You are an animal, so says the leadership of the ELCA. This belief results from the rejection of the historical account of creation told in the Bible. Instead they believe in and teach the theory of evolution as truth. The February 2013 edition of the official magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The Lutheran, contains an article where we are told that:
“the scientific evidence for evolution inspires some Christians to celebrate God's ongoing and oft-surprising creativity, but it deeply offends others.”
“For centuries humans regarded themselves to be distinct and above other animals and the material world. But evolution indicates full embedded-ness in nature. Unless one hears and believes that God is faithfully with us in our created, embedded state, one could sense that we might be abandoned animals cruelly subject to capricious forces.”
“When we waste our belief on other things besides God, it is what the Bible called idolatry, and Jesus also called foolishness. Likewise, disbelief of some things that are not God can be foolish and even idolatrous, on par with misdirected belief. . .one's 'disbelief' of evolution can mask resistance to the humility inherent in being a created, finite animal.” (read here)
This was written by ELCA seminary professor Gilson A.C. Waldkoenig of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.) and published by the leadership of the denomination in their official magazine.
So lets review what they are saying. We are animals. If you believe the Bible and not evolution, you are foolish, lacking in humility, and idolatrous. That seems backward (and evil) to me, and it should to anyone else whose eyes are not blinded by the enemy.
ELCA leadership, for the most part, believes in evolution. (see here) It seems crazy to me that church leaders and pastors who are supposed to shepherd their flock can twist the clear reading of scripture and outright deny what is says. Seems to me God would know better than they on how He made everything. Yet ELCA pastors and seminary professors revel in their “superior” knowledge and belittle those “simpletons” who believe God.
I get the impression ELCA leaders do not like being called out as evolution supporters and creation deniers. Most of them wouldn’t dare get up in the pulpit and tell you that they believe God’s account of creation is false. They should be challenged on their belief.
That brings me to a written dialog I've been having with an ELCA pastor. This ELCA pastor wrote me and evidently was not happy with a blog I wrote called “ELCA Churches Celebrate Evolution Weekend” (see here).
The pastor at one point said “The Bible is not science and to try and make it so just makes us all look ignorant. Don't be afraid sir, as God has created everything even science. If you must believe that the earth was created in 7 days please don't bash those of us who are not afraid to move into the centuries and acknowledge the findings that bear the real truth.”
I responded by email saying, “Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I disagree with your position on creation and believe it is everyone’s right to know what their ELCA pastor or leadership believes on the issue when they have decided to ‘go public’ with it. It is good to know where your pastor is coming from when they are teaching you.
There are thousands of scientists that believe in Biblical creation and a plethora of evidence to prove that evolution is not good science. Here is a list of 'renown scientists in the past and today' who believe in the biblical account of creation. - http://creation.com/creation-scientists#presentsci
I will leave you with this, 'When Moses writes that God created heaven and earth and whatever is in them in six days, then let this period continue to have been six days, and do not venture to devise any comment according to which six days were one day. But, if you cannot understand how this could have been done in six days, then grant the Holy Spirit the honor of being more learned than you are.' - Martin Luther, What Martin Luther Says: A Practical In-Home Anthology for the Active Christian.
God bless you”
Today the ELCA pastor replied saying “This is not about evolution. It is about common sense.
Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Morning Prayer, LBW, pg. 137”
I responded, “It is not common sense but it is your blind faith in evolution/big bang. You just don't like what God said. Something very common in the ELCA.
In Christ,Dan Skogen”
Two questions you should ask yourself, 1) do you believe your ELCA pastor's view of creation or God's? And 2) do you want to be under leadership who denies something so clearly stated by our Creator?
