The homo-effeminate (a.k.a. so-called homo-"gay") issue and homo-sodomite (a.k.a. so-called same-gender "love") issue - incorrectly referred to politically as the homosexual "rights" issue [actually there is nothing "right" in any sense about someone being homopervert] - is a hot-button contemporary issue of great national and statewide controversy. It was and is the next downward step beyond promotion and acceptance of the abomination of women in charge over men which has and yet is occurring (see references of Leviticus 27:1-5, Numbers 30, Isaiah 3:12, Nahum 3:13, I Corinthians 11:1-16, I Corinthians 14:33-38, I Timothy 2:12-15, and I Peter 3:7 concerning and not regarding that).
To become an umpire betwixt warring parties can be dangerous, unless that referee is more powerful than both players - together:
Prov 26:17 He who meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
Both can bite....hard.....and not simply their opponents!
Not only that, but it would be difficult for good samaritans zooming along in speeding cars with busy schedules nowadays to stop and help someone in distress, and such questionable emergencies seem best be handled by the highway patrol. Even phoning in a 911 call to cops can cause a person (who is not on an urgent business or family mission and thus having time to help) to be greatly inconvenienced and result in dire consequences, being that GPS location of a 911 cellphone call is locked in to that cellphone and disconnected only if the cellphone battery is removed, before which disconnection the authorities already have the identity of the 911 caller with voiceprint and Caller ID. Then might come lengthy follow-up police interrogation to the 911 caller:
Prov 18:17 He who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.
George W. Bush - to his credit - refused to condone same-sex "marriage" unions on a federal level, and his successor.....well....
Same-gender "marital" unions were temporarily "legal" in Calfornia, but disallowed by State referendum, which majority referendum decision against homoqueer "marriages" was (to my knowledge) upheld by a California Supreme Court majority.
The HOLY BIBLE is quite clear and consistent in condemnation not merely against homosexual sin, but also (and obviously, logically) against homosexual sinners:
Matt 7:1 "Judge not, that you be not judged.
Matt 7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Matt 7:4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye?
Matt 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Matt 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes."
Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."
Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
Luke 6:41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Luke 6:42 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
Luke 12:57 "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
John 8:10 Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
John 8:11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."
Acts 2:44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common;
Rom 14:1 As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions.
Rom 15:7 Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Rom 14:4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Master is able to make him stand.
Php 4:13 I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
Titus 1:15 To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted.
How about a little warped homo-erotic lust?:
John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
Rom 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
1Cor 16:20 All the brethren send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
2Cor 13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
1Thess 5:26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.
The issue recently got national media attention....again....by the overall churchwide-convention ELCA decision continuing the rostership of celibate and non-celibate homopervert clergy and allowing pastors of church congregations to commit (not "perform") same-gender "marriage" blessings.
Such is, of course, right in line with the loving inclusive diversity expressed throughout Scripture in such proof-texting verses as:
Lev 20:13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.
Rom 1:24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
Rom 1:26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural,
Rom 1:27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.
Rom 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct.
Rom 9:29 And as Isaiah predicted, "If the Lord of hosts had not left us children, we would have fared like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah."
Ah, let's give the homo-defiant and homo-belligerant their twisted-Bible-translation break, and leave the KJV-NKJV "effeminate" and "sodomites" wording of inerrant Scrivener-Trinitarian Greek Text and replace such with the corrupt Westcott-Hort/Nestle Greek texts-based RSV or NIV vague words "catamite" or "homosexual" (with a "two Greek words are rendered by this expression" blurb in the footnote)?
2Cor 4:2 We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
2Cor 6:17 Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you,
1Thess 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
2Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
It almost goes without saying that God excuses homos for being born that way, and sees nothing wrong with homoqueerity....yes? [Be Positive and Not Negative now]:
2Peter 2:6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction and made them an example to those who were to be ungodly;
2Peter 3:16 speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.
Jude 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise acted immorally and indulged in unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Notice the repeated theme in the above-stated Bible verses promoting non-discrimination without resorting to "illegal" homophobia nor bashing of homosexual (physically....or is it also or instead with mere words) with regard to mandatory execution against homoperverts with or without so-called "cruel and unusual punishment?
Matt 12:37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
But aren't we all sinners in various ways? Is not molesting and suffocating little girls, assassinating the President, genocidally demolishing NYC Trade Towers with passenger-laden jets, and not rubbing cover-your-sneeze-and-blow-infection-into-your-sinusus sanitizing goo on our hands before everything we do because of legalistic and paranoid health-department nutjobs far more serious shortcomings or mistakes?
Of course they are(?), in view of:
Matt 15:2 "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat."
Matt 15:11 not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
Mark 7:3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders;
1Cor 6:18 Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body.
One Word Alone weaker-sex inferior-gender person dangerously and absurdly stated: "The issue is not homosexuality, but differently interpreting the Bible.
