Pardon me for being a provocateur, but there’s something missing in the current charges being leveled, albeit charitably, from some “conservative” Lutherans against the recent ELCA decisions to allow for same-sex marriage and the rostering of ELCA clergy in life-long, monogamous, same-sex (oh, good grief–any more modifiers?) relationships. It’s a case of going far, but not going far enough.
Let’s look at (late-) Luther for some hints so as to unravel this mystery. In his Genesis lectures, Luther calls “the heinous conduct of the people of Sodom” (same-sex behavior):
“extraordinary, inasmuch as they [the Sodomites] departed from the natural passion and longing of the male for the female, which is implanted into nature by God, and desired what is altogether contrary to nature. Whence comes this perversity? Undoubtedly from Satan, who after people have once turned away from the fear of God, so powerfully suppresses nature that he blots out the natural desire and stirs up a desire that is contrary to nature.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 3, p. 255)
Wow. What’s he talking about?
