ELCA is goose-stepping into the next, inevitable stage of tolerance, foretold long ago by St. Augustine:
1. Error first demands a hearing.
2. Error next demands equal standing.
3. Finally, error dominates and excludes those who disagree.
The August 2009 ELCA convention voted overwhelmingly to endorse openly what they had been practicing for years. This was expressed in terms of the "local option," where districts were allowed to make their own decisions. However, just the opposite developed immediately, and a reaction set in, against ELCA.
Iowa passed resolutions against the August decision but had those resolutions repealed by the machinations of the "neutral" bishop. Whoever said repeal was impossible?
The latest effort is to force resignation upon anyone who disagrees with the latest ELCA convention. Here is a post on that.
Lutherans Concerned for Gays and Lesbians is the lobby that was originally funded by The ALC. They have stated that they do not approve of this firing resolution. They can well afford to be officially so open-minded, because the Left Foot of Fellowship is being extended with vigor and enthusiasm, thanks to decades of their lobbying.
ELCA has been ecumenical with all confessions and anti-confessions, to a fault, but no ELCA congregation is allowed to be a member of a dissenting ELCA group - CORE or LCMC. The best way to leave ELCA with the property is to join one of these groups and be kicked out.
The earthquakes were a welcome relief for ELCA, so headquarters could post stories on their prayers and efforts, instead of posting stories on all the congregations leaving.
The latest ELCA mission efforts--please don't laugh--are to create groups where the local congregation has vamoosed from Holy Mother Synod. The left-behinds are a mission, orphaned children begging for morsels. ELCA will gather them and fashion them into new ELCA missions, with subsidies. They will say, with unfeigned joy, "We have restored the Gospel to this community!"
* - WELS has the same concept of tolerance. Once the Church Shrinkers had their say, they began expelling anyone who disagreed.