Wrong! The issue is BOTH homosexuality AND an errant view of the Bible!
Another elderly Word Alone retired politician compromisingly and incorrectly stated: "There is not a homosexual alive who cannot repent and be forgiven."
Wrong again! Consider the verses which indicate an eternal cutoff, even in this temporal life:
Isa 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isa 10:1 Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression,
Matt 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Matt 12:32 And whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Mark 3:29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"--
Luke 12:10 And every one who speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
1John 5:16 If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that.
Such non-judgmental unconditional love and patiently-tolerant forgiveness exists? Indeed:
2Kings 9:8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.
Ps 34:16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Ps 37:9 For the wicked shall be cut off; but those who wait for the LORD shall possess the land.
Ps 37:22 for those blessed by the LORD shall possess the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
Ps 37:28 For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. The righteous shall be preserved for ever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
Ps 37:38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off.
Ps 109:13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!
Ps 109:15 Let them be before the LORD continually; and may his memory be cut off from the earth!
Ps 118:10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
Ps 118:11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
Ps 118:12 They surrounded me like bees, they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
Ps 129:4 The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked.
Ps 143:12 And in thy steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries, for I am thy servant.
Pr 2:22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
Pr 10:31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
Is it not clear that God has cut off Israel?:
1Kings 9:7 then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and the house which I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight; and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
Isa 9:14 So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day--
Eze 5:11 Wherefore, as I live, says the Lord GOD, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will cut you down; my eye will not spare, and I will have no pity.
And being that Christ descended from Judah:
Jer 44:11 "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Hey, I will set my face against you for evil, to cut off all Judah.
Lam 2:3 He has cut down in fierce anger all the might of Israel; he has withdrawn from them his right hand in the face of the enemy; he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around.
Is that not proof that God has rejected Israel and the Jews forever and replaced them with the dispensational and ecclesiological "apostolic-succession" historic-episcopate and/or presbyterian "priesthood-of-all-believers" congregational Church according to the following Scripture verses:
Isa 53:8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
Jer 11:19 But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more."
Obad 1:10 For the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off for ever.
John 4:22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Rom 3:2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews are entrusted with the oracles of God.
Rom 11:26 and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
Rom 11:28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of God, for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
So why is the aged politician wrong in mis-stating that: 'There is not a homosexual who cannot repent and be forgiven?':
2Thess 2:11 Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false,
2Thess 2:12 so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
After all, consider the welcoming into Heavenly love given to Abel-slaying Cain, Pharoah who perished in the Red Sea, the violently-assaultive canaanite kings who Joshua executed, cursing-and-eventually-headless Goliath, Haman the would-be Esther murderer, suicidal David-stalking Saul, Naboth-murdering Ahab and wicked-to-the-end Jezebel, insidiously-evil Manasseh, baby-Jews-murdering Herod lying to the Wise Guys, Paul-terrorizing Alexander the Coppersmith, Judas Iscariot, Nero, russian-atheist-sorcerers Rasputin and Gurdijev, Madame Blatavsky, Hitler, atheist Madelyn Murray, Lee Harvey Oswald, Atta the crazed anti-Trade-Towers pilot, and so forth.
O, the boundless love of God! The unconditional forgiveness! Universal acceptance of everyone in global peace and unity:
Ps 37:20 But the wicked perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures, they vanish--like smoke they vanish away.
Php 3:18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Matt 7:22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
Matt 7:23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'
Matt 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Matt 7:21 "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matt 7:22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
Matt 25:11 Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.'
Matt 25:12 But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Luke 6:46 "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?
Luke 13:23 And some one said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them,
Luke 13:24 "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
Luke 13:25 When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us.' He will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.'
Luke 13:26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'
Luke 13:27 But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!'
Rom 9:27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved;
Titus 1:10 For there are many insubordinate men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially the circumcision party;
In summary, WILL there always be hope for ELCA homosexuals who can [can?] change their minds and become straight and narrow good guys, thus making it pointless and senseless for objectionists to not only consider depriving the ELCA hierarcy headquarters on Higgins Street in Chicago of operating-expense benevolent contributions, but even withdrawing membership from (and more precisely: away from) the mere two-third majority who voted for compromising with homoqueers, let alone that abtract 501(c)(3) entity which entity itself (not themselves) will neither go to heaven nor burn in hell forever, or even trying to form a new synod or denomination or re-align themselves with another quasi-ELCA or anti-ELCA Lutheran organization?
"Let's not talk about it; it's too trouble-causing!" "Our pastor hasn't said anything about that yet; we simply keep on singing the same hymns and hearing the pleasant sermons each Sunday, and I really should continue to support that." "Give it time for the ruckus to gradually die down, and other issues will become more important." "I have long-time friends in this church." "My family would be aghast and criticize if I left our church." "God will judge; we don't have to:"
Matt 10:37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
Matt 12:46 (KJ21) While He yet talked to the people, behold [hey], His mother and His brethren stood outside, desiring to speak with Him.
