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4. ELCA: Please don't think we mean what we say
A day after voting to keep the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's official statement that "ordained ministers who are homosexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual sexual relationships," the churchwide assembly voted 538-431 to recommend that the policy not be enforced. The resolution "prays, urges, and encourages synods, synodical bishops, and the presiding bishop to refrain from or demonstrate restraint in disciplining those rostered leaders in a mutual, chaste, and faithful committed same-gender relationship." (It makes the same recommendation not to discipline those churches and leaders who place noncelibate homosexuals in leadership positions.)

Paull Spring, chairman of the ELCA renewal group Lutheran CORE, is still optimistic. "Persons who are practicing gays and lesbians still are precluded from ordination," he wrote. "Time will tell, but, bad as the resolution is, it does not open the gates to the ordinations of active gay and lesbian persons."

Jaynan Clark, president of the WordAlone renewal group, seems to disagree. "I don't know as a Christian, as a pastor, and as a parent what really would be worse — a church with no Biblical standards to govern our ministry or standards we don't intend to enforce. To refrain from discipline in the home is bad parenting, but we're about to do so in Christ's church."

5. Tax evasion indictment dismissed against Morris Cerullo
The prosperity gospel preacher has dodged another bullet. Back in 2001, a California appeals court threw out an employment termination case against him. This week, a federal judge tossed out a tax evasion case brought by the federal government, ruling that prosecutors and IRS agents had misled the grand jury that brought the indictment against Cerullo.

Judge Roger T. Benitez "ruled the case had to be dismissed because grand jury members were not told that the distinction between whether money given to religious ministers is earned income subject to tax or a gift depends on the intent of the person handing over the money," the San Diego Union-Tribune explained. "Grand jury members asked several times about how to make that distinction, but each time the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney George Hardy, did not tell them the most critical factor was determining the donor's intent, the judge wrote. … It was unclear if the government can or would seek another indictment against Cerullo."

Quote of the day
"I have a confession to make. I am an evangelical. In fact, not only am I an evangelical, I head an organisation called the Evangelical Alliance. I'm an evangelical with a capital E. I hesitate to make such a confession for I am painfully aware of the baggage the label carries. Without wanting to blame Americans for all the problems of the world, it is, well, largely their fault."

— Joel Edwards, writing in The Times of London

Missouri church shooting | Korean hostages | Crime | Pastor accused of dragging girl behind van | Mary Winkler | Abuse | San Diego diocese bankruptcy | Church property | Church conflicts | Church life | Catholicism | Anglicanism | ELCA | Homosexuality | Sex and marriage | Civil unions at Ocean Grove | Education | Church and state | Sanctuary | 2008 election | Life ethics | Amnesty International and abortion | Politics | Mike Gerson | Art, entertainment, and media | Money and business | Music | Books | Film | Islam | Egypt | China | Other religions | Missions and ministry | Places | Other stories of interest

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August (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51