Immanuel Lutheran Church of Eau Claire and the rest of the members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) decided, after a majority vote, that the ELCA would find a way for homosexuals to serve as rostered leaders in their church and to support members of the congregation who are homosexuals.

Why is it necessary for the churches to vote on whether or not to support lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationships? I don’t believe that a congregation should have to ‘consider’ whether or not to support their fellow church members. In the end, they are all at church for the same reason.

Because one of the members or leaders in a church may be in a homosexual relationship should be no different than the color of their skin, their status in the community, or the type of car they have. Technically, whether they choose to be with a male or a female, it just doesn’t really affect anyone else.

If you attend church and your pastor is gay, overall does that change the experience you have in church? If it does, then maybe you are in church for the wrong reasons. Maybe a re-evaluation is in order on what your religion really means to you. You may or may not agree with homosexual relationships, but that still does not actually affect you. The pastor will still preach the same sermon, and worship the same God, so how does their partner choice really have anything to do with you? Is there actually any real answer as to why someone who is gay should not be supported or can’t be a rostered leader of their church? Some interpret the Bible in a way that it disagrees with homosexual relationships. Whether or not that is how it is supposed to be interpreted, there is no harm being done by supporting them. In the end, we are all people, and we are all different, and frankly, if we aren’t already, we all need to get used to people who are different. Generation after generation, it seems as if our culture becomes more and more diverse. People may not agree with life choices that others make, but that does not mean that people should not accept them.

No matter how many questions are asked, it does not change the fact that too many people still see homosexuality as an issue, and will be for some time. I am excited that ELCA is making the move towards accepting and supporting homosexual relationships in the church; it seems that far too many are far from accepting it.