dcharlton writes (re my disagreements with the "illicit" ordinations):
Have you told them that "decisions need to be made"? Have you said in any public forum that they ought to resign from the roster of the ELCA? Have you said that those whose commitment to an ideology prevents them from fulfiling their vow to "preach and teach in accordance with the Holy Scriptures and these creeds and confessions" that it time to resign? Or have you merely disagreed with them?
I comment:
Well, I was not in any "public forum" with those people directly involved; but I do remember stating my views in some discussions during those years.
A slight nuance might be that those people were not saying that the ELCA was no longer preaching the gospel. Matter of fact, their desire was to be a part of the ELCA. But that's another shade of wombat.
In think you misunderstand. I'm not talking about events of the past. Nor am I asking about illicit ordinations, in particular. I'm talking about those whose convictions prevent them from preaching and teaching as they have promised to do. As I have stated, I'm talking about those who are offended by the doctrine of the Trinity, by orthodox Christology, by the doctrine of the Atonement, by the doctrine of Original Sin. There are positions taken by ELCA pastors that by the most generous standard are a rejection of the Creeds and Confessions, if not of Scripture itself.
And what difference does it make that those to whom you refer did not say bad things about the ELCA? As I said before, would that you were as concerned about those who denounce the the very confession they have sworn to teach and preach as you are about those who say mean things about the denominational body to which they belong.
Side note: I don't agree that those opposed to the ELCA policies prior to August 2009 refrained from denouncing the ELCA. Some pretty harsh charges were leveled against the ELCA, including blasphemy. But of course, that harsh rhetoric was often praised as being prophetic. I am aware of no one who was removed from the roster for denouncing the ELCA at that time. For violating its policies? Yes. For denouncing its policies and the denomination itself? No. Can you truly tell me that in all those years, you never had a chance to tell one of those harsh critics of the ELCA, "A decision must be made?"