I have previously written about St. John's Lutheran Church in Roanoke, Virginia, which is moving towards leaving the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ("ELCA") over the issue of partnered gay clergy. These folks insist on blindly literally applying a handful of Bible passages construed to condemn modern day same sex relationships while ignoring a host of other Bible passages which, if applied literally, would disturb their self-centered little lives. Now the hypocrisy and bigotry has moved closer to home as Apostles Lutheran Church in neighboring Chesapeake, Virginia (pictured above - Pharisee in chief, Pastor John Dooley is also pictured), has voted to leave the ELCA. I can only wonder if these modern day Pharisees allow divorced members in the congregation, wear blended fabric clothing and violate countless other Bible provisions which if applied literally would make life difficult. As I have stated over and over, if the Bible must be construed literally as the anti-gay bigots contend, then they must apply ALL of the Bible in the same manner. Otherwise they are hypocrites and modern day Pharisees - it's really that simple. Sadly, new stories fail to confront this issue and demand an explanation of the selectivity of what these people decide to apply literally to harm others. Does it cross the minds of these anti-gay bigots how history will perceive them as equivalents of the Southern Baptists who broke from the national church so that they could maintain slavery? Here are some highlights from the Virginian Pilot:*
Apostles Lutheran Church voted Sunday to quit the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America after the denomination's approval of co-habitation for gay clergy. The Chesapeake church's separation reflected its members' belief that the ELCA was increasingly moving away from Scripture as the standard for church life, said the Rev. John Dooley, senior pastor. The vote was 65-8. Apostles has nearly 400 members.
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Dooley said Apostles, at 370 Johnstown Road, was the first of the 15 ELCA churches in South Hampton Roads to leave since the denomination's national assembly acted. For years, gay ordination and same-sex relationships have been a hot-button topic in the ELCA, as well as the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church.
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Apostles has joined Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. The group has 249 congregations, many formerly in the ELCA. Apostles is the only member church in Virginia. It could be joined by St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Roanoke, which has scheduled a January vote on leaving the ELCA.
Apostles Lutheran Church voted Sunday to quit the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America after the denomination's approval of co-habitation for gay clergy. The Chesapeake church's separation reflected its members' belief that the ELCA was increasingly moving away from Scripture as the standard for church life, said the Rev. John Dooley, senior pastor. The vote was 65-8. Apostles has nearly 400 members.
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Dooley said Apostles, at 370 Johnstown Road, was the first of the 15 ELCA churches in South Hampton Roads to leave since the denomination's national assembly acted. For years, gay ordination and same-sex relationships have been a hot-button topic in the ELCA, as well as the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church.
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Apostles has joined Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. The group has 249 congregations, many formerly in the ELCA. Apostles is the only member church in Virginia. It could be joined by St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Roanoke, which has scheduled a January vote on leaving the ELCA.
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