Ever heard of Neuhaus's Law? It's Father Richard John Neuhaus's observation that "Wherever orthodoxy is optional, it sooner or later will be proscribed." This news from Father Neuhaus's old communion, the mainline Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), seems to me to be a pretty good example of Neuhaus's Law in action. Excerpt:
The country’s largest Lutheran denomination officially bars openly gay people from the ministry. But in a move that advocates for gays are hailing as a step toward changing that policy, the denomination is urging bishops to refrain from disciplining gay and lesbian clergy members who are in committed same-sex relationships.A resolution to that effect was passed last weekend in Chicago by delegates to the biennial meeting of the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
Church officials said it did not signal a change in policy. But they said a denomination task force is completing “a social statement,” or theological document, on human sexuality, to be discussed in 2009, and the resolution allows bishops to hold off, in the interim, on taking action against gay and lesbian ministers in their jurisdictions.
Robert Tuttle, counsel to the Bishop of the Metropolitan Washington synod, said, “What it changes is that it gives bishops some cover who want to exercise discretion to not bring charges.”
Those who support the ordination of openly gay and lesbian people hailed the vote.
“Full inclusion and acceptance is still down the road, but the dam of discrimination has been broken,” said Emily Eastwood, executive director of Lutherans Concerned/North America. “The church is on the road to acceptance.”
Does anybody -- no matter where you stand on homosexuality and religion -- doubt that she's right in that last prediction? Within 10 years, the ELCA will vindicate Neuhaus's Law. Watch.
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Susan,
I currently live in Houston, but I have lived in half a dozen different cities on more than one continent, and I have been searching desperately for the sort of well adjusted homosexuals you write about and have never found them. And you know what I find especially curious? It is almost inevitably well intentioned straight people, not gay people, who are so insistent that there is this enormous population of well adjusted homosexuals. I remember once when I was still an Episcopalian and attending the local cathedral. A male couple was pointed out to me as the veritable poster boys for gay Christianity. They looked to all appearances immaculate and well scrubbed. The first thing these middle aged altar boys did upon my being introduced to them was invite me to their home for an orgy. I repeat, I seriously question how much the average well meaning heterosexual really knows about the private lives of homosexuals. And I wonder how he or she would react if he knew the truth.
Ron,
I just can't get past the idea that you are using your orientation as an excuse for not getting a life. There are lonely and dysfunctional straights too, but at least they don't have that excuse. Like a black person who can't hold a job who thinks everything's about racial discrimination. If they were white they'd have to think of something else.
You're 45, you say. My experience is that people who can make relationships work have mostly done so by the time they're your age.
Houston may not be the best venue. (No!!!) Go west, middle aged man. Or, east. (Manhattan, not Atlanta!)
Here's a challenge. If you accept it, say so, and I'll give you my email. Then you can come to my house as a guest, and meet Brad, Jeff, Kate and Angela. If any one of them invites you to an "orgy" I'll give you $1,000. If after due time they don't, you owe ME $1,000.
I won't load the dice. I can just see myself going to Jeff, who's a senior exec at Apple and working 80 hours a week, and saying, "Hey there Jeff, don't have any orgies, OK?" He'd think I'd gone off my nut.
I suspect very strongly that sexual orientation is "hard-wired", because if it were the result of environmental influences, there would be a lot more gay people than there are. After all, from earliest childhood, males are taught to despise females, and females are taught to fear males. And then, as they get older, both males and females are subjected to endless advertising of every product under the sun using sexually desirable females, so it is especially amazing that there are any straight women left.
My position is, I believe what people tell me about their inner lives until someone comes up with clear and convincing evidence to the contrary - which will be hard to come by.
For example, I'll tell you I'm heterosexual, and I'm not prepared to have you say that I'm "really" a lesbian. And vice versa, of course.
Dear Ron,
You need to log on to a wonderful resource called "Gay Christian Network". The people tend to be devout, and normal, and just happen to be gay or lesbian. I think you could learn a lot and meet some sound people by that means.
http://www.gaychristian.net/
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