The Lutheran Church of Sweden is Now Trans Inclusive


The Lutheran Church of Sweden, the nation's state church, now accepts trans people as equals in church membership and as Christians in good standing. It is one branch of Christianity that does not adopt the sin-of-the-week like so many Christian denominations in the U.S. Its explanation was straightforward, this denomination is about the people in it. We have trans people. Therefore they are us. 

That simple logic should guide all of the faith. Instead much of it points to those some dislike and condemns them. These decades the "others" are gays and trans.

It might be helpful to explain why some very large Christian groups in Europe are so bullet proof in taking stands abhorrent to some denominations in the U.S. It's simple, follow the money.

In the U.S. the money comes from those in the pews. When they don't like gays and trans the church responds by not liking them either. In Europe, the government collects donations for the churches. Churches take the pulse of the public at large, in this case widespread tolerance for gays and trans, and adjust accordingly. Swedish Lutherans are all in for trans. German Catholics perform gay weddings. Don't forget, these European branches of Christianity read the same Bible as Bible thumping Christians in the U.S.

Sweden and Germany should be a lesson for U.S. Christians who have a passion to get entangled with government by persuading politicians to put religion into law. When government decides what the religion stands for it has the power to hammer its views into place. If government, for example, passes laws prohibition abortion public opinion may well change. When public opinion decides religion should require abortions, guess what will happen?

It should be remembered also that conservative branches of Christianity are often overruled. Pope Francis is courting the Biden administration even though it favors women's rights to abortion. The Pope knows there are not enough conservative Catholics to bankroll the Vatican bureaucracy. Thus, there is no need to have a cow over abortion. 

The Pope might be watching Swedish Lutherans.

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