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Even More Celebrity Endorsers/Detractors

Abstract: Is anyone still undecided?

It has been a busy week for celebrity endorsements (and denouncements) of the proposed, recommended ELCA Social Statement on Human Sexuality and the accompanying recommendations regarding both recognition of same-sex relationships and rostering of clergy in same-sex relationships.
On the denunciation side, Open Letter to CWA Voting Members has been published on the Lutheran CORE web site. The original letter was signed by 60 "church leaders and theologians" and as of this writing claims 1035 signers, though it's hard to tell how many of those signers might be Lutherans. The letter urges voting members "to defeat all the proposals from the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality that the Church Council has forwarded to you."
On the endorsement side, eighteen members of the faculty of Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago have signed a response to the social statement and recommendations:
The crucial question before the church is not whether the current recommendation on ministry policies challenges long-standing scriptural interpretations and ecclesiastical practices. It obviously does. Rather, the ultimate question is whether the recommendation on ministry policies proclaims Christ [Christum treiben] and his message of grace more faithfully than older interpretations and practices. We, the faculty of LSTC, are convinced that it does and, therefore, support the approval of the recommendation.
We note that with the ELCA Churchwide Assembly still three months away, there is considerable double dipping among the celebrity endorsers and detractors. Many of those who have signed the documents cited above had signed earlier endorsements or denunciations as well. To date we are unaware of any celebrity who has both denounced and endorsed the proposed social statement. (Naturally theologian Franz Bibfeldt is Lutheranism's best hope for such a stance.)
We were asked "What makes someone a celebrity endorser/detractor?" Our celebrities include any person who stands outside the decision-making process (for example, anyone who is not a voting member, ELCA Bishop, Churchwide staffperson, or member of the Church Council) who attempts to influence the Churchwide Assembly's decision. Forget American Idol: we are all celebrities.

(Vol. III, xxvii May 27, 2009 )

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