Would Luther Vote With the ELCA on Homosexual Clergy? Nope, by Chris Rosebrough

We found this piece written by Chris Rosebrough on his Extreme Theology blog.

Would Luther Vote With the ELCA on Homosexual Clergy? Nope. It’s clear that Luther held to the Biblical view that Homosexuality is a sin. In fact, Luther made it clear that the perversity of homosexuality comes from Satan.

Luther identifies the sin of Sodom with homosexuality. Commenting on Genesis 19:4-5, he writes
“I for my part do not enjoy dealing with this passage, because so far the ears of the Germans are innocent of and uncontaminated by this monstrous depravity; for even though disgrace, like other sins, has crept in through an ungodly soldier and a lewd merchant, still the rest of the people are unaware of what is being done in secret. The Carthusian monks deserve to be hated because they were the first to bring this terrible pollution into Germany from the monasteries of Italy”. (Luther’s Works Vol. 3 p. 251-252)

In the same section of the Genesis lecturers, Luther refers to “the heinous conduct of the people of Sodom ” as “extraordinary, inasmuch as they departed from the natural passion and longing of the male for the female, which is implanted into nature by God, and desired what is altogether contrary to nature. Whence comes this perversity? Undoubtedly from Satan, who after people have once turned away from the fear of God, so powerfully suppresses nature that he blots out the natural desire and stirs up a desire that is contrary to nature.” (Luther’s Works Vol. 3 p. 255)

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