Part II

We come now to examine that aspect of this document which has proved most thought provoking and attracted most attention – its teaching on marriage and other monogamous relationships. It is that position of the Church which has been most highly publicized, especially in the secular media of mass communication The Press, Radio? TV and the Internet! As such, it merits careful exposition, based on attention to detail, bearing in mind the principles expounded above. In this re-gard, it is extremely important to note that this section begins with a strong affirmation of the traditional teaching of the Church on marriage.

It reads:

Marriage is a covenant of mutual promises, commitment, and hope authorized legally by the state and blessed by God. The historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran confessions have recognized marriage as a covenant between man and a woman, reflecting Mark 10:6-9. "But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. There-fore what God has joined together, let no one put asunder" (Jesus here recalls Genesis 27: 2:23-24) (Lines 618-628).

It is clear then that in this document the church holds tenaciously to the Christian ideal of marriage as a lifelong union of one man and one woman. This is then the essential nature of marriage from a Christian perspective and anything else must be regarded as a departure from this ideal.

Closely related to this emphasis on marital fidelity is the recognition of the importance of the family. This position is reasonable as marriage is the foundation of home and family life in terms of Christian morality. Just as the Church here holds to the traditional idea of marriage as a lifelong union between a man and woman, so it upholds the concept of good home and family life. Thus, it holds that:

This church regards the family as an indispensable social institution because of its role in establishing conditions of trust and protection of the vulnerable as such society properly regulates families through family law that exists to ensure that these critical responsibilities will be met and that dependant family members will be protected and treated justly when households dissolve." (Lines 900-906).

Now, while we maintain the Christian idea of marriage, the authors of this document recognize that "Precisely because marriage is the place where deep human trust and needs abide, it also can be a place of great harm."

(Lines 699-703). Such being the case; it calls for a compassionate ministry of caring for those who are divorced.

All this, of course leads to the question, "what does this document have to say about "gay marriage" or "same sex marriage." Well, it can be stated, without fear of contradiction that here, as in the case of divorce, the teaching of the Church is based on compassion, rather than condemnation.

Secondly, the expression used throughout this document is "Life-long monogamous same-gender relationships." While it appears without compromising its ideal about marriage. Note, then that the term "marriage" is reserved for the lifelong union of one man and one woman. It is precisely for this reason that the expression "gay marriage" does not appear anywhere in this document. This itself is a strong statement, demonstrating the essential stance taken here exercising compassion without compromising the fundamental teaching of the Church. Recognizing that "many of our sisters and brothers in same gender relationships sincerely desire the support of other Chris-tians for living faithfully in all aspects of their lives, including their sexual fidelity, the authors call upon Christians to be compassionate of such persons. There is the recognition that within the Church, the responses to "same gender relationships" are many varied, ranging from strong opposition on the basis of a literal interpretation of the Bible, through a liberal approach based on the contention that Scripture gives little guidance on this matter to the acceptance of such relationships.

While advocating the exercise of compassion with regard to "monogamous same gender relationships," there is in this document strong op-position to "non-monogamous" pro-miscuous relationships" and cohabitation arrangements outside of marriage." Concisely, the sanctity of marriage, as uncompromisingly recognized.

With regard to birth control or family planning. The position here is positive, calling for "Responsible sexuality" (Lines 1462-1464).

In the same spirit responsibility, persons suffering from STD to inform their sexual partners and all who are at risk." (Lines 1470-1472)

Then, it is very significant that a very strict position is taken with regard to "sexuality and public ministry." Here again, the basis of judgment is the need for the exercise of trust. Thus it is stated by pastor's associates in ministry, deaconesses, and diaconal ministers who abuse the trust placed in them by engaging in promiscuity, infidelity, adultery, or forms of sexual abuse violate those high standards. Such violations severely damage the credibility of the public ministry to which this church and its leaders are called.

There is much "food for thought here." For whenever there are moral lapses in sexual behaviour by those in leadership positions, there is much "grist for the mill" of the gossip columns of the secular media. That irrepayable damage to the reputation of the Church results from such actions cannot be denied. The strong position taken by the Church on such behaviour then is certainly justified.