The seventh annual celebration of Evolution Weekend took place February 10-12, 2012. It wasn’t an event for a bunch of God-denying atheists. It was an event organized specifically for Christian congregations. Congregations and/or pastors who evidently do not believe God’s account of creation. The Clergy Letter Project, which organizes this annual event, listed over 500 congregations including 50+ ELCA congregations who signed up to participate in Evolution Weekend 2012. The Clergy Letter Project states that “all participating congregations will address the relationship between religion and science, many will focus their attention on the theme selected for this year: an interfaith discussion of religion and science . . . Religious people from many diverse faith traditions and locations around the world understand that evolution is quite simply sound science.” (read here) The Clergy Letter Project is an evolution-supporting, Biblical creation denying group which gathered the signatures of over 1500 ELCA pastors who are in support of evolution. (see here)
The 53 ELCA congregations listed as participants in Evolution Weekend are:
Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church
Bellflower, CA
The Rev. Mary Todd Pendergast
University Lutheran Chapel (ELCA)
Berkeley, CA
The Rev. Jeff R. Johnson
Peace Lutheran Church
Corona, CA
Pastor Mark Allert
Lutheran Church of the Incarnation
Davis, CA
The Rev. Daniel R. Smith
St. Timothy Lutheran Church
Monterey, CA
Pastor Clark Brown
Advent Lutheran Church
Morgan Hill, CA
The Rev. Anita R. Warner
First United Lutheran Church
San Francisco, CA
The Rev. Dr. Susan M. Strouse
Living Faith Lutheran Church
Santa Clarita, CA
The Rev. Pamela Challis, Senior Pastor
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA
The Rev. Paul W. Egertson
Dr. Jarvis Streeter
Messiah Community Church ELCA
Denver, CO
The Rev. Wolfgang Stahlberg
Our Savior's Lutheran Church
Denver, CO
The Rev. Paul Carlson
Emanuel Lutheran Church
Manchester, CT
The Rev. Dr. G. Scott Cady
Lamb of God Church (A Federated Lutheran and Episcopal Congregation)
Fort Meyers, FL
The Rev. Walter Fohs, Senior Pastor
Peace Lutheran Church
Fort Myers, FL
The Rev. Walter C. Still
(see all that Peace Lutheran had scheduled for Evolution Weekend here)
St. Stephen Lutheran Church
Tallahassee, FL
The Rev. Russell L. Meyer
Executive Director of the Florida Council of Churches
The Lutheran Church of Our Saviour
Tampa, FL
The Rev. Jon Keiser
Nativity Lutheran Church
Weeki Wachee, FL
The Rev. Phil Schroeder
Peace Lutheran Church, ELCA
Steeleville, IL
The Rev. S. Blake Duncan
St Paul Lutheran Church
Villa Park, IL
Stephen H. Swanson, Pastor
Grace Unlimited
Indianapolis Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry
Indianapolis, IN
The Rev. Dr. Charles W. Allen, Chaplain
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Jasper, IN
The Rev. Jennifer Owen
St. John Lutheran Church
Carroll, IA
Pastor David A. Bergstrom
St Paul Lutheran Church
Davenport, IA
Pastor Dan Kuckuck
St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Derwood, MD
The Rev. Sarah Withers Lewis
Hope Lutheran Church
Farmington Hills, MI
Pastor Brad Gee
Shalom Lutheran Church
Alexandria, MN
The Rev. Rollen Halvorson
Our Savior's Lutheran Church
Bird Island, MN
The Rev. Cynthia M. Hopp
St. John Lutheran Church
Montgomery, MN
Pastor Bob Kaul
Augustana Lutheran Church
Omaha, NE
Charles Austerberry
Emanuel Lutheran Church
New Brunswick, NJ
Jeffrey C. Eaton, Pastor
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
Brooklyn, NY
The Rev. David Rommereim
Grace & St. Paul's Church
New York, NY
The Rev. Martin Hauser, Pastor
Lutheran Care Center
Poughkeepsie, NY
Pastor John Heller
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
Brevard, NC
The Rev. J. Edward Barrett
Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
Greensboro, NC
The Rev. Raymond A. Petrea
Good Shepard Lutheran Church
Dayton, OH
Pastor Glen Bengson
Hope Lutheran Church
Dayton, OH
Pastor John Johansen
St. Matthews Lutheran Church
Ithaca, OH
The Rev. Joene Herr, Pastor
First Immanuel Lutheran Church
Portland, OR
The Rev. Dr. Melinda J. Wagner
Christ's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Beaver Falls, PA
