Lutherans, Hogs and Social Statements Part Deux

A couple of weeks ago I went to a Forum on "Genetics and Faith" led by my Bishop Steven Ullestad who is on the task force that put together the ELCA Social Statement on Genetics Faith and Responsibility.

So I've been meaning to write about this and then  Clint Schnekloth over at Lutheran Confessions has to go and beat me to it.  Good thing he did because I started writing a LONG comment on his page and thought "Hey - why not save all this for MY blog!"

So my first comment is to answer the what I think is dumb criticism from people who say the church has no business sticking it's nose in this and stick to religion.  Um.  

Well, the only problem with that is that there are Christian scientists and geneticists.  

Yes really!  Bishop Ullestad told of hearing from people of faith  who work in this field saying "Why does God let me see what I see and give me no one to talk about it?"  One woman was scolded by her pastor for being in the field of genetic work and then derided by her co-workers for being involved in church. 

Look at the people on this task force, it's not just about of pastors sticking their nose in something they know nothing about.  

There are brilliant scientists who are highly regarded in their field on this task force.  There are also farmers and people schooled in agriculture.  

This is not about ivory tower theologians telling people what to do, these are real people, grappling with real issues of science and faith, some of whom for the first time have had an opportunity to talk about this with other Christians.  

f you don't know that there are people out there facing these issues then you are up in a tower somewhere.

Pastor Schnekloth wonders why their embryonic stem cell research is not addressed.  Well, apparently that is old news.  They have found other ways of getting those cells without using embryos and so it's no longer an issue.  The question they are asking now is "At what point to you inject so much human genetic material into a pig (to harvest organs) that it is no longer a pig?"

Yes, friends, we have been so busy worrying about who loves what gender that we have ignored some REAL moral dilemmas growing up around us.  

The study comes out against cloning human beings.  But says something very interesting. 

 However, if individuals are cloned despite societal and ELCA rejection, this church will respect their God-given dignity and will welcome them to the baptismal font, like any other child of God

You know why they put that in there, don't you?  They believe it is going to happen.  Whether the church approves of it or not.   Wake up and smell the coffee people!

There is some very good stuff on creation and care of creation and what I think is a very provocative statement:

Today, the meaning of “common good” or “good of all” must include the community of all living creatures. The meaning also should extend beyond the present to include consideration for the future of the web of life. The sphere of moral consideration is no longer limited to human beings alone.

But lest PETA (an organization for which I, an animal lover have NO respect) get too excited - there is this

The pursuit of genetic knowledge and its applications will rightfully give priority to serving the needs of existing individuals and the human community, with particular attention to the needs of the most vulnerable. These efforts, however, must not compromise the integrity of future human generations and should consider the integrity of the rest of the biosphere—animals, plants, soils and the ecosystem as a whole, including the water and air on which it depends.

 
A measured, Lutheran middle of the road position. Humans first, but concern for the rest of creation.

I think it is an EXCELLENT EXCELLENT study and you should have your folk read it.  Because this stuff is going to affect all of us.

Lutherans, Hogs and Social Statements

The ELCA has released a  Draft Social Statement on Genetics 
a while ago.  And so now is why a congregation in North Dakota is leaving the ELCA.    Obie Holmen over at Spirit of a Liberal has a good post about how STUPID PEOPLE are about believing  CRAP they read on the internet and reaching all kinds of crazy conclusions and then blaming everything on the ELCA.  Okay well, he says it nicer.

I'd just like to make a few comments.  First of all, the HYPOCRISY of some of this rhetoric is making my eyes bleed.  These are the same people who want the ELCA to have a social statement that tells women exactly what they should do with their bodies and their pregnancies.  But tell a FARMER what do to do with his SEED CORN???  Oh no.  HOW DARE THE ELCA suggest that you know, maybe God and the Gospel and ethics is not just about pregnant women but maybe has something to do with YOUR life??

And what is with all these comments about how terrible social statements are and how they are divisive, and the church sticking its nose where it doesn't belong and yadda yada.

I LIKE social statements.  Even ones I don't agree with or don't think are written all that well.  If Pastors would just USE THEM the way they are supposed to be used, we would all be better off.  

I lay a whole wad of blame on ELCA pastors for our current situation.  Pastors who a) are too wussy to share with their congregations what they learned about biblical scholarship so we have a boatload of lay people who think respecting biblical authority equals being fundamentalists.  And b)  I blame pastors for being too chicken and too lazy for getting out the social statements, beating the doors and dragging people to study them.

The problem is not enough people have had a chance to look at social studies with their pastor and fellow Christians.   It's not just that people have no idea what these studies say, it's that people don't understand their purpose.  They think they are supposed to be some sort of Papal Decree stating definitively- "This is What the ELCA Believes about That".  That's not what they are for.  They are to give us resources to teach us how to talk about things in the world that are difficult.  They are to teach us how to have conversations with Christian brothers and sisters with whom we disagree.  They are to teach us to wrestle with difficult issues, think about these things and use what we have heard and learned and thought about when it comes to our day to day living.  And they teach us to live with ambiguity which always drives us back to Grace.   We can never be certain of anything but God's mercy and grace.  We just do the best we can and cling to God's grace.  

We'd all be much better off if we had more practice doing that.

So pastors, dig that damned draft out of your back file and put a study on the calendar.  Offer Christmas cookies.  But do the study.