[LI]Role of women: Unlike most of the other Lutheran denominations in the United States, the ELCA ordains women as pastors, a practice that all three of its predecessor churches adopted in the 1970s. Some have become synod bishops since the formation of the ELCA. [/LI] [UL] [LI]Homosexuality: The church has officially welcomed [A title=Homosexuality href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality"]homosexuals[/A] within its congregations since 1991. However, its stance and ongoing deliberations on homosexuality have been the subject of sharp clashes. Groups such as [A title="Lutherans Concerned/North America" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutherans_Concerned/North_America"]Lutherans Concerned/North America[/A] are presently advocating for greater strides toward full acceptance and equality for gay men and lesbians, while groups such as [A title="Solid Rock Lutherans" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_Rock_Lutherans"]Solid Rock Lutherans[/A] seek to reverse moves in this direction. [/LI][/UL] [DL] [DD]In language first proposed by the church's Conference of Bishops in 1993 and formally adopted by the Churchwide Assembly in 2005, the ELCA holds "there is basis neither in Scripture nor tradition for the establishment of an official ceremony by this church for the blessing of a homosexual relationship. We, therefore, do not approve such a ceremony as an official action of this church's ministry." However, in acknowledgement of the complex nature of this issue, the Churchwide Assembly also expressed its "[trust in] pastors and congregations to discern ways to provide faithful pastoral care for all to whom they minister." Though some on both sides of the issue have found this position to be tacit permission for same-sex blessings by individual pastors, no allowance is made for such blessing services in the church's governing documents, and the Churchwide Assembly declined to change church policy to provide for such services. [/DD][/DL] [DL] [DD]The ELCA does not presently permit the rostering of men or women in same-sex relationships. A resolution considered by the Churchwide Assembly would have generally maintained this stance, while providing a process for exceptions to be made for those in a committed homosexual relationship, on a case-by-case basis. After much debate, the resolution failed to meet the two-thirds supermajority required for its adoption, and was defeated. [/DD][/DL] This was the biggest cop out of all time, imo. The fact is that we do have lesbian and gay pastors and we have blessed gay relationships. The church just didn't want to have another skism like the one between us and the Missouri Synod back in '72. So its more or less up to the churches to decide what to do.
[LI]Creationism/evolution: The ELCA does not have an official position on [A title=Creationism href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creationism"]creation[/A] or [A title=Evolution href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution"]evolution[/A]. And never will because we don't believe like the literalist Missouri Synod who believe god made the world in 7 24 hour days. Because the meaning of the word that the hebrew text uses for days actually means inifinite amount of time. Hence, God took his time in making the Earth. (Enter evolution)
[LI]Abortion: The issue of [A title=Abortion href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion"]abortion[/A] has also been contentious within the ELCA. The church, in documents approved in 1991, set out its position on the matter as follows. The ELCA describes itself as "a community supportive of life," and encourages women to explore alternatives to abortion such as [A title=Adoption href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoption"]adoption[/A]. However, the church states that there are certain circumstances under which a decision to end a pregnancy can be "morally responsible." These include cases where the pregnancy "presents a clear threat to the physical life of the woman," situations where "the pregnancy occurs when both parties do not participate willingly in sexual intercourse," and "circumstances of extreme fetal abnormality, which will result in severe suffering and very early death of an infant." Regardless of the reason, the ELCA opposes abortion when "a fetus is developed enough to live outside a uterus with the aid of reasonable and necessary technology." Thats the most liberal position you can get in christianity.
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