Matt 12:47 Then one said unto Him, "Behold [Hey], thy mother and thy brethren [brothers] stand outside, desiring to speak with thee [you]."
Matt 12:48 But He answered and said unto him who told Him, "Who is My mother? And who are My brethren [brothers]?"
Matt 12:49 And He stretched forth [out] His hand toward His disciples and said, "Behold [Hey], My mother and My brethren [brothers]!
Matt 12:50 For whosoever [whoever] shall [will] do the will of My Father who is in Heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother."
Luke 14:26 "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
1Cor 5:13 God judges those outside. "Drive out the wicked person from among you."
Eph 5:7 Therefore do not associate with them.
2Tim 3:5 holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.
2John 1:10 If any one comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting.
It was stated in The Metro Lutheran magazine that convention attendees prayed before most of them chose to acquiese to subversive homoperverts. How pre.....cious! Can't you imagine their silent or weaselworded prayers (whether to Christ - or instead Satan - who knows?):
"Dear God. Isn't is legal now that we have disregarded obsolete and unenlightened and unscientific Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:26-28, and First Corinthians 6:9-10 and given in to the homoperverts for the sake of love, unity, tolerance, non-judgmental kindness, and peace? Now we can get their money to fatten our own wallets. No longer will we be harassed by their rude protest-march tactics! Isn't it great, Satan, that we - in non-discriminatory inclusive-diversity peace and love - are trying to mix homo-poop with hetero-pudding plus homo-piss with hetero-pop? Yum! Delicious! We know that you are pleased, as you were when God faulted by putting you as a stumbling block in the Garden and let you do what He allowed you to with complete freedom, liberty, non-censored expression, and non-suppressed bound conscience. Bless the sacred work of God done with our own holy hands to skew the moralistic righteous! Long live us faggots, and Bless Be The Tie That Binds our Hearts in [despicable "christian"] Lust!"
Be merciful, as your throw-most-people-on-the-broad-and-easy-road-to-destruction-into-Hell Heavenly Father is merciful. May all misminded ELCA homoperverts be so included into the flock of the eternally-sinless saints in eternal Paradise(?). We know that they will be happier there in everlasting non-homoqueer sinless perfection rather than in the Outer-Darkness Lake of Fire relishing the obnoxiously-sordid remembrances of their AIDS-causing immoralities plus cursing the religious right and Christian fundamentalists, orthodox morality, and the Creator God and Savior of such Himself.
The point of no return has been reached, according to the Holy Spirit, and it is no longer a question of remaining within and under incessantly/relentlessly-perverted ecclesiastical ELCA hierarchy locked in with pervert-activist supporters and their majority of silent-majority say-nothing-in-opposition accomodaters....but rather a question of in what increasing ways and what increasing degrees to withdraw away from those ELCA heretics, belong to a faithless and wayward bride no longer, and search for another worthy of association - whether that be of federalist authority with archbishop and cardinal-type bishops under him......or instead a congregational presbyterian type of mutual-fellowship structure. Should the new Church spouse be Lutheran Christians alone....or instead Lutheran Christians plus ecumenical interdenominational Christians? Should lively and expressive charismatics be included, or instead keep it solely to sedate believers in contemplatively quiet worship?
In any case, the ELCA car that transported Christ Jesus is broken down, and transports Him no longer. As happened with old King Saul, the Spirit of the Lord has departed away from the ELCA as a whole.
The task of relocating away from a huge organization with an established retirement pension plan which one is thoroughly engrained within and financially dependent upon.....to a new or different smaller organization which possibly is experimental or tentative and with a novice or newly-formed and non-tested pension plan.....is traumatic and might seem overwhelming, to say the least. Indeed:
Exo 23:30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you are increased and possess the land.
Deut 7:22 The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you.
However, bit by bit one can and should extricate themself away from what will inevitably and increasingly defile themself with putrid and even eventually lethal pollution:
Prov 13:11 Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle, but he who gathers little by little will increase it.
As with any successful warfare-to-conquer planning for escape and re-establishment, hassles with nitpicky technicalities in reconfiguring, restructuring, and reforming frequently involve a tedious but necessary burden:
Isa 28:10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."
Isa 28:13 Therefore the word of the LORD will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little; that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Sometimes, in addition to the human resource haggling, environmental factors sometimes add to resolution delay, along with the massiveness of the complexity of the defect affecting every facet of organizational operations:
Ezra 10:9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.
Ezra 10:13 But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a work for one day or for two; for we have greatly transgressed in this matter.
But "where there's a will, there's a way:"
Acts 20:22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not knowing what shall befall me there;
Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
Rev 3:17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.