The protestant Church of Norway on Tuesday rejected a proposal for religious same-sex marriage, even though it had the support of most of the country’s bishops. Norway was among the first countries in Europe to grant homosexuals full rights, including marriage and adoption in 2009, but the Church does not marry same-sex couples.
Eight of Norway’s 12 bishops said in October they favoured such a move, but on Tuesday the Church’s highest decision-making body the synod rejected the proposal... Delegates at the national synod also rejected proposals to allow priests to bless a gay marriage on the sidelines of a civil ceremony. But they also voted against a proposal to maintain the status quo and reserve marriage for heterosexual couples, plunging the synod into chaos.
In other words, the (Lutheran) Church of Norway does not know what it wants. It has voted both ways -- for and against gay marriage. Apparently the bishops are worried about being too far ahead or behind the curve. But in choosing to codify the split personality of their indecision they have only shown themselves to be indecisive and uncertain -- always a dangerous place to be. Still and all it is probably a better place to be than some Lutheran churches. Alas, it makes you wonder if the whole cause is lost among the Lutherans in Europe and whether we who resist the steam roller of gay rights will find ourselves an outnumbered and outvoted minority here as well. But... minority or not, the truth is the truth and the Word of the Lord endures forever. Better to be on the side of eternal truth and God's Word than a step ahead or behind of society!
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The church pictured above is known as a Stave church (Norwegian: stavkirke) and is located in Borgund, Norway, one of 28 such churches left. It is a museum now; the people build a large church nearby. It was first built sometime aroudn the 12th century. Although a brown wooden color is seen in the picture, the stave church, when "painted" with tar, is black in color. This, and the interior can be seen in the Youtube video, Borgund stavkirke.
Here are some pictures of Norway's stave churches.
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