Pastor Kimberly A. Rapczak
Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village
Lewisburg, PA
The Rev. Theodore L. Cockley
St. Peter's Lutheran Church
Pen Argyl, PA
The Rev. C. Frank Terhune
Trinity Lutheran Church
Pottsville, PA
The Rev. Harold Hand
Bethany Lutheran Church
Reading, PA
Pastor Michael L. Reist
St. Mark Lutheran Church
Charlottesville, VA
The Rev. Sandy Wisco
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Fircrest, WA
The Rev. Dr. Gary Petersen
The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (ELCA)
Olympia, WA
The Rev. John P. Rosenberg, Lead Pastor
Advent Lutheran Church
Cedarburg, WI
The Rev. Dr. Janis Kinens
Our Savior Lutheran Church
Neenah, WI
The Rev. Catherine A. K. Mode
Cross Lutheran Church
Roberts, WI
The Rev. Dean Simpson
Trinity Lutheran Church
South Milwaukee, WI
Pastor Bill Mains
Bay Shore Lutheran Church
Whitefish Bay, WI
Pastor Norene Smith
Grace Lutheran Church
Wisconsin Rapids, WI
The Rev. Kent Raddatz
In the 2011 issue of The Lutheran we learn this interesting fact.
“In 2005, the Dover, Pa., school board went to federal court over a conflict about their order to teach ‘intelligent design’ in biology classrooms. Members of the seminary (ELCA’s Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg) faculty were engaged in the controversy, opposing the curriculum.” (see here)
So ELCA faculty members, who teach future pastors the Bible, actively oppose a “theory” of God’s involvement in the forming of this world from being taught in high schools?
People who teach in ELCA seminaries should listen to the words of Jesus, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” John 18:16
The ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod held “Celebrate Earth Day at Bear Creek,” May 1, 2011. During the six hour celebration, the Synod offered an event called “Of Faith and Finches: A Lutheran Appreciation of Charles Darwin.” (see here)
We should ask ourselves, is Charles Darwin a man that our denomination should be elevating? One of the more troubling things about Darwin is that his ideas are based on racism. “The evolutionary ideas of Charles Darwin (1809–1882) destructively influenced many of the Western world’s leaders in the early 20th century. In particular, intellectuals in Germany were among the earliest to embrace Darwinism enthusiastically, and to apply its concept of the survival of the fittest to human society. That is, they applied the subtitle of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (1859). The most infamous result of this was the Holocaust . . .” (read here) Why is it that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America appreciates Charles Darwin?
One would think that ELCA pastors, bishops and teachers would believe Scripture. However all one has to do is read, “The Clergy Letter - from American Christian clergy: An Open Letter Concerning Religion and Science,” to find that most do not.
Over 1500 ELCA leaders signed this letter which states,
“the overwhelming majority (of Christians) do not read the Bible literally, as they would a science textbook. Many of the beloved stories found in the Bible – the Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah and the ark – convey timeless truths about God, human beings, and the proper relationship between Creator and creation expressed in the only form capable of transmitting these truths from generation to generation. Religious truth is of a different order from scientific truth.”
Make no mistake, what these Christian leaders are saying is that they do not believe what the Bible actually says. They are calling the story about creation, Adam and Eve, and Noah’s ark, lies. These ELCA leaders think they know better than Jesus, the Old and New Testament writers, and 2000 years of Christians, who knew these stories to be true. (read more here)
The letter goes on to say, “We believe that the theory of evolution is a foundational scientific truth, one that has stood up to rigorous scrutiny and upon which much of human knowledge and achievement rests. To reject this truth or to treat it as ‘one theory among others’ is to deliberately embrace scientific ignorance and transmit such ignorance to our children.”
