On July 1, 2023, delegates to the 2023 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) Special Convention approved an amended report and recommendations from the ELCIC Task Force Addressing Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
Among the recommendations, the ELCIC is called to: appoint a taskforce to continue the work of addressing Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia in the ELCIC; increase usage of pronouns; increase the ELCIC’s visibility as an affirming church; issue a public statement of apology to 2SLGBTQIA+ folx that have been harmed by the ELCIC; create a naming liturgy service to publicly affirm and celebrate transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse members of the ELCIC; ongoing sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) training; a national office staff person with dedicated responsibilities for diversity, equity and inclusion; encourage congregations in the ELCIC to begin a “Reconciling in Christ” process; and create national resources which would support listening, safe conversations, and discernment at all levels of the church around healthy, consensual relationships, including ethical non-monogamous relationships.
Wait a second, "ethical non-monogamous relationships" (ENM)! What does that mean?
I read the committee's report (link here), and I can't find a definition for that, but that may be intentional.
Other sources on the web describe it this way,
"What separates ethical non-monogamy from cheating is that no matter what type of ethical non-monogamy you practice in your relationship, both people in the relationship consent to it."
"With cheating, the partner does not consent. ENM isn't cheating because both you and your partner have agreed in advance that you'll be practicing non-monogamy."
Now that we've straightened that out, the question remains, "is ENM Christian, and is it moral?
Let's ask Jesus,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28 English Standard Version
That seems clear enough.
Am I the only one who has a problem with the creep towards ENM?
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I really thought polyamory would follow gay marriage almost immediately. Instead, the apostates detoured to transsexuals and the sexualization and mutilation of young children. And now they seem to have skipped polyamory in favor of mutually agreed swinging.
ReplyDeleteThe ELCA in this country is no better than Canada.
Look for ENM to be the euphemism most used by progressives as polyamory moves forward. No matter what they call it, Jesus calls it adultery.
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