Okay, you know the drill: see it all here.Lutheran statement on sexuality emphasizes trust
CHICAGO – The nation's largest Lutheran denomination on Thursday released the first draft of an unprecedented social statement on human sexuality that emphasizes the importance of trust at the center of people's relationships with friends, family, sexual partners and God.
It does not discuss whether the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America should allow gay and lesbian clergy to serve. That issue, currently vexing many Protestant denominations, will be addressed in a second document, leaders said.
The long-awaited sexuality statement upholds the traditional definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, but it also acknowledges the contributions to church life of committed same-gender relationships, single parishioners and other unconventional family structures.
"This church continues to oppose transient sexual affairs and promiscuity," the statement said. "It does so while undertaking to help all who are sexually active, married and unmarried alike, to demonstrate responsibility and appreciate the dangers of trivialization, betrayal, exploitation, injustice, and abuse."
The document also holds same-sex partners to the same standards as married couples, requiring relationships to "chaste, mutual, monogamous, and lifelong."
Authors of the statement said they wanted to steer the conversation on sexuality back to such important issues as the responsibilities of the family and church to teach values to young people.
More...
No comments:
Post a Comment