Really? So those that believe God’s account of creation, are “ignorant?” Maybe these religious elites should read from this website about the many scientists who are skeptical of Darwinism. (read here and download the list of scientists who signed "A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism.")
More from the letter, “We believe that among God’s good gifts are human minds capable of critical thought and that the failure to fully employ this gift is a rejection of the will of our Creator. To argue that God’s loving plan of salvation for humanity precludes the full employment of the God-given faculty of reason is to attempt to limit God, an act of hubris.”
Let me get this straight, now these “Christian” leaders, who say that the Biblical account of creation is not true, are now telling us that if we believe God’s account of creation we are REJECTING God’s Will?
Finally the letter says, “We urge school board members to preserve the integrity of the science curriculum by affirming the teaching of the theory of evolution as a core component of human knowledge.” (read here)
Here are “Christian” leaders urging school boards to have the teaching of evolution be a “core component of HUMAN knowledge.” These are the people teaching us and our children about Jesus and the Bible?
Someone may ask, “What’s the big deal?” “Who cares if ELCA leaders and pastors don’t believe what the Bible says about creation?”
Here are a few quotes that highlight why we should care:
"More cases of loss of religious faith can be traced to the theory of evolution--- than anything else." - Martin Lings, quoted in Christian Century July, 1982
“Evolution is the greatest engine of atheism ever invented.” - Noted evolutionist, Professor Will Provine, in “Evolution: Free will and punishment and meaning in life.”
"Any creationist lawyer who got me on the stand could instantly win over the jury simply by asking me: 'Has your knowledge of evolution influenced you in the direction of becoming an atheist?' I would have to answer yes and, at one stroke, I would have lost the jury." - Noted evolutionist, Dr. Richard Dawkins - The God Delusion (2008) p. 93
While I was studying at an ELCA seminary, the Dean of Students told me that not one ELCA seminary professor in the United States believes Adam and Eve were real people. I couldn’t believe that this would be true, but after viewing the signatures of the letter, it seems that the Dean’s statement is true. Sadly, seminary professors’ beliefs are being picked up by their students, our ELCA pastors.
Linked at the end of this blog is the list of current and retired ELCA pastors, ELCA seminary professors, ELCA college professors, ELCA seminary presidents and ELCA Bishops who agree with this letter and signed it. Some of the notable signers are: Bishop Allan Bjornberg (ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod), Bishop Paul J. Blom - Houston, Texas, Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, The Rev. Stacy Boorn (herchurch), The Rev. Michael Cooper-White, D.D., (President - Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, PA), Bishop Ralph W. Dunkin (West Virginia -Western Maryland Synod), The Rev. James Kenneth Echols, Ph.D. (President - Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago), The Rev. Paul W. Egertson, Ph.D. (Bishop Emeritus - Southwest California Synod), The Rev. Anita C. Hill, The Rev. B. Penrose Hoover (Bishop - Lower Susquehanna Synod), The Rev. Robert L. Isaksen, (Retired ELCA Pastor and Bishop of the New England Synod), The Rev. Jeff R. Johnson, Kevin S. Kanouse, (Bishop Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod), Paul R. Landahl (Bishop Metropolitan Chicago Synod), Bishop April Ulring Larson (La Crosse Area Synod), The Rev. Duane H. Larson, PhD., (President - Wartburg Theological Seminary), The Rev. Felipe Lozada-Montanez (Bishop of the Caribbean Synod of the ELCA), The Rev. Dr. Gerald L. Mansholt (Bishop Central States Synod), The Rev. Robert W. Mattheis (Bishop Emeritus, Sierra Pacific Synod), The Rev. George Paul Mocko (Bishop Emeritus, Delaware-Maryland Synod), Bishop David G. Mullen (Sierra Pacific Synod), Bishop Dean W. Nelson (Southwest California Synod), Bishop Margaret G. Payne (New England Synod), The Rev. Dr. Ted Peters (Interim President - Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary), The Rev. Dr. Jerry L. Schmalenberger (Retired President - Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary), Bishop David R. Strobel (Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod), The Rev. Dr. Christopher M. Thomforde (President - St. Olaf College), Bishop Ron Warren (ELCA Southeastern Synod), The Rev. Dr. Howard E. Wennes (Retired Bishop ELCA), The Rev. Paul M. Werger, (Bishop Emeritus - Southeastern Iowa Synod) and The Rev. Dr. Herman Yoos (Bishop - South Carolina Synod).
More than 12,000 American pastors signed this letter and over 1500 of them are Evangelical Lutheran Church in America leaders. By the way, these are just the signers who listed “ELCA” or “Evangelical Lutheran Church in America” with their signature (for the most part). There are many more signers who only listed their Lutheran church’s name. I would estimate there are at least 350 Lutheran pastors who did this and most of those would be ELCA pastors, I’d assume.
Check and see if your pastor signed the letter. I’ve linked to it because of the vast space needed to list them all. See the list of ELCA leaders here.
The ELCA’s official website tells us the denomination's position on the topics of creation/evolution/origin of life (it also reveals the ELCA's stance on Scripture.) Their website says, "What is the ELCA official position concerning the origin of life and evolution? The ELCA has not officially taken a position about evolution. The ELCA teaches that the scriptures witness that all of life is a gift of God. However, the scriptures do not say, for example, how God's creating word, "Let there be...," brings creatures into being. Lutheran tradition has respected the work of the natural sciences in investigating phenomena in the natural world and explaining how they work and how they originated." (read here)
Why doesn't the ELCA take an official position on the origin of life? Scripture clearly says that God created everything in a 6 day, 24 hour period.
And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day,' and the darkness he called 'night.' And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day. Genesis 1:3-5
Are these verses true or not? It says, "There was evening, and there was morning - the first day." Is God lying to us about that? The ELCA must think so if the denomination cannot agree with this clear statement. Or maybe the ELCA doesn't believe the Bible is from God, but just man’s writings. Either option is unacceptable.
If we look in the New Testament, Jesus statements back up the Genesis/Creation account.- "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female.'" - Matthew 19:4
- Jesus mentions Adam and Eve's son Abel in Luke 11:51.
- "In John 5:45–47, Jesus says, “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” In this passage, Jesus makes it clear that one must believe what Moses wrote. And one of the passages in the writings of Moses in Exodus 20:11 states: “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” This, of course, is the basis for our seven-day week—six days of work and one day of rest. Obviously, this passage was meant to be taken as speaking of a total of seven literal days based on the Creation Week of six literal days of work and one literal day of rest." (read here)
If the ELCA believed in the actual, factual truth of the Scripture . . . if the ELCA believed that God did inspire and have His hand on the writing of all the books of the Bible, they would take an official position and say the Genesis account is in fact true. That is what the Bible clearly says, but as we've seen elsewhere, the ELCA likes to deny whatever parts of Scripture that do not fit their world view.
One author describes the ELCA's view this way, "The ELCA allows for the view that God used evolution to create things. This means that the account in Genesis 1 and 2 do not have to be true for the member of the ELCA. The ELCA teaches the historical critical method of interpretation of Scripture, which discounts the accounts as history and treats them more as poetry." (read here)
The ELCA likes to say they adhere to Scripture, but anyone who looks at the teachings, beliefs and policies of the ELCA can see they deny statements of fact in the Bible, place their own view over what Scripture says, and do not believe God had His hand in and inspired all of its writings.
This is just another example of a church made and run by man, following their own desires and paying lip service to the Creator of the Universe.------------------------------
Read more about creation and evolution at the links below:
http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2012http://www.icr.org/article/5669
http://www.icr.org/article/creation-evolutionhttp://www.trueauthority.com/cvse/faq2.htm
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