Saturday, April 17, 2010

Why Can't the ELCA be this brave?

The  United Church of Christ (UCC) has  made  something of a name for itself with their  very  effective and  brave  television ads,   that  drive the  nutjob  religions right in this country up a tree.  Mainly because the ads honestly  call  out  these  so-called  "Evangelical Christians"  for their  very UN-Christian practices.  CBS and NBC both were  to scared of  the likes of  Pat Robertson and James "Focus on the Funding"  Dobson to air  the original UCC Ad:



My personal favorite was this one...



This past year my own Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Chuch in America took it's own babysteps into the 21rst Century when they voted on whether Gays and Lesbians were fit to serve God openly in the Church. As a result of that "radical step"",  there are a number of ELCA Churches that have made it known they plan to leave the ELCA. My response to that is -  "have a nice trip" .

The UCC's latest ad is great, the tag line "never place a period where God has placed a comma..." brilliantly sums up what is wrong with the conservative evangelical movement in the United States. James Dobson, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and their assorted ilk, are far more interested in talking about how "Christian" they are than actually living the principles of the faith they claim so loudly to follow.




The Language of God from United Church of Christ on Vimeo.


What  distresses me most though, is the  half measures of  courage   from my own Church.   Oh sure...  privately  both Clergy and  assorted  elected leaders  will say  how much they disagree  with folks like  Huckabee and Palin, but  then will lament how they  cant  say  so  "Officially" because  they don't want to  "create more  division" within the Church.   So  basically   the  largest  Lutheran Church in  North America  can vote to say  Gay and Lesbian Pastors and the churches that  hire them won't be  put on trial anymore.  But,   to  expect the Church to stand up and say  that  people  who  claim Gays and Lesbians  are  less than human,  are WRONG... well ,  that's just asking for too much right now.  


Back in 2005  I  wrote a guest column  for  buzzflash.com  that  talked about  the  misuse of religion by  some on the  political  far right.   Now we watch all the  assorted  "tea-baggery"  much if it  wrapped in a faux cloak of  religion.  Lunatics  like  Sarah Palin  calling  for  the end of  any separation between Church and State.   People like failed  GOP  presidential candidate Mike Huckabee  comparing  millions of  American families  raising  their children to  people who  want puppies  but  don't understand  the  responsibility  of  caring for them.    





These people are  insane.   They are  the American Taliban  and  deserve to be called out at such.


As a lifelong Lutheran, I can't help but be more than a little envious of the UCC's willingness to demonstrate how they possess the courage of their convictions, and not just convictions alone. The ELCA could take a lesson from that.

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