Response to Pastor David Baer

In response to Pastor Baer's article at Lutheran CORE, I wrote the following (the words in italic are Pastor Baer's):

What does it mean that the ELCA expects its pastors to oppose all forms of harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity and to support legislation to protect civil rights. Is same-sex marriage a civil right as some advocates claim? Does this require pastors to take a particular political position on the topic?

That would be awkward for the ELCA (to say the least), particularly given the public assurances that diversity is welcome. "Be Tolerant - Or Else" is probably not the message the ELCA wants to send - right now, anyway.

Far more likely is this scenario. My former church just completed a long process of calling a new pastor. The synod sent a list of approved candidates, and the church interviewed the people on the list.

The calling process for pastors would be an excellent way for the ELCA to enforce its political ideology. Pastors who did not share the denomination's views on homosexuality might find it hard to get an interview, let alone a calling. Congregations would have to search for traditional candidates themselves, which they may not have the resources to do. Over time pastors and congregations with "intolerant" views on homosexuality could be weeded out through attrition and discouragement and replaced with more compliant ones.

Remember always that leftist secular politics is the ELCA's primary mission. Both the inclination and opportunity to use political litmus tests to produce ideological uniformity will only grow over time as more and more non-liberals like myself leave the ELCA.