about being good—it’s about grace.' This, she argues, is actually just the natural extension of classical Lutheranism. 'She’s the most classical Lutheran preacher you’ll ever meet,' Gonia said, adding that the reformation she’s calling for is long overdue. 'We have so intellectualized our faith—there’s a need to bring head, heart, and body into the forefront of our lives, for the future of the Christian tradition.'" People of the ELCA, the leadership approves of what Nadia Bolz-Weber is preaching. This is public confirmation, along with ELCA leadership having her speak to 31,000 ELCA youth this summer as they assembled for the church-wide gathering. They are on board with these harmful sexual ethics she and many others preach that clearly go against God's will for people. Why are you still part of this vile denomination? Here is a run down concerning things from The New Yorker article (in which I am quoted): - Nadia Bolz-Weber and her two children recently went to a sexually explicit exhibition called "Au Natural" that included casts of penises, nudity, and a sculpture that is masturbating. It also presented a sculpture of Jesus made from cigarettes. - "When she was twenty, she joined Vox Femina, a feminist performance-art group whose acts, she told me, weren’t so different from Lucas’s egg massage." (referring to one of the art exhibition performances) - She use to be a call-center psychic. - She had an abortion, saying she could not afford a child. And she does not think abortion is wrong. - She divorced her husband and loves having sex with her boyfriend, which has caused her to feel closer to God. - Her son is gay, and at 16 years old Nadia bought him condoms when she heard he had a new boyfriend. - She calls the belief, that homosexuality is wrong, "bigotry." - Bolz-Weber was once a counselor at a Unitarian summer camp where some campers would sunbathe nude. As you can see below, ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber is publicizing The New Yorker piece as if she is happy with what it says.
Famous ELCA Pastor Talks of Sex With Boyfriend, Writes Book Rejecting Sex Reserved for Marriage2/7/2019
What you are about to read, by the most famous and sought after pastor in the ELCA, goes completely against Scripture. Run away from this denomination as soon as you can.
Nadia Bolz-Weber is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and is highly revered in the denomination and with ELCA leadership. That, despite the heretical and controversial things she has said and done and keeps saying and doing. (See a list here, here and here) Recently, Rev. Bolz-Weber appeared on a podcast by Kevin Garcia that was titled "Making Sex Shameless, w/ Nadia Bolz-Weber." The content that follows shows you what the ELCA is becoming. This is what ELCA seminaries produced and are producing. Nadia Bolz-Weber is not some outlier. She is one of many the ELCA has elevated to a position of power and great influence, speaking throughout the ELCA and even to multiple ELCA Youth Gatherings. During the interview the host asked Nadia to give a little synopsis of her new book, "Shameless." Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber replied (language warning): “. . . it came out of my own experience, I was raised, obviously very very fundamentalist Christian, with all the crazy shit about gender roles and sex and extramarital sex and all that, but it was before the purity movement you know, but I was raised with all that, rejected it, led this very different life. But then I discovered the Lutheran Church, and the ELCA is one of the most progressive denominations in the country and yet, there is a document you have to sign when you’re ordained called “Visions and Expectations” that says you would be faithful in marriage, or I think its 'celibate or chaste in singleness.' Well, the origin of this document was it was originally sorta' forged through the denomination by a group that was trying to keep the homosexuals out of the pulpit. It was a way, it really was a way, of keeping the homos down. Because you would have to be celibate in your singleness, and gay people couldn’t get married – and that shifted, and they were like, 'oh shit,' right? And everybody had to sign this. And it’s insane because what happens is that there are all these people who get married right out of seminary, because they can’t afford to live separately, you know, they need to live in intern housing, and so they get married sooner than they should. Or they have sexual relationships that they are forced to keep secret or not be honest about. Or they are completely repressed, and we have single, grown-assed adults who don’t have, who are not flourishing in their sexual lives because the church says they shouldn’t. So none of those things are great, really. And so you know, (Nadia then talks about her ex-husband)...we never connected, like there was no intimacy in our marriage, and for whatever reason, it just didn’t happen for us. And so, you know, people are like, ‘Wow, you don’t do cross-fit any more?’ And I’m like, ‘I was doing cross-fit because I wasn’t having sex!' You know what I mean, it was just a way of like managing. And now I’m like all soft, and I got long hair, and I’m so much happier. So what happened was, I get divorced, like the most amicable divorce you can imagine. No lawyers, no acrimony. It was great, right, it was like actually really lovely. But I get together with my boyfriend and start having sex and it was like 'holy shit,' I was like, it felt like an exfoliation of my whole spirit. I'm like 'This is so good for my brain chemistry, and my body, and my heart. And I’m like fuck man, why in the world would the Church say ‘Don’t do this?’ Like I could tell it was what I needed, and it was so good. And then 10 days later, after we get together...I have to go to Europe for 3 1/2 weeks on a book tour, because the U.K and the German edition of my book came out...3 ½ weeks after years of sexlessness and 10 days of having sex, right, my mind was like swirling, I was like ‘What the fuck is happening?!’" "I’m walking down a street in London...we (a friend) just cried and ate, we had both just gotten divorced, and we were like insane. So for 10 days we trampsed around England and Scotland, and eating and crying...I as like ‘Wait a minute, why did the Church make me sign that thing? How is it better for my church if I’m not getting laid?’ Look, the church will entrust me with the care of souls and will not entrust me with my own grown-ass woman sexuality, to make good decisions for myself? Like don’t fuck the flock, clearly, I get that part... I’m like, “what the fuck.” So I messaged, I whatsapped Eric, my boyfriend… and granted, this was with an unwarranted urgency, and I’m going, and he gets on Skype, and he’s not Christian, he’s never a Christian, and I go ‘Why do you think the Church has tried to control sex for so long?’ and without skipping a beat, my beloved said, ‘Umm...I guess I always assumed that the Church saw sex as its competition'…I was like, I’m writing a book." Nadia continues, "Here’s the harm that these teachings have directly caused myself and these people (who Nadia interviewed), and if the teachings of the Church are harming people, we need to rethink these teachings. We should never be more loyal to an idea or a doctrine or an interpretation of a Bible verse than we are to people. So that’s the premise of the book.” (Listen here. Starting at 22:20 minute mark.) Continuing on, “I want people to have better sex too. I want people to feel uninhibited with their lover and to lose themselves in that. And uhm, you know, I think Christianity has led to a lot of really bad sex. And a lot of people shut down and not connected to their bodies. And terrified to talk about sex with their partner, even.” (Listen here. Starting at 41:40)
What ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber is saying, pushing for a new teaching on sex to replace the Biblical and traditional view of where sexual relations are to take place, is evil. It is from the pit of hell. It is against God's will and God's Word.
Let's recap what Rev. Bolz-Weber said (and apparently what she says in her new book): - She calls the ELCA document that pastors sign, reserving sex to marriage, "insane." - She calls fundamentalist thought on extramarital sex "crazy shit." - She says she is having sex with her boyfriend, (hence, sex outside of marriage. This is in violation of "Vision and Expectations," an ELCA document for pastors that she signed.) - She questions why the Church would not allow sex outside of marriage. - She calls the Biblical teaching on sex "harmful." - She says "people" should come before God's Word, if God's Word causes "harm" to some people.
As I said earlier, this is not one crazy ELCA pastor talking. This is a belief held by many ELCA pastors, leaders and future ELCA pastors. See below the social media post by ELCA pastor, Javen Swanson, and my blog about "Naked and Unashamed" (here).
Below is Pastor Swanson's tweets with active links.
Keynote Speaker At 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering is the Co-Creator of the "Fuck This Shit" Devotional3/13/2018
(Language warning. My apologies for using the vile words of this ELCA Pastor. But with so many teenagers going to this event, people need to know what kind of teacher will be speaking to their children and also what the ELCA leadership finds good and acceptable to place in front of these students as a teacher and role model)
The 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering, occurring this summer, recently announced that the ELCA's Rev. Tuhina Verma Rasche will be a keynote speaker at their national gathering/conference. Here is their announcement:
(See here)
Parents sending their teenagers to the ELCA Youth Gathering are entrusting their children to the ELCA, to care for and properly instruct them in Christ-honoring ways and with Christ-honoring content. It is a mistake. The ELCA has proven to be an extremely liberal denomination that twists, ignores and violates God's Word. And the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has proven again that they can not be trusted, by asking Pastor Tuhina Verma Rasche, an outspoken radical and controversial pastor, who gained fame in the ELCA for co-authoring the "Fuck This Shit" devotional, to be a keynote speaker. Here is a screenshot of the devotional written by Rev. Rasche:
(See here)
- A follow-up Advent devotional, co-authored by Rev. Tuhina Verma Rasche, is called #ShutTheHellUp. (see here) Rev. Tuhina Verma Rasche will be speaking to an estimated 30,000 young people who are coming, from all over the United States, to the ELCA Youth Gathering held in Houston, Texas. (Who will each pay around $400 to attend.) - If that isn't bad enough, ELCA pastor and Youth Gathering speaker, Tuhina Verma Rasche, stood in agreement with a sex-obsessed ELCA group called "Naked and Unashamed" when she signed a statement by the group, which in part said, “We are ELCA Lutherans…The plethora of stories we hear in our conversations demonstrate that life and liberty are being oppressed in the pressure for church leaders to be in marital relationships, or otherwise abstain from all sexual intimacy. The common good of both parishioners and church leaders would benefit from the freedom to be in a variety of healthy relationships…” A specific change the group would like to see in ELCA official documents is: "No longer privileging marriage as the only acceptable form of sexual relationality." (see here) Tuhina Verma Rasche isn't the only ELCA 2018 Youth Gathering keynote speaker who signed the "Naked and Unashamed" statement. ELCA Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber did also. (read more about "Naked and Unashamed" here) - Rev. Tuhina Verma Rasche says she is a "Networker" for another radical ELCA group called #decolonizeLutheranism. (see here)
As you contemplate what you have just read and what you will read below, ask yourself if Pastor Tuhina Verma Rasche is the kind of person you want challenging, instructing and motivating your teenagers. Also ask if you should trust the ELCA with your teenager's spiritual growth. Events like this have potential for enormous impact in the lives of young people. Many make commitments and respond to challenges given. What type of commitments will they be called to make? What kind of messages will they be asked to respond to, in their thinking and actions?
Additionally, the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering will have a transgender child and his trans advocate mother speak. (see here) As well as many extreme, radical groups hosting “Interactive Learning" booths at the Gathering. (see here) If you are a parent of a teenager scheduled to go to the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering, I recommend you cancel their trip. Additionally, if you know of students attending, call your church leader and recommend the church cancel their plans to go. Choose something that will lead them to know and follow Jesus, an experience that will lead them into a greater understanding of God's Word rather than being influenced by leaders with this type of message: - In a blog by ELCA Pastor Rasche, she writes, "I am so fucking furious right now." And, "The United States, a nation built on white supremacy, decided that it would rather be white than the silly and stupid metaphors of a melting pot and a salad bowl I learned about in my civics classes." (see here) - Below are tweets by ELCA Pastor Rasche going back to the first of the year. In her tweets you will find lots of anger, demonization of white males, racist comments about white people, liberal politics, gay pride, trans pride and anger at the United States of America.
(Explicit Content Warning) Vile, vulgar, salacious, perverted and crude are some of the words I would use to describe the dating advice commentary (view below) written by the Rev. Lura Groen. Her commentary seems to be inspired by all the sexual assault accounts that have been expressed lately in our society. It is a serious issue, but this Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pastor goes way beyond what is proper and godly, even discussing sexual acts that could take place in her dating advice scenario. (See here on Pastor Groen's Facebook page)
What kind of Christian pastor would speak like this privately, let alone publicly? Be warned. This is the kind of pastors the ELCA is now producing and ordaining. The ELCA has taken a stand against the clear teaching of the Bible, the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God, and this is an example of what results. Rev. Groen is not an anomaly or a renegade within the ELCA, if fact she has made a name for herself in the denomination. Six months ago, Pastor Groen sat on a public panel discussion with the presiding bishop of the ELCA. (see here) She also has many ELCA pastors, and people who work in ELCA synods, connected with her via social media. Find out more about Rev. Groen by reading additional articles about her unchristian, outrageous thoughts and behavior here. (Warning: Sexuality explicit language) Elle Dowd is an ELCA seminarian at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) and is also part of the leadership of Decolonize Lutheranism (read about this group here). She recently wrote a blog called “Jesus and Black Lace Lingerie” where we are told: “…I was at a casting call, auditioning for the chance to model a body-positive line of bras and underwear. The church has a reputation for prudishness about anything having to do with things like desire, bodies, or sex. And so me, a seminarian, a pastor-in-training, showing up ready to strip down to my skivvies for a photoshoot seems to a lot of people like a glaring (or at least interesting) contradiction.” She then goes into a strange discourse about God having a body, experiences He had with his body (using intentionally provocative words and descriptions of Christ’s birth), and experience she has had with her body. Then she writes: “Learning about a shockingly embodied God empowered me to reconnect to my own body in a variety of ways through therapy, yoga, running, dancing, sex...Talk about the ways in which sex has been a powerful way not only to reclaim my body and reconnect to my sexuality, but to heal from spiritual abuse perpetuated by the church? It seems unheard of.” After reading Elle Dowd's blog I believe a main message she is trying to communicate is that we should celebrate our bodies. Unfortunately, that seems to mean “in whatever fashion you want, sinful or not.” And that leads us back to her lingerie photo shoot. The ELCA seminarian writes: “I felt my black lacy, cheeky shorts rub against my skin underneath my jeans as I sat on that futon and talked with the designer and the photographer about being a faith leader. Then I took off my t-shirt and took some photos in my bra, feeling free and brave, knowing that if anyone found this scandalous, at least I was in good company with my Scandalous, Incarnate God.” (read here) Elle's blog has been the subject of some conversations with a number of ELCA leaders on Twitter recently. Here are some of the more shocking answers to questions posted by ELCA Deacon Tara L Ulrich, that were inspired by Elle Dowd's blog (notice that Elle retweeted each one): Last week hundreds of Christian leaders signed a statement that stood in accord with Biblical sexual guidelines, the “Nashville Statement.” (see here) The “Christian” left threw a fit. They do not agree with Biblical standards on sexuality and gender.
Enter the darling of the ELCA, beloved by bishops and highly sought after speaker, Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber. She quickly reacted with a counter statement, called the “Denver Statement,” that outlines how far the ELCA has slipped from God and His truth. In the statement Pastor Bolz-Weber writes: - “WE DENY that God intends marriage as a gift only to be enjoyed by those who happen to be heterosexual, cis-gendered and fertile.” - “WE DENY that the only type of sexual expression that can be considered holy is between a cis-gendered, heterosexual, married couple who waited to have sex until they were married.” The popular ELCA pastor seems to be saying homosexual sex and heterosexual premarital sex can be holy. She goes on: - “WE AFFIRM that the glorious variety of gender and sexual expression is a reflection of God’s original creation design and are aspects of human flourishing.” So according to Nadia Bolz-Weber, God made people homosexual and a host of different (made-up) genders. - “WE DENY that sexual attraction for the same sex is outside the natural goodness of God’s original creation…” - “WE DENY that it is sinful to approve of queer identities and that such approval constitutes an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and witness.” (see here) After reading Nadia’s “Denver Statement” a signer of the “Nashville Statement” wrote, “It is always good to see what someone who has little ability to understand Scripture in its historical and literary context has to say about God's will. (I say this seriously, not sarcastically.) It gives us a window into her own theology divorced from the witness of Jesus and the apostles.” Another person commented, “I knew exactly what I was getting into when I saw it was Nadia Bolz-Weber. The unabashed way in which her statements discard even the semblance of Biblical alignment, and merely package regressive humanism, is still pretty bracing. I find the Luciferian (and I use that word advisedly) manner in which she recasts and perverts the Biblical perspective to be quite brazen. It's one thing to hold an incorrect and confused view, but to stand up and make a declaration like that... plainly rewriting truth before your eyes... stunning. And lest anyone think I overstate the case, her Luciferian alignment is proudly displayed in para 1 of her rewritten preamble where she expresses agreement with the spirit of this age - clearly flaunting it before the scripturally literate by putting herself on the other side of 2 Cor 4:4.” Not one ELCA leader signed the Bible-abiding Nashville Statement. (My apologies for the vulgar quotes, references, that I have to report this and that the ELCA allows this kind of thing from their leaders.)
The following article is so startling that I need to share it with you, to write about it here and not just post the article itself on the homepage. The article is about a woman who is “getting ordained with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.” The article is in ELLE magazine and is titled, “How The ‘Pussy Pastor’ Is Bringing Sex and Christianity Together.” You can read the whole article here. Some “noteworthy” parts of the article include: - "'Jesus had a penis. And wet dreams.’ This was the philosophy that inspired Heidi Johnson to found the Pussy Club, a sex-positive group at Duke Divinity School where Christian female students would discuss, among other things, masturbation as a spiritual practice, in 2014. They also gathered to buy sex toys to explore this newfound sexuality. And so, Johnson earned herself the nickname the ‘Pussy Pastor.’" - Heidi Johnson described “the Pussy Club gatherings…as ‘loud, drunken, emotional mess[es] with tons of laughs, stories shared, and tears shed for the ways the religious community abuses and suppresses women's sexuality by labeling it as evil and sinful and temptation.’" - This September she will begin as an intern pastor in Oregon. - She discusses her “masturbation routine” a couple of places in the article. - She talks about “hooking up with classmates and enjoying her sexuality…” - The article speaks of a fellow student of Heidi’s saying, “After leaving his church because he thought it was incompatible with his queerness, Heidi taught him "’a faith that uses the word of God to help with identity exploration, as opposed to identity suppression.’" - Heidi Johnson “continues to host Pussy Club meetups and online discussions…” If you are thinking “this is just one anomaly” in the church, you have not been paying attention to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. See the following blog about similar thinking persons, leaders and pastors in the ELCA here. Also consider how the ELCA continues to push the boundaries, God set, in regard to sex by marrying those in same-sex relationships, ordaining pastors in same-sex relationships, pushing LGBT ideology, supporting LGBT causes/lifestyle in their publications and social media, paying for sex-change operations and hormone therapy in the ELCA health insurance, as well as ordaining transgender individuals. The ELCA is obsessed with sex, pushing sinful sexual practices and trying to influence the minds of its members to view it all as “good.” This is the time of year when many seniors in high school are finalizing their decisions on where they will go to college. It is an important decision that will shape and influence the rest of their lives in many ways. Most importantly, it will influence students' Christian faith. Parents need to ask and investigate how the prospective college will influence their child's Christian faith and belief. To help parents and students in their investigation I have written the following about Gustavus Adolphus College. Gustavus Adolphus College is a school of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. One would think this Lutheran college would be an excellent place to grow in your Christian faith, to encourage you in your faith and to deepen your understanding of Scripture and God’s will for you. It is not. I repeat, it is not. As you will read below, Gustavus Adolphus College is openly encouraging thoughts and behaviors that go against the will of God, thereby leading students away from Christ Jesus and the Truth of God’s Word. Sexuality --- The Gustavus Adolphus Department of Theatre/Dance performed the play “In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play.” On the Gustavus Adolphus website, announcing this production, is the warning, “If you are offended by beautiful naked people and/or consenting adults having frank conversations about physical pleasure please, do not come to see this play.” (see here) --- Gustavus Adolphus’ made news when freshman orientation activities were filmed and posted online in 2010. The article linked below describes the school's orientation gathering as a “series of sexually suggestive skits explaining to incoming students such things as where to get free condoms on campus, how to signal to your roommate that you are busy having sex (so he waits until later to come in), and how to tell your roommate you're gay (as well as the appropriate response you ought (to) take when receiving such information).” (see report here) Here is a video of the Gustavus Adolphus College freshman orientation activity. The second Gustavus Adolphus College freshmen orientation video post below is equally disturbing. --- Last month, a Safer Sex Carnival was held at Gustavus Adolphus. The college’s website reports “The Carnival will include resources and information about having safer sex and overall healthier, more satisfying relationships.” The Safer Sex Carnival is sponsored by Title IX, the Dean of Students Office, and the Sexual Education and Decision Committee. (see here) --- On the Gustavus Adolphus website you can find a section from a book called “Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex.” One line from the excerpt says “Child or teen sex can be moral or immoral.” (see here) --- The college paper, Gustavus Weekly, tells us, “Gustavus library finalizes plans for gender-neutral bathrooms.” (see below) --- The College newspaper published another piece called “Legalize Sex Work” where the author encourages the legalization of prostitution. (see here) --- Gustavus Adolphus’ Women’s Awareness Center held an event to talk about “orgasms, safe sex decisions and the importance of respecting our bodies.” (see here) Other religions --- The Gustavus Day of Fasting-A Ramadan Celebration in honor of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan was sponsored by the Chaplains’ Office. (see here) --- Last year the Chaplains’ Office and Diversity Center sponsored a webinar called Campus Responses to Islamophobia (see here) --- Office of the Chaplains’, Siri Erickson, Brian Konkol and Ailya Vajid released a statement saying “we are deeply grieved by the rise of Islamophobia in our nation…we stand against hate, ignorance, and bigotry wherever they occur and together work to promote dignity, inclusion, and equity.” (see here) --- The ELCA Lutheran school has a multifaith center. “The Center is the new home for a number of student organizations, including Gustavus’ Muslim Student Association, Gustavus Meditation, Gustavus Interfaith Lodge, and the Multifaith Leadership Council.” (see here and the screenshot below) --- “Diwali Festival of Lights, a traditional Hindu celebration, will be observed at Gustavus Adolphus College at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28 in Alumni Hall, in O.J. Johnson Student Union.” (see here) --- What about Buddhism at Gustavus Adolphus? Yep. “Gustavus community will have the opportunity to participate in a cultural event not normally seen in this part of the world. Students and faculty are invited to join in the celebration of the annual Buddhist festival of Vesak…” (see here) --- The Chaplins’ Office section on the college website has a list of small groups and programs one can attend. Among them is Feminist Bible Study, Muslim Student Association and Gustavus Meditation. On the Chaplins’ Office webpage we are told that Gustavus’ “Meditation is lead (sic) by a local Buddhist monk, Prof. John Cha, and Cody Kirk and is followed by discussion. The purpose of this organization is to provide a weekly meditation classes for the entire Gustavus campus.” (see here) --- Department of Theatre/Dance at Gustavus presented a performance of The Ragamala Dance’s 1,001 Buddhas: Journey of the Gods. This performance was “inspired by twenty-eight Hindu deities that guard the 1,001 Buddhist statues of the Sanjusangendo temple in Kyoto, Japan.” And illustrated “the myriad histories and energies of these gods and goddesses and to bring to the modern stage a vision that traverses the scope of spiritual experience, from the intimate to the infinite.” (see here) More LGBT --- Yes, Gustavus Adolphus College observes “Coming Out” week. It is run by the group “Queers & Allies.” There is an article about it in the school paper, The Gustavian Weekly, titled “Importance of Coming Out Week…” (see here) --- On the Gustavus Adolphus College website it has a Latina/o resource page on ‘coming out,” LGBT issues, “Transgender Resources and Immigration Law and Policy” (one resource shared is information on the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) (see here) --- The college website also has a LGBTQ resources page. (see here) --- Another Department of Theatre/Dance performance was “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,” a play about a 1980’s gay community. (see here) Speakers/performers --- A gay comedian/actress was on campus pushing her causes. The school paper writes, “Orange is the New Black’s Lea DeLaria speaks in Christ Chapel May 13, 2016 – Star of the popular Netflix series, Orange is the New Black, actress Lea DeLaria visited Gustavus on May 10. DeLaria is also known for being the first openly gay comic to take the stage on many late-night talkshows. She is also a prominent figure in the LGBT community. DeLaria entertained the audience through humor and song, while discussing important topics on gender identity and equity.” (see here and see the Exposing the ELCA blog about DeLaria’s performance here) --- Historian and professor Kevin Mumford came to Gustavus Adolphus College and gave a lecture on black gay history. (see here) --- The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus performed at Gustavus Adolphus. (see here) --- And when a Christian musician who “used to identify himself as a homosexual but now identifies himself as heterosexual” performed on the Gustavus Adolphus campus with his band, they were protested because the “band spoke about the possibility that homosexuals could be ‘cured…’” (see here) --- Like so many ELCA colleges, Gustavus Adolphus holds a drag show (see here and here) Planned Parenthood --- The Gustavus Adolphus website has an article blasting abstinence-only sex education and the article is produced by Planned Parenthood. (see here) --- The Gustavus Adolphus College website has a webpage called “Sex & Relationships.” The page provides a link to Planned Parenthood (see here) --- The Gustavian Weekly posted a one-sided, pro-Planned Parenthood article. (see here) Another article that discusses the same event tells how students "all over campus sported pink attire to support Planned Parenthood. (read here) Professors --- Professor John Cha, Associate Professor in Religion and Japanese Studies at Gustavus Adolphus, is a Buddhist monk and a meditation teacher/guide for the group Gustavus Meditation. Those who attend Gustavus Meditation “experience Buddhist mettā bhāvanā (loving-kindness meditation) and ānāpānasati (breathing meditation).”(see here) Professor Cha’s “teaching and research interests include Buddhist philosophy, Indian intellectual history, comparative philosophy, and inter-religious dialogue (primarily Buddhist/Christian dialogue).” (see here) --- Fuad S. Naeem is an assistant professor who teaches Islam and World Religions at Gustavus Adolphus College: “His interests include Islamic intellectual traditions in South Asia, Muslim encounters with religious others, Islam and modernity, the Qur'an and its exegesis, and Islamic philosophy, theology, and esoteric traditions.” (see here) --- “Professors at Gustavus Adolphus College make on average $108,181 per year. This is $44,715 more than the average liberal arts college professor's annual salary ($63,466).” (see here) Race --- Just this spring (2017), the “Diversity Leadership Council” did something that had many media outlets talking. They posted racially offensive posters (FAKE racist posters) around Gustavus Adolphus’ campus (see here) --- The Gustavus Adolphus student newspaper published a piece called “Mein Trump,” mimicking the name of a book written by Adolph Hitler. A Gustavus Adolphus writer expressed the following, “Trump is quickly and not so quietly building a coalition of white supremacists and closet racists alike.” (see here) Politics --- The Gustavus College Republicans decided to leave the The Diversity Leadership Council “implying that their opinions have been disregarded.” (see here) --- A Gustavus Adolphus College woman wearing a “make America great again” hat was allegedly assaulted on campus. (see here) --- Lutheran Pastor Tom Brock recounts what he saw and experienced while visiting Gustavus Adolphus College writing, “I visited the campus today and walked past the chaplains' offices and the offices of the religion professors, wondering what I would see on their doors. A picture of Jesus or a Bible verse? None of that. Instead I saw signs saying 'Gay safe zone' and 'Hate free zone'. One religion prof showed a rainbow sticker and a sign 'My Karma ran over your dogma'. One door had a posting for feminist theology, another door or two displayed images from Eastern religions. As I was perusing the doors, an Asian religion professor was talking to a student about the different kinds of meditation. Nothing of Jesus." (see here) Students who grew up believing God’s Word, believing in biblical marriage (one man, one woman) and that you shall have no other gods before Him, are having their beliefs trampled on at Gustavus Adolphus. Gustavus Adolphus College is not a faithful, Bible-believing college. This is a series of investigations into the colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Below are links to the first two installments. --- What to Expect if You Attend Luther College (see here) --- Beware of the ELCA’s Grand View University (see here) The work required to run this website is extensive. Please prayerfully consider supporting the ministry of Exposing the ELCA. Click here to find out how. Naked and Unashamed: ELCA Leaders Call for an End to ‘Oppressive Relational and Sexual Standards’4/20/2017
Sexual intimacy being reserved for marriage is so old school, at least according to the LSTC Gender and Sexuality Coalition, a group of ELCA leaders. They have written a statement on relationality/sexuality in the ELCA:
“We are ELCA Lutherans…The plethora of stories we hear in our conversations demonstrate that life and liberty are being oppressed in the pressure for church leaders to be in marital relationships, or otherwise abstain from all sexual intimacy. The common good of both parishioners and church leaders would benefit from the freedom to be in a variety of healthy relationships…” (see here) Additionally, “We call for a moral deliberation and discernment process as described in CS initiated in the ELCA where V&E, DGD, and HS are evaluated based on an expanded theology and ethic of Christian relationality. Specific changes we would like to see include: - No longer privileging marriage as the only acceptable form of sexual relationality - Updating ELCA policies to reflect marriage equality in the United States - Editing out language that perpetuates heteronormativity and sexual oppression” (see here) A number of high profile ELCA leaders have signed this statement, people such as Nadia Bolz-Weber, transgender Rev. Asher O’Callaghan, Rev. Jeff R. Johnson, Pastor Jason Chesnut, Francisco Herrera, Rev. Kwame Pitts and Pastor Emily Scott. (see complete list below) This group of ELCA leaders also has a website (Naked and Unashamed), with supporters of the group writing and sharing their story. (content warning) One Ph.D student shared her story and titled it, “How My Clitoris Keeps My Faith Alive.” It is just as bad as you can image. Here is one quote from the story, “My praise comes from between my legs, and right now that is enough.” (see here) A male ELCA youth leader writes, “Church for me happens at night—in a kiss, on the dance floor, in the company of drag queens, my chipped nail polish, smudged eyeliner and all.” (see here)
Instead of filling this blog with all the raunchy and personal sex stories which permeate the Naked and Unashamed website (which is frightening to think that the ELCA leaders think this is a godly endeavor), next are some quotes of those wanting change in the way pre-marital sex is viewed. One person details a personal viewpoint:
“It’s time that the church look itself in the mirror and acknowledge: a very large percentage of our denomination’s members, clergy, and candidates have sexual relationships before marriage. And many of these relationships are healthy, holy, and whole. This is nothing new. It has been the case for many years now. But we’ve all been too ashamed of our own sexuality to admit it. No longer. I am a human made in God’s image. Created with the glorious capacity to give and receive pleasure. A capacity to love and be loved. A capacity to discern together with my partner what sort of legal commitments are right for us. My current sexual relationship is holy and whole right now without marriage. I will not be ashamed.” (see here) And, “The plethora of stories we hear in our conversations demonstrate that life and liberty are being oppressed in the pressure for church leaders to be in marital relationships, or otherwise abstain from all sexual intimacy.” (see here) And, “This experience is the opposite of grace, of being freed by baptism to serve the neighbor, of the Lutheran assertion of an embodied incarnational God. The ELCA needs to repent of this oppression and change the way we teach people about sex and marriage.” (see here) The far left ELCA group Decolonize Lutheranism showed their support tweeting:
Here are the ELCA leaders who signed the Naked and Unashamed summary statement: "Iren Raye, PhD Student, Naked & Unashamed co-founder Malina Keaton, Seminarian, Naked & Unashamed co-founder Elle Dowd, Seminarian Rev. Asher O’Callaghan, Pastor Christian Scharen, ELCA Pastor, Vice President of Applied Research, The Center for the Study of Theological Education Nadia Bolz-Weber, Rev. Amalia Vagts, Lay Leader Jason Chesnut, Pastor/ Mission Developer Francisco Herrera, Convener #decolonizeLutheranism Rev. Kwame Pitts, Pastor Shane R Brinegar, M.Div., STM, Advanced Studies Student, LSTC Anonymous, Seminarian Andrew Baumgartner, Seminarian Andrew Tobias Nelson, Pastor Rachel Slough-Johnson, Lay Member Courtenay Reedman Parker, Associate Pastor Zsófi Schmiedge, Pastor – ELCIC Aneeta, Intern pastor Laura Gomez, Congregation Member Hannah Podshadley, Director of Youth Ministry Anonymous, Seminarian Anonymous, Pastor Jaeymes Childers, Diaconal Ministry Candidate Amy Asendorf, MDiv Candidate Beth Ann, Off the Roster Pastor The Rev. Fr. Ángel Marrero Ayala, Priest Erin Coleman Branchaud, Seminarian Emily Scott, Pastor Anonymous, Pastor Joshua Warfield-May, Youth Minister Jessica Obrecht, Seminarian Analyse Triolo, Vicar Charles H. Featherstone, Pastor & Counselor, Psalm 10 Ministries Sherianne Molzahn Caldwell, Congregation Member Kim Triplett, Pastor Lenny Duncan, Seminarian Maria Anderson-Lippert, Pastor Anonymous, Vicar Anonymous, Seminarian Lianna Branham, Former Member Michelle, Former Member Kiah Shaw, Congregation Member Anonymous, Pastor Carol van Deelen, Congregation Member Deborah Ahl, Lay Leader Mark Hernes, Congregation Member Mary See Kennedy, Member Alice Connor, Campus Minister Anonymous, Youth Ministry Leader Joan Braun, Congregation Member Rachael, Congregation Member Rene Paquin, Administration Libby Denton, Congregation Member/ Future Seminarian Elyssa Salinas, PhD Student Allison Westerhoff, Congregation Member Tyler Freckmann, Lay Person Amanda Hancer, Congregation Member Shelby Harrah-Ferguson, Member Catherine Slabaugh, Student-California Lutheran University Anonymous, Youth Minister The Rev. Rachel K. Anderson, Pastor Patricia Kuehner, Congregation Member Kali Hill, Congregation Member Dennis Bux, Retired Pastor Scott Maxwell-Doherty, University Pastor Tori Dahl, Congregation Member Christina Montgomery, Seminarian Jeff R. Johnson, Rev. Christina Espegren, Lay Person Rebecca Deming Rumpf, Congregation Member and Choir Member Anonymous, Seminarian Sierra Ronning, Lay Person Eric Renn, Congregation Member Steven Rizzo, Director of Ministry Kristen Lee, Seminarian Casey Kloehn, Rev. Sarah Kretschmann, Seminarian Emily Miller, Lay Leader Leandra Rizzo, Congregation Member, Former ELCA Missionary Melissa Melnick, Rev. Rev. Matthew Stainz, Pastor Craig Johnson, Synod Vice President Day Hefner, Seminarian Ryan Muralt, ELCA Member Zac Baker, Churchwide Assembly Nominating Committee Nathan Graham, Congregation Member Rachel Johnson, Congregation Member Alexandra E.H. Smith, Seminarian Jess Meibeyer, Congregation Member Edwina Rockman Baethge, Mdiv. Pulpit Supply Preacher Jenna Pulkowski, Rev. Kayla, Congregation Member Sarah Coen-Tuff, Seminarian Kevin Beebe, Seminarian- PLTS Anonymous, Seminarian Joelle Dahl, Customer Professional Anonymous, Seminarian Jo Hobbs, Church Council Secretary Carolyn Carpenter, Congregation Member Peder Hinderlie, Pastor Paul Carlson, Pastor Elizabeth Clark, Seminarian Sarah Derrick, Seminarian Pamela Shea, Congregation Member Mathew Berger, Seminarian Moose Flores, M. Div, Youth Director Mary Dungy-Akenji, Congregation Member Ray Gentry, Worship Director Cole McGlynn, Incoming Seminarian Julie M. Merrill, Lutheran Sharon Janot, Pastor Kate Wulff, Lay Leader Nikoli Falenschek, Rev. Anonymous, Candidate, CSS and Seminarian Catherine Tietjen, Congregation Member Anonymous, Pastor (on leave from call) Ben Hogue, Seminarian- PLTS JD Mechelke, HS Youth Minister Tuhina Rasche, Rev. Andrés Albertsen, PhD Candidate Christine Therriault-Merkel, Pastor John M. Brett, Seminarian Reed Fowler, Congregation Member/ Future Seminarian Christephor Gilbert, Seminarian and ELCA Candidate Anonymous, Seminarian Gary Schaeffer, Executive Director, Deacon Jessica Davis, Christian Educator Margaret Grimes, Congregation Member Keith Walbolt, Pastor Debbie Ahl, Lay Leader Anonymous, Seminarian Jane Garvey, Congregation Member Anonymous, Seminarian Amy Kumm-Hanson, Rev. Chelsey Olson, Seminarian Barbara Denton, Congregation Member, Church Council Steward Anna Hurley, Congregation Member Charlotte Trent, Congregation Member, Future Seminarian Samantha Markman, Congregation Member Maria Markman, Seminarian Christine Hitt, Director of Worship and Music Devin, Praise Band Director Lou Ann Wischnewski, Congregation Member Shelby Denton, Congregation Member Anonymous, Vicar Anonymous, Seminarian Bethany Ringdal, Candidate for Ordained Ministry, Seminarian Lainey Wolff, Cradle Lutheran Anders Nelson, Seminarian Anonymous, Member Karl Anliker, Seminarian Makayla Marinack, Seminarian Fanya Berry, Seminarian Michelle Steiner, Seminary Graduate, MAPL" (see here) ELCA pastor Alex Raabe shared a similar pro-premarital sex sentiment to the Naked and Unashamed crowd tweeting: --- Please prayerfully consider supporting the ministry of Exposing the ELCA. Click here to find out how. Almost all that is wrong in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America results from their rejection of God’s Word. We see an example of this today in an area that Exposing the ELCA has not highlighted before (but will again in the near future).
Stephanie Vos is an ELCA pastor. She along with Nathan Roberts, who is the Director of Community Engagement at an ELCA church, says he is a pastor (see here) and has a Masters of Divinity from the ELCA’s Luther Seminary (see here), wrote a blog titled “4 Reasons to Have Premarital Sex with Your Evangelical College Sweetheart.” Yes, they try to make a case for having sex before marriage. See the quotes below and notice some of the authors twisted logic regarding Scripture. - “The prohibition against Pre-Marital Sex is a hallmark of Christianity, but it’s been problematic from the start. First of all, it’s not exactly Biblical – Paul warns against ‘sexuality immorality’ but doesn’t give us the down and dirty on what he means by that. It’s also worth noting that Jesus doesn’t mention it. At all.” - “Sexuality is meant to be a healthy, beautiful, nourishing part of our relationships with our closest partners…” - “So…consider a few of our reasons to move Pre-Marital Sex with your college sweetheart from the ‘sexual immorality’ column to ‘healthy Christian sexuality’ (yes, that exists).” - “Whenever we read the writings of the Bible we have to ask if a biblical law or mandate fits into the category of ‘For the First Century’ or ‘For Forever.’” - “We would argue that the ban against Premarital Sex is NOT a forever command.” - “we are banishing the ban on premarital sex to the theological history books.” - “Because waiting to have sex messes with your mind. Love and Sexuality are connected and they have a way of speeding things along.” - “Trust me and millions of others when we say, ‘If you have sex, you may be able to think a little clearer about whether or not you actually want to get married as an unemployed 21 year old two months after you graduate.’” - “Just as sleeping with someone you just met can be unbalanced, so is marrying (and committing to a life-long sexually intimate relationship with) someone you’ve never been intimate with.” - “So go ahead. Have some amazing premarital sex with your Christian College sweetheart.” - “…there are Christian reasons for premarital sex. But ultimately YOU GET TO DECIDE – not your pastor, not your discipleship small group, and not a bunch of theologians peddling a 2000 year old interpretation of the Bible.” (see here) Writing in a different blog titled “When MTV Called Me about Christian Alternatives to Abstinence” Rev. Stephanie Vos says, “I know that I’m not the only one that thinks there are healthy and faithful expressions of Christian sexuality outside of abstinence. I know that I’m not the only one that thinks bodies are incredible and meant to be celebrated and enjoyed. I know that I’m not the only one that thinks diverse sexuality and attraction are important to lift up in the cultural conversation.” (see here) Jesus tells us when and with whom sex is appropriate. In Matthew 19:4-5 He says, "Have you not read," says Jesus, "that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?'" But what God says in His Word is of little consequence to the ELCA. To them Scripture is arbitrary. They want to indulge their sinful desires. Is this the kind of denomination to which you want to belong? |
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Dan Skogen
Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word. If you have been helped and blessed by Exposing the ELCA's ministry, please help us continue to proclaim the truth of God's Word to ELCA members who need to hear it.
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Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11
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