Much attention also is given to sexuality in the workplace. This again is understandable as many of the cases of infidelity in marriage originate in the workplace. Ac-cordingly it is asserted that the workplace requires appropriate boundaries that are maintained through respect, good sense, best practices and legal protections. The same rule may be applied to sexuality in educational institutions, and indeed, wherever human beings work closely together.

A series of recommendations are placed at the end of the report. There is a positive call to the members of the church, co-operate in dealing with the issues pertaining to human sexuality.

Moreover, the Church is called upon to amend the eligibility provisions of the ELCA pension and other benefits program, consistent with the policies of this church "to include individuals in same-gender marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships." (Recommendation #7).

The eight recommendations merit special attention. For the church is called upon "to encourage the availability and funding of comprehensive sex education program in public schools, as well as in Lutheran private schools."

This recommendation is perhaps the most important and far-reaching of all 15 of them. For there are reports that even in the USA, the rate of teenage pregnancy is in-creasing and the fact that many young people are contracting sexually transmitted diseases, especially AIDS, indicates that a high percentage of the young people in schools are sexually active. Sexual education, then with a firm moral foundation, is essential for the physical, moral and spiritual well-being of the younger generation. Yes, they certainly need to realize that "sexuality, far from being something to experiment with or indulge in pro-miscuously is fundamentally speaking, God's gift to humankind to be exercised in a responsible manner. It is indeed... "Gift and trust."

Conclusion" "Compassion

without compromise"

The great strengths of Human Sexuality Gift and Trust are the fact that it is solidly based on thorough Biblical scholarship and the creative manner in which it demonstrates compassion without compromising the lofty moral standards and principles upon which it is structured.

It is utterly essential to bear this in mind; for it is easy, superficially, to assert that the exercise of compassion especially in matters pertaining to sexual morality means that there must be a measure of compromise. Nothing can be farther from the truth! For instance, the demonstration of compassion to partners in a "monogamous same gender relationship," by no means, constitutes agreement with their lifestyle!

Here, the supreme example is, certainly that of the master himself! When a woman caught in adultery, "in the very act," was brought be-fore Him by zealous advocates of the retaliatory Mosaic Law, which decreed that she should be stoned, Jesus refused to condemn her. Rath-er, he challenged those who would cast stones at her, to examine themselves before attempting to do so. (Note that the law was "male chauvinist," condemning the woman, while allowing her male partner to go" Scot free!). Note carefully, however that Jesus in refusing to condemn her for what she had done, did not condone it. Instead, hearing from her own lips that no one had dare cast a stone at her, commanded her to refrain from her sinful lifestyle. He declared it thusly "go now and leave your life of sin!" (John 8:11, NIV). The master then exercised great compassion towards this woman without, in any way, compromising the high standard of morality He exemplified in word and deed.

(Mark 2-12, Hebrews 4:14-15). (One cannot help thinking that this woman, having met the Master, was indeed transformed, enabled by this encounter to live a new life free from sin).

Throughout this most instructive and illuminating statement, most relevant to the morally deficient situation "in the world today," the authors have succeeded brilliantly, in advocating compassion without compromise. Solidly based on Scripture, informed by high ethical standard. It calls upon Christians to deal with the burning issue in sexual morality of the contemporary era, "to temper justice with mercy." Thus, while courageously advocating the exercise of compassion towards persons in "monogamous same gender relationships," it is uncompromising in its condemnation of the exploitation of persons by means of sex, promiscuity and the sexual abuse of children.

It was observed, at the beginning of this contribution, that events in recent years have catapulted issues of sexual morality "to the top of the agenda" in the moral teaching of the Church. And, from all indications, they will remain there for a long time to come. Such being the case, Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust is bound to attain an extremely important place in the moral arsenal of the Church, to which Christians "from all walks of life" will return again and again as they seek to grapple with the serious and persistent issues in sexual morality that they will, inevitably encounter during the turbulent years ahead!

It is submitted, therefore that while prepared by clerical and lay theologians of the evangelical Lutheran church in America, and directed, primarily to its 4.7 million members, Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, with its sound scholarship, ecumenical appeal and em-phasis upon compassion without compromise, will, indeed prove to be of tremendous relevance and benefit to members of every branch of the Church of our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ.