Dennis M. Roser, ELCA pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, told the following story.
"When I was studying at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (1998-2002), we were not permitted in most classes or in chapel services to speak of God as 'Father' or refer to Him with the pronoun 'Him.' Additionally, one of our professors always led the Lord’s Prayer with the introduction, 'Our Father and Mother . . . .' Rev. Roser also stated "there were professors who spoke frequently of God as 'her.'” (read here)
So an ELCA seminary prohibits students from calling God "Father?" Jesus called God "Father." Jesus told us to use the term "Father" for God. (Matt 6:9) But it's not OK for seminarians to use that term for God at this ELCA seminary?
Is all of scripture God's Word or not? ELCA pastor Gary Eichhorn of the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Oakwood, OH made an interesting statement in a recent news article. The article says this, "Gay Christians refer to the four to seven passages most often cited to attack homosexuality as 'the clobber passages.' (Rev.) Eichhorn of Oakwood said none of them are from the gospels and none are quotations attributed to Jesus.
'I’d rather talk about the things Jesus talked about rather than the things he never talked about,' Eichhorn said." (read here)
So only the things Jesus said are important enough to warrant our thoughts, comments and preaching Rev. Eichhorn? Didn't God inspire all of scripture? If God inspired the writings of Peter (and all the writings of scripture), that means Peter wrote what God wanted him to write. What Peter (and all the Biblical authors) wrote is just as important as what Jesus said, because they all come from God.
Pastor Eichhorn may be interested in talking about this quote from Jesus, Matt. 5:17,18 - (Jesus said) "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."
So Pastor Eichhorn, if you are only interested in talking about in the things Jesus cared about maybe you should do an in-depth study on Jesus' view of scripture. This article is a good place to start - Jesus and the Inspiration of Scripture.
Exposing the ELCA readers were asked "Do you approve of the ELCA policy to pay for abortions for any reason, in their medical healthcare coverage?"
The results were -
Yes 15% (53 votes)
No 85% (299 votes)
Total Votes: 352
The ELCA's official website makes this statement about the Virgin Birth, "(w)hile it remains official and normative for the Evangelical Lutheran Church today, it has not closed the doctrinal debate over Jesus’ conception for many Lutherans, and by inference that includes ELCA members." (read here - The ELCA took down the article but this link goes to a website that archived the article and page as it was, on the ELCA website)
After that ringing endorsement the ELCA goes on the attack and provides a litany of reasons and arguments against the clear scriptural account of Christ's birth. Here are the arguments put forth by the ELCA -
- Neither the gospels of Mark nor John mention Jesus' birth.
- the manner of Jesus’ birth is not prominent in the letters of St. Paul.
- These (verses) seem to imply that St. Paul viewed Jesus' conception as a very normal human conception.
- not all early theologians espoused the doctrine (of the Virgin Birth).
- Matthew 1:23 follows the Greek (LXX) translation of Hebrew Scripture. That version erroneously translates the Isaiah 7:14 Hebrew word almah to read virgin.
- scholars generally agree that Isaiah’s prophecy . . . seems to have been fulfilled 700 years before.
- Late First Century Mediterranean history tells us that many mythological figures were said to have been born of human virgin mothers impregnated by gods. A number of these stories mirror other elements of the Matthew and Luke birth stories: heavenly music and celestial displays at the birth, attempts on the heroes’ lives as infants, visitations by "wise men," their violent deaths, etc. Virgin birth stories (without the mythological god impregnations) are also attributed to the founders of major religions Buddha and Zoroaster. Thus, say the doctrine’s critics, a virgin conception was an important claim to establish Jesus’ divinity to gain adherents to Christianity.
- The doctrine may have been inspired by Old Testament accounts of the unusual births of such heroes as Ishmael, Isaac, Samson and Samuel, thus establishing Jesus' uniqueness "above and beyond" these heroic figures as Christians sought Jewish converts.
- When we confess in the Apostles’ Creed that Jesus was "conceived by the power of the Holy Spirt and born of the virgin Mary ...," and in the Nicene Creed that Jesus is "the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father ..." we are not making a gynecological assertion.
For supposedly believing in the Virgin Birth the ELCA is doing everything they can to discredit it.
Why are they arguing so hard against the truth of scripture regarding the Virgin Birth? Do they think God is not capable of performing this miracle?
This is another example of the ELCA's disregard for what is written in Scripture. The ELCA's view of the Bible allows humanity to be the authority on what is true, what is right, what is good and what is not.
The ELCA is a denomination that believes they know better about God than the book God claims He had a hand in writing. Are you going to follow God's Word or the ways and beliefs of man?
Rev. Jen Nagel is the pastor of Salem English Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Minneapolis, MN and is an out, gay-partnered person. When speaking about the ELCA's new policies on homosexuality she said that it is "important to be aware that this was one step for the church, but these policies didn't address issues specific to folks who identify bisexual or transgender. There is still more for all of us to learn about this crazy, wonderful gift of sexuality." (see here)
Two points for you to think about:
- The people leading the ELCA have plans for more policy changes concerning sexuality. You will begin to see these introduced and enacted in the near future.
- The ELCA promotes the phrase "gift of sexuality" and the idea that sexuality is from God. The language is subtle but the implication with each is, "all sexuality is from God, no matter what kind it is."
ELCA's plan is to continue implementing their policies and beliefs that are contrary to Scripture. This is where we are heading. Do you still want to be part of it?
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America recently held an event called "Sharing the Gospel in a 2.0 World." On day three of the conference Muslim and Buddhist prayers were giving at the invitation of the ELCA.
Two students who were with a group called Interfaith Youth Core, and whose Muslim founder and executive director Eboo Patel (read here) was a keynote speaker for the "Sharing the Gospel" event, gave the Muslim and Buddhist prayers.
Sue Rothmeyer, ELCA Associate Executive Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministries said, "out of hospitality we offered these students the opportunity to pray." Rothmeyer went on to say, "we carefully stated to (the assembly) it was out of the student's tradition and we invited everyone to listen and participate as they felt comfortable."
A conference attendee said of the prayers, "I think everyone in the room thought they were quite beautiful and appreciated people sharing something out of their faith traditions."
I have problems with the inclusiveness gospel the ELCA is preaching and conducting. They sacrifice the Good News for the sake of trying to be accepting, tolerant and understanding. The fact of the matter is, sharing the Good News is the most loving, kind and caring thing they could do. But bringing people to the saving grace of Jesus doesn't matter to these ELCA leaders.
Now they have prayers, to false gods, given at their "Sharing the Gospel" ELCA event. Jesus would NEVER allow that. He would have been filled with holy anger if the prophets of Baal were in the temple leading people in prayers to their god.
Sadly the real Jesus doesn't matter in today's ELCA. Satan has them rejecting the Bible and following his rules. Then the ELCA cloaks everything they do in quasi-christian language and hope you don't notice.
Three ELCA churches in Illinois, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicago, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights, and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Wheaton, will be showing three homosexual based films for the Lutherans Concerned/Chicago’s (LC/C) Second Annual Film Festival.
To read about the films see here.
It seems witches like the ELCA's practice of praying to a goddess. Check out this Wiccan's blog and the following comments. Note: you will be taken to a Wiccan website (read blog here).
Our denomination as moved so far away from true Christianity that neopagans who practice witchcraft find us appealing.
Is this a denomination that God wants you to stay in and support?
New Horizons Lutheran Church in Falcon, CO is "a congregation being developed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)." (read here)
After reading the universalist type language on New Horizons website, I wrote and asked the the ELCA church's pastor if he could explain his church's view on universal salvation, and more specifically if everyone was "saved."
Rev. Timothy P. Singleton responded saying, "Everyone will eventually be saved. Everyone is not saved right now, but eventually all that is -- seen, unseen, past, present, and future -- will be redeemed by the grace and love of God.
I am what you would call a Trinitarian Universalist."
It is one of the goals of this website and blog to continue to present evidence that the ELCA promotes and teaches universal salvation. (read here for more information)
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