[cadillac59]

While I'm not about to say my faith has been restored, at least the church I once attended has taken a positive step toward embracing basic human rights:

Lutherans Vote to Approve Gay Clergy

By Julie Bolcer
Lutherans Vote to Approve Gay Clergy

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination, voted on Friday to allow gays and lesbians in committed relationships to serve as clergy, lifting a restriction that had required gay and lesbian ministers to remain celibate, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune .

Church delegates voted 559-451 to remove the ban during their biennial conference in Minneapolis. The vote makes the ELCA, which claims nearly 5 million members, the largest denomination in the country to allow non-celibate gay and lesbian ministers.

Last month, the leaders of the U.S. Episcopal Church voted to lift a similar restriction on non-celibate gay and lesbian bishops. The votes are considered likely to influence the debate over gay clergy in other large Protestant denominations, such as the Presbyterian and Methodist churches.

The resolution approved by the ELCA does not force individual congregations to select gay and lesbian ministers, but allows them to pick the candidates if they wish to do so.

On Friday, delegates also voted 619 to 402 to approve a resolution allowing individual congregations to recognize same-sex unions in the way they see fit.

The vote to approve gay and lesbian ministers occurred after a Baptist minister on Wednesday blamed a tornado that damaged a Lutheran church in Minneapolis on the impending policy change.


We can only hope other churches will follow this example.

[adam7gur]

YouTube - Lutherans Endorse Homosexuality God Sends Tornado!
No comment!

[NeedKarma]

YouTube - Lutherans Endorse Homosexuality God Sends Tornado!
No comment!

Holy crap! The text description beside that video is as creepy as the assertion that a natural event was caused by a god. So all those people killed in tornado alley every year in the mid-west deserved it?

[adam7gur]

Holy crap! The text description beside that video is as creepy as the assertion that a natural event was caused by a god. So all those people killed in tornado alley every year in the mid-west deserved it?

No one was killed here my friend!

[NeedKarma]

I know. Are all the tornadoes caused by God wrath?

[adam7gur]

I know. Are all the tornadoes caused by God wrath?

No, tornadoes and things like that are the result of man's sin.
When God created earth the climate was absolutely perfect.When man sinned everything changed!
Do not blame God for what we have done.He gave us the perfect conditions to walk with Him, He even protected us from death, but we did not listen to Him and our betrayal caused every bad thing that exists on earth!

[NeedKarma]

So we've come around to my initial point: all those people killed in tornado alley every year in the mid-west deserved it?

[adam7gur]

So we've come around to my initial point: all those people killed in tornado alley every year in the mid-west deserved it?

Death is the result of sin.We all sin, we all die one way or another.
By the way... I very much like your avatar!

[sndbay]

So we've come around to my initial point: all those people killed in tornado alley every year in the mid-west deserved it?

What you are comparing is life as you know it here on earth. What you are not accepting is that life is in heaven, because we are told in HIS WORD, Christ did raise from death which was permtted as our redeeming grace. He became our weakness, so we could be strong in HIS strength and hands. The same that raised Christ will raise our souls.

What should be recognized is that the weakness of man did cause the death. If we attempt and think we can stand allow, we will not survive against death. Death could become the result of what someone deserves, but we do not judge souls.

God's power and wrath in conquering death is not compared in likeness of living on earth in flesh bodies. But is known in life eternal, and how all we can live to be raised to life in heaven by the force that did overcome and conquered death.

So if you want to ask what those who were taken by the force of the tornado deserved, you must feel they were being punished, and I strongly disagree. Whether taken or not, they raise to life in heaven.

We rest in knowing whenever death does occur, we will be raised. And you know yourself life on earth does not continue forever, so why think it was punishment, when they went to return home with GOD.

Rest in assurance of HIS WORD, HIS PROMISE = FAITH

Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Matthew 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

The birth of new life is with God

[sndbay]

Death is the result of sin.We all sin, we all die one way or another.

Faith in Christ gives us forgiveness from sin, and liberty to chose.

[NeedKarma]

So if you want to ask what those who were taken by the force of the tornado deserved, you must feel they were being punished, and I strongly disagree.

I disagree with that notion as well, I was just commenting on the video that adam posted that basically says God was mad and sent a tornado.

[sndbay]

I know. Are all the tornadoes caused by God wrath?

Is the world under the power of God? YES

Do the winds blows and the rain fall because of God? YES

Did we effect the results of what happen on earth? YES

Because all reap from what we sow, and we should follow the will of God to reap goodness

[NeedKarma]

Well there are never tornadoes where I live.. ever. I do lead a pretty goof life though so that helps. Well that and tornadoes form only in certain specific conditions. Look at where the bulk of the sin is in the US: Where do tornadoes occur

[sndbay]

I disagree with that notion as well, I was just commenting on the video that adam posted that basically says God was mad and sent a tornado.

The time we have on earth is determined by God. From the little babe that can be taken to the old man that is taken, both are according to God's plan for them. Neither are the punishment of God's wrath, but are the loving gift to life in heaven.

Can the tornado's result be, in result of God's wrath, for something God used force to overcome. YES

[NeedKarma]

So all those people did indeed deserve to die because of some sin they committed?

[sndbay]

So all those people did indeed deserve to die because of some sin they committed?

No that is not true.. It was their time to go home with God, for what reason for each, is only known by God.

The time we have on earth is determined by God. From the little babe that can be taken to the old man that is taken, both are according to God's plan for them. Neither are the punishment of God's wrath, but are the loving gift to life in heaven.

[Maggie 3]

We have no right to change or leave out any part of Gods word. We
Choose who we will serve. We are for Him or
Against Him, His word is the Word of God.
If we all put in or take out what we want in the bible it
Would not be only Gods word.
God loves all and receives all, we are all sinners and fall short in obedience.
God help us all and thank you for being a loving and forgiving God.

Blessings, Maggie 3

[NeedKarma]

It just gets confusing. Adam said that tornadoes are the result of man's sins. It's odd that a whole family living quietly in the midwest would be called home all at once, I wonder why that would be?

Then of course there is the issue that tornadoes only occur in certain areas of the world, why is that?

[sndbay]

It just gets confusing. Adam said that tornadoes are the result of man's sins. It's odd that a whole family living quietly in the midwest would be called home all at once, I wonder why that would be?

Maybe to spare them from hunger that would be resulted by the tornado. Maybe we are not to know why God determines such things in life so that we do not judge souls. Maybe so we can learn to REST in Full Assurance of our Faith in Christ who did raise from the dead.

Then of course there is the issue that tornadoes only occur in certain areas of the world, why is that?

The link said, which is what man says: The majority of tornadoes occur in agricultural areas.

Maybe we need to be more thankful for what we are given. Maybe we need to experience shortage so we can be more thankful.
Maybe so we can learn to REST in Full Assurance of our Faith in Christ.


This is off thread... so I think we should go back to what was the thread.. Hope what has been discussed will focus on Faith

[NeedKarma]

Sorry mate, you're right.

Good for the Lutheran Church!