"Heresy! Absolute heresy!" You got that!

"Hanson identified four challenges for the ELCA: building trust throughout the church, creating awareness by telling the ELCA's "story," raising expectations for what the Holy Spirit is doing, and lowering anxiety about sexuality as the church prepares a social statement on human sexuality for consideration at the 2009 ELCA assembly.

"We cannot let that social statement define solely the life and work of this church or our leadership," Hanson told the council. "That's going to take shared leadership. If we become so preoccupied with 2009, we are conveying a message that sexuality defines this church, and (because of) sexuality, this church could potentially be divided. Frankly, that's heresy. That's absolute heresy. The gospel of Jesus Christ defines this church." "I think this (the social statement) is hugely important work for us in these next two years. I'm committed to it, but I will not let it solely define my leadership of this church, because I think that's not responsible," he said."

Cap'n Bill here: I don't want to start a post with the word Pinhead in it, I suppose that is better than Heresiarch... well, what do you call a person who takes over the good ship ELCA, pilots it down the Niagara toward the Falls and chastises his crew who tell him that people are already jumping ship? Well, acccording to Hanson, those people jumping off are heretics. Actually, it may be that he is saying that people who even speak of leaving, that there is a danger of schism, these troublemakers are heretics. Well, call me heretic, Hesiarch! After all, go to the ELCA News page and read the release you willthis comes from and you'll see that PB Hanson has chosen Metro NY Bishop Bouman to head up the Commission for Outreach. Let's see, if Bouman is bishop of the fast dying synod in the ELCA, one of the most demoralized, what qualifications does he have for the job? In Bouman's words, "Inclusive Outreach." Yes, that's right. On the one hand, Hanson says we have to quit talking about sex so much and we must simply refuse to think that this could split the church, and at the same time he handpicks a gay agenda true believer. Something is wrong with this picture....

Click here for the news release.