Emotional debate over the status of gays continues this summer among Episcopalians and members of other largely liberal mainstream Protestant denominations. This week, Lutherans will become the fourth mainline Protestant group to make news on policies affecting gays:
• The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (4.7 million members), whose week-long meeting in Minneapolis began Sunday (Aug. 16), will vote on whether non-celibate gay people can be ordained as clergy, and on a statement saying same-gendered relationships have a place in the church.
• In July, the United Methodist News Service announced that the United Methodist Church (11 million members, 8 million of whom are Americans) is on track, based on early voting results, to reject an amendment that would let any professed Christian become a church member. Conservative opponents viewed the proposed change as implicit acceptance of...