Retired ELCA Leaders Rail Against Those Who Support Traditional Marriage

The state of Washington passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage which will take effect June 2012.  Opponents of this law have started gathering signatures for a petition which would cause the law to be subject to a state-wide voter referendum (Referendum 74).  In response to the petition, retired Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pastors Donald Heinz, Paul Borg, Don Clinton, Daryl Daugs, Richard Hermstad, Bob Keller, Bob Olmsted, Dick Werner and Lyle Miller wrote a letter published in the Peninsula Gateway, a news publication in Gig Harbor, WA.  In the letter, the retired ELCA pastors proclaim their support for same-sex marriage and ask people to not sign what they call the “anti-gay” petition.

Calling the petition “anti-gay” shows me that these ELCA leaders have little respect for people who believe God’s Word on homosexuality.  They feel that they sit in a position to judge those in favor of traditional marriage, and to deem them with derogatory terms.  I also find it interesting that these are retired ELCA pastors, people who most likely have been leaders in the denomination for many, many years.  

The retired ELCA pastors’ letter also states:

“We do not oppose Referendum 74 because we are moral relativists who merely want Christianity to adapt itself to shifting winds. But we do note that all demographic studies make obvious that the anti-gay prejudice will be obsolete by the next generation.”

“. . . the real threats to marriage and family in the United States come from heterosexuals.”

“. . . We are particularly dismayed that the lovely sounding ‘family values’ pitch is, in fact, Christian code for homophobia and historic prejudice.”

“Conservative Christianity, whether evangelical or Catholic, seems preoccupied with the dangerous sexuality of women and the cultural border-crossings of gays.”

“. . . Christians must not simply tolerate but welcome and embrace gays and join in celebrating their life together.” (see here)

As you can read, these retired ELCA leaders are very devoted to the cause of gay marriage and they have little regard for those who disagree with them.

So why are some of you content with being a member in the ELCA?