“Complete Contradiction to God's Word”

The July 2012 online issue of the ELCA publication, The Lutheran, has an article that highlighted noteworthy actions which were taken in ELCA synod assemblies this year.  

At the end of the internet article, in the comments section, Donald Bohlken responded to the article by saying:

How sad it is that the assemblies for the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, the Eastern-Washington Idaho Synod and the Northeastern Minnesota Synod, the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, the Northwestern Minnesota Synod, the Northwest Washington Synod, St. Paul Area Synod, Southwest Washington Synod, acted in complete contradiction to God's Word in either opposing state constitutional amendments designed to protect marriage as an exclusively a union between one man and one woman, supporting homosexual "married" couples, or supporting the ELCA Social Statement. on Human Sexuality.

The Bible clearly condemns homosexual behavior as sin. "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is] abomination." Lev 18:22. "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." Romans 1:26-27. See also Gen 19: 4-8, 15, 24; Lev 20: 13; Deut 23:17; 1 Cor 6:9, 10; 1 Tim 1: 8-11; Jude 1: 6-7.

It is our duty to lovingly point out to homosexuals that this conduct is sin and that the way out of sin is to seek forgiveness through the blood and sacrifice of Christ. 1 Cor. 6: 11. To follow the path. of denying the scripture's teachings, which the ELCA General Assembly has chosen, is to assist homosexuals on a path to hell. 1 Cor. 6: 9-10.

God's law on marriage, as set forth in Genesis 2: 23-24 and affirmed by Jesus Christ at Matthew 19: 4-6, is also clear. It provides that marriage was created exclusively as a union between one man and one woman.
The policy of lying to sinners about sin can hardly be considered a Christian or loving alternative to the truth.

Here are a few more questionable or interesting actions that took place at synod assemblies -

Southeastern Minnesota Synod
• "Urged congregations to pass on a minimum of 10 percent of undesignated income to synod and churchwide ministries."
•"Called for an increase in the synod's giving to the churchwide organization."

Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod
• "Committed to pray for peace among Iran, its neighbors and the U.S."

Sierra Pacific Synod
• "Asked members to advocate for the replacement of the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole in California and Nevada; requested that the 2013 Churchwide Assembly do the same for the 32 states that have the death penalty."

(see the article here)