Dr. Mitri Raheb is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. The Jerusalem Post recently printed an article about Rev. Raheb titled, “Former German president to honor anti-Semitic pastor.” It says, “Roman Herzog, the president of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1994 to 1999, is slated to deliver a speech next week in honor of Reverend Mitri Raheb, a fiercely anti-Israel Palestinian Lutheran leader in Bethlehem who has argued that Jews have no right to be present in Israel.” (read here)
“What does that have to do with the ELCA?” you ask. First, Rev. Raheb is pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL). The ELCJHL and the ELCA have a very close working relationship. And that, is an understatement. "The ELCA's relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land is long-standing and deep, and we are proud to have relationships with each of the pastors in that church,” says Rev. Robert Smith, ELCA program director for the Middle East and North Africa (see here)
One example of that relationship is stated on the ELCJHL website which says, “Through partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we are happy to offer our supporters in the USA an opportunity to make a tax-deductible donation toward the ministries of the ELCJHL.” (read here) If you search for “Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land" on
the ELCA.org website you will find 716 results. (see here)
Secondly, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s supreme leader, Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson recently gave a glowing endorsement of Rev. Raheb saying, "Mitri Raheb is a pastor with passion in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Persistently working for a lasting, just peace in the Middle East, Pastor Raheb is a visionary leader who has created new pathways in the areas of education, employment and health care . . . This deserved recognition of Pastor Raheb is testimony to the global leadership shared by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and the ELCA remains committed to accompanying this partner church." (see here)
It seems that the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA really likes Rev. Reheb. So let’s find out a little bit more about him. A quick search of the internet finds that “In a speech to the 2010 Christ at the Checkpoint conference in Bethlehem, Raheb discounted Jewish roots in Israel and said that Palestinian Arabs share DNA with King David and Jesus, but that Netanyahu (the Prime Minster of Israel) does not.” (read here)
Pastor Raheb is quoted as saying, “Actually, the Palestinian Christians are the only ones in the world that, when they speak about their forefathers, they mean their actual forefathers, and also the forefathers in the faith…So, that is the reality of the peoples of the land. Again, they aren’t Israel. This experience I’m talking about, it’s only the Palestinians who understand this, because Israel represents Rome….It was our forefathers to whom the revelation was given…” (see here)
"Discover the Networks" website has this to say about Rev. Reheb, “Raheb is one of the more prominent exponents of Replacement Theology, a doctrine which holds that Christians have replaced Jews in God's master plan and have ‘inherited all of God's promises, including the land of Israel.’ The Catholic Church adamantly repudiated Replacement Theology after the Holocaust, but Palestinian Christians like Raheb have revived it.
Raheb has authored numerous theological articles as well as three books targeted for a more general audience. His 1995 book, I Am a Palestinian Christian, was an opening salvo in his effort to advance the notion that Palestinian Christian claims to the Holy Land are theologically and historically more valid than those of Jews. In two subsequent books (Bethlehem 2000: Past and Present [1998], and Bethlehem Besieged [2004]), Raheb emphasized the ‘plight’ of Palestinians in Bethlehem during the Intifada, portraying them as innocent victims of unbridled Israeli violence.
In his writings, Raheb consistently minimizes or excuses Palestinian terrorism. He does not mention the Palestinians' organized terrorist infrastructure, the corruption and criminality of the Palestinian Authority (PA), or the relentless anti-Semitic incitement that pervades his whole society. Rarely does he mention the harassment and persecution that Palestinian Christians face from radical Islamic groups and from the PA. On those few occasions when he does make reference to some of these realities, he manipulates them to make them appear to be the consequences of Israeli transgressions. Hence, he blames the steady emigration of Bethlehem's Christian Arabs on Israel's ‘occupation,’ not on the PA or the Islamic dominance that has accelerated this centuries-long hemorrhage of Middle Eastern Christian Arabs.” (read here)
Rev. Raheb was also a signer of the Kairos Palestine Document which was outrageously bias and anti-Israel. Here are just a few statements made in the document:
- “Yes, there is Palestinian resistance to the occupation. However, if there were no occupation, there would be no resistance, no fear and no insecurity. This is our understanding of the situation. Therefore, we call on the Israelis to end the occupation.”
- “We also declare that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land is a sin against God and humanity. . .”
- “We declare that any theology, seemingly based on the Bible or on faith or on history, that legitimizes the occupation, is far from Christian teachings. . .” (see here)
Based on the ELCA’s anti-Israel positions and anti-Semitic leanings, it is no surprise that they have aligned themselves with those who feel the same way.
ELCA pastor, the Rev. Andrena Ingram, will be a keynote speaker at the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering. (see here)
This is the same Rev. Ingram who recently wrote:
“This is my body, given for you. … this is a condom, given for you. Use it!” (read here)
First, what a disgusting and irreverent use of God’s words. That is unacceptable. Secondly, as you can read, this ELCA leader is big on condom use. So much so that she passed out condoms during a HIV Testing Event/“community meal” held at her church. She writes that she, “Went inside our hall, found a cute little african basket and filled it with condoms . . . and proceeded to place them on each table (about 7 of them), as people were eating.”
Rev. Ingram also said, “I am not going to get into the ‘religious right’ about having sexual relations. Of course I would hope that you are in a committed relationship, and even then, that both of you have been tested every six months for at least a year, before you trust yourselves with each other’s bodies without a condom.” (read here)
So this pastor, who was chosen by ELCA leadership to speak to our youth at the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering, passes out condoms within her church (with the intention to continuing this practice), mocks the words of Christ and does not hold or advocate that sex be reserved for those who are married.
Jesus said, "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” - Mark 9:42
If you know of a group attending the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering, and a church supporting our young people hearing from leaders such as this, I think it’s time you communicate your concern.
"‘This is my body, given for you?’ Condoms?…” - Rev. Andrena Ingram, keynote speaker for the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering.
I drove past the local Planned Parenthood today and saw six very brave warriors of Christ standing on the sidewalk holding their pro-life signs. I was impressed that these people cared enough for the unborn innocence to face ridicule and disdain from those driving by on the busy main thoroughfare.
It got me to thinking, are we individually and more so, are our churches willing to stand up for the unborn in the face of anger? Of fear of offending? Of fear of financial backlash?
I am a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), whose leadership and policy always takes a pro-choice position, while attempting to sound accommodating to pro-life members. So it is no surprise that I have not seen any action or statement by the ELCA's controlling hierarchy in support of pro-life causes. As an ELCA member, I have also come to realize that many ELCA churches which have a pro-life outlook will not publicly support the cause. Perhaps that is true of churches in many denominations. The congregational leadership does not want to publicly support pro-life clinics. They do not want their annual report to show a financial gift to a pro-life organization. They do not want a pro-life event to be publicized in the church bulletin. And they surely do not want to say from the pulpit that abortion is wrong, a sin, devastating on the mother, against God’s will or to call it what it is, murder.
There is something wrong in our churches. Call it fear, call it political correctness, or call it not trusting in God’s goodness to provide for them when they stand against this great evil, in the face of a world which embraces it.
We need children of God, warriors for Christ and church leaders who will support and unashamedly proclaim that they and their church are on the side of the unborn.
In what seems to be “all the rage” these days at ELCA schools, students at Thiel College recently had their chance to participate in the ever-popular drag show during Thiel College’s gay “pride week.” Thiel College, an ELCA school, promoted the drag show, along with other pride week activities, on their Facebook page. The Thiel College Facebook page posted “It's Pride Week 2012 at Thiel! The schedule of events and colors to wear are: Monday (wear red): Drag Show in theater at 8 p.m.; Tuesday (wear orange): dramatic reading of "The Laramie Project" at 7 p.m. in the LHR; Wednesday (wear yellow); Thursday (wear green): viewing of "For the Bible Tells Me So" in Bly Hall at 8 p.m. with discussion after led by (ELCA) Rev. Bill Bixby; Friday (wear blue): showing of "Out in Silence" (in conjunction with YSUNITY" at 8 p.m. in Bly Hall; and Saturday (wear purple): Masquerade in LHR from 7 p.m. to midnight.” (see here)
For pictures of the 2011 pride week drag show at Thiel College click here.
One movie Thiel College is publicizing to its students, “For The Bible Tells Me So,” on the movie’s official website asks, “Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate?” The website then says the film “brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture, and in the process reveals that Church-sanctioned anti-gay bias is based almost solely upon a significant (and often malicious) misinterpretation of the Bible.” (see here)
What can you expect, I guess, from a denomination that embraces sin?
Last year Thiel College offered another event featuring men dressed as women at the “Mr. Tomcat” competition. The school's student-run newspaper on March 4, 2011, reported on the annual event saying, “This competition was open to any male student and dared contestants to show their fun side through four categories: swimwear, talent, drag, and formalwear. The swimwear portion of the competition had the contestants sharing their curves, while talent showed the audience each contestant’s passion. Drag was the third portion of the competition, where each contestant was asked to show off their feminine side.” (see here - while you're there you can check out your Horoscope)
There is nothing Christian about this. Jesus would never attend or participate in a drag show. But ELCA colleges are just one more place within the denomination where Scripture is mocked and minds are warped against God and His word. If anyone at Thiel cares to pick up a Bible they should read Deuteronomy 22:5 “A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this.”
See Exposing the ELCA’s previous reports on drag shows happening at other ELCA colleges. (see here and here)
Apartheid is “a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race” in South Africa. (see here) Today there is a growing movement to brand Israel as an apartheid state and the leadership of our denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is part of it.
On the ELCA’s official website there are numerous articles and a great deal of information which labels the state of Israel as an apartheid state. Here is what Exposing the ELCA found:
- The ELCA promotes the “Palestine Kairos Document” and on the ELCA's website which highlights this document it states, “In this spirit the document requests the international community to stand by the Palestinian people who have faced oppression, displacement, suffering and clear apartheid for more than six decades.” And later, “stand against injustice and apartheid.” (see here)
- The ELCA publicizes the book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. (see here)
- The ELCA website published this statement under the heading "What We Believe," "With urgency we warn that Christian Zionism and its alliances are justifying colonization, apartheid and empire-building." (see here)
- The ELCA’s Peace Not Walls section of its website posted this statement, “The action clearly highlights the injustice and dispossession that Palestinians face under Israeli occupation and apartheid.” (see here)
- You can read this statement on the ELCA’