Another homophobic minister exposed

I usually do not post on post written by a fellow blogger, but today Counterlight points us to an article in the Minneapolis Post about another prominent homophobic minister with a same-gender skeleton in his closet.

Generally, I have a problem with "outting" anyone. The decision to openly acknowledge to one's self and to others that one is a person of same-gender attraction is, for most people, a gut wrenching decision. To be forced "out" is injurious to one's psyche.

I believe that in some cases, "outting" is justified. If one is an active vocal opponent of equal rights for the GLBT community and vilifies them while at the same time one is a member of that community, that hypocrisy needs to be exposed. In this case, Lavender was correct to expose Block.

Block blamed the tornado that destroyed the convention centre on the homosexual community and the ELCA's decision to ordain openly gay ministers

Last year, Brock notoriously linked a tornado that struck the Minneapolis Convention Center and a nearby church to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)’s decision to accept homosexual relationships and ordain gay ministers in monogamous relationships. As the gay-oriented website Queerty put it, “Lutheran Pastor Tom Brock Blamed ELCA's Tornado on Homosexuality. Which, Uh, He Suffers From."

Block is a pastor of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations. They are, in a nutshell, the Calvinists of the Lutheran world. Here is a brief summary of their doctrines to establish they are, in fact, Calvinists

• Recognizes the Bible as the inspired and inerrant authority in all matters of faith and life;Recognizes that the teaching and preaching of God's Word is the main task of the Church, to be conducted in such away that the saints are built up and unbelievers see their need for salvation;
• Believes that the congregation is the right form of the Kingdom of God on earth, with no authority above it but the Word and the Spirit of God;
• Believes that Christian unity is a spiritual concept, not a man-made organization such as the World Council of Churches or the National Council of Churches;
• Believes that Christians are called to be a salt and light, separated from the ways of the world, and that this difference is to be reflected in the life of the congregation as well as in the institutions of the church body.

I believe it is a Christian moral obligation to expose hypocrites hiding behind the name of Jesus, the Christ, to both justify and legally safeguard their bigotry. They embarrass the Church,and give the world the impression that all followers of The Way are homophobic.

A bit of ood news, read SCOTUS: Christian group not excused from anti-discrimnation rules over at Gay Married Californians.