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Authors, sign in!The Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade was held just the other day, on June 26, which would have been right smack dab in the middle of the GAFCON Conference.
Let me explain. GAFCON stands for the Global Anglican Future Conference which was held, in Jerusalem, June 22 - 29. It was called by conservative African bishops who are still in a snit because the Episcopalians of New Hampshire, in a free election, chose Gene Robinson, a gay man, to be their bishop five years ago.
I'll bet these gay-bashing bishops loved that parade! (/snark)
GAFCON released its final statement yesterday, basically castigating the Episcopal Church USA for practicing what it calls a "false gospel." If you've been around the church for awhile, you know that somebody is always accusing somebody else of practicing a "false gospel."
In fact, one of the major problems with the statement -- "The Jerusalem Declaration" -- is that it doesn't seem to understand the gospel. The gospel can be nothing other than God's love in Christ -- always good news, said Luther, never bad news. "God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us," as Paul put it (Romans 5:8).
The Declaration seems to say that acceptance of homosexuality is a gospel-related -- even gospel-central -- issue. It is not -- not even close. No matter what side of the question you're on, the issue of sexuality and homosexuality is within the realm of God's law, not God's gospel.
God speaks in two ways -- law and gospel. The gospel is always God's love for sinners. Everything else -- the processes of the universe as well as individual morality -- is in realm of law. This includes our sexuality. This means that questions of sexuality are dealt with in the realm of creation, through the mechanisms of daily life, through culture and religion, law and custom.
Truly, there are days when I do appreciate my Lutheran education.
Published June 30, 2008 by John Petty |
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Christianity
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