Entire Lutheran College Men's Golf Team Suspended After Dropping Pants for Team Photo: VIDEO

The entire men's golf team at Bethany College, a Lutheran college in Kansas, has been suspended after dropping its pants for a team photo in which they covered their man parts with golf clubs.

Yahoo reports:

Jon Daniels suspended every player on the Fighting Swedes for three tournaments because of the photo he called, "a case of young people who just don't think beyond the moment and don't realize who they're hurting."

"Until someone sat them down and explained that they did something wrong, they didn't have any idea," Daniels said. "But I think they understand now."

Team captain (pictured) Jack Hiscock (for realz), a Brit, insisted it was all in good fun:

"It was only intended as a bit of fun with the lads."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

And check out the full photo above over at Deadspin (possibly not sfw).

Finland's State Church to Sanction Prayer for Gay Marriages

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Finland's General Synod has approved, by a vote of 78-30, the creation of a prayer for registered same-sex partnerships.

AFP reports:

"After years of debate, Finland's state church took a step towards accepting gay relationships with an announcement Friday it would create a "prayer moment" for registered partnerships. 'The proposal offers a positive opportunity to minister to church members who are sexual minorities,' the General Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church's highest administrative body, said in a statement. The General Synod must now draw up a formula for a prayer that walks a fine doctrinal line, observers said. Lutheran ministers will have the choice of performing the prayer with gay couples in a church, but it will not actually constitute a church's blessing of the union itself, synod spokesman Marko Kailasmaa told AFP...The vote can be seen as a concession of sorts to a groundswell of popular support within the church community for Christian gays, lesbians and bisexuals. 'A prayer moment is part of pastoral care ... It's not an official sacrament, but you can't say that a prayer is less important,' Kailasmaa said."

In October, the Church reportedly saw an exodus of tens of thousands of people over remarks it made at a gay rights panel on the Finnish Broadcasting Company.

In related news, here's Finland's "It Gets Better" video, if you missed it.

Watch: Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Speaks Out for Bullied Gay Teens

Bishop Mark Hanson, the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, lends his voice to the "It Gets Better" project in a new video.

Says Hanson: "Sometimes the words of my Christian brothers and sisters have hurt you. I also know that our silence causes you pain...You are a beloved child of God. Your life carries the beauty and dignity of God's creation...There is a place for you in this world, and in this Church."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

New Denomination to Rise in Lutheran Church Due to Gay Rift

Church leaders unhappy with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's decision to allow non-celibate gay and lesbian pastors into its ranks are expected to come together and vote this week to create a separate denomination.

The AP reports:

"Leaders of 18 former ELCA churches are expected to vote Friday to create a brand new Lutheran denomination that they claim will follow the Scriptures more faithfully: the North American Lutheran Church. 'The issue is departure from the word of God,' [Richard] Mahan [lead pastor at St. Timothy in Charleston, W.Va.] said. His church has already voted twice to end its longtime identity as a ELCA church, also ending an annual $36,000 in tithing to the denomination...As of early August, 199 congregations had cleared the hurdles to leave the ELCA for good, while another 136 awaited the second vote needed to make it official. In all there are 10,239 ELCA churches with about 4.5 million members, making it still by far the largest Lutheran denomination in the U.S. And the breakaway members gathering in Ohio will face their own challenges if they vote to start another denomination at a time when attendance at mainline Protestant churches is falling and denominational distinctions appear irrelevant to a growing number of churchgoers."

Lutherans Allow Pastor with Gay Urges to Return

Lutheran Pastor Tom Brock, whose attendance at a support group for Christians with same-sex attractions was exposed by Lavender Magazine in June, has been allowed to return to the pulpit after a task force could find no evidence that he had ever slept with a man,  the AP reports:

 "Brock told The Associated Press he has known for years he is sexually attracted to men, but doesn't consider himself gay because he never acted on it. 'I am a 57-year-old virgin,' Brock told the Hope Lutheran congregation during services upon returning to the pulpit on Sunday. Brock and Parrish would not share the full task force report, but Parrish said its members could find no evidence Brock ever had sex with men. They confirmed that Brock sought counseling and enlisted another minister as an 'accountability partner' with whom he frequently discussed his struggles. Brock said he intends to step down as senior pastor at Hope Lutheran, but will retain his affiliation with the church and still preach there from time to time."

And - ugh - "Having preached on Twin Cities cable access for about 20 years, he told the AP he hopes to take his broadcasts to a wider national audience with a new message: 'You can have this struggle with same-sex attraction, say no to it, and still follow Christ.'"

Perhaps Brock and Ted Haggard can collaborate on a variety show.

News: NOM, Thomas Beatie, Palm Springs, Marc Jacobs

Maggie Gallagher made an appearance at NOM's lowly-attended bus tour stop in Columbus. The organization's president, Brian Brown, was conspicuously absent.

Thomas Beatie is expecting baby # 3.

Gay businessman claims police brutality after incident at hotel: "We were threatened with criminal trespass for simply trying to go into the hotel to visit friends staying there, in addition, another guy was CHOKED for no apparent reason."

Video: Billy Corgan collapses on stage.

UK Study on gays and lesbians and drug use: "(The study) finds the LGBT community tend to be early users of new drugs and says improving links between such minorities and health officials would identify risks before drug use became widespread."

The Evangelical Lutheran Church reinstates barred pastors.

Levi Johnston continues to pursue acting jobs.

According to Zachary Quinto, we won't see a new Star Trek flick for a little while.

Palm Springs Police Chief responds to accusations that the department is anti-gay: "I recently met with LGBT committee members, Warm Sands hoteliers and residents, the Human Rights Commission and city staff to dialogue on improving the relationship that has been affected by the public outcry over the enforcement operation. I certainly understand the constructive criticism we have received and taking the appropriate action steps. We have scheduled LGBT cultural diversity training for all members of the department."

New Brazilian gay tango festival. Says one dancer: "Tango is so sensual and for me dancing with a man is more sensual when leading or following, there is a little flirting and I don't want to flirt with a woman." 

Amazing "invisible house" is really a mirrored, cubed structure that is part of a hotel complex in Sweden.

Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone are definitely broken up, so says the latter via Twitter.

Even nerds can be violent.

The USDA's Shirley Sherrod tells Anderson Cooper that Andrew Breibart is really being racist and vicious against a black president.

Toyota believes that if you drive with a glass of water on your dash, you could save on fuel. Well, not literally.

Apparently this girl focused too much on the "sex" in Sex & the City and not enough on the "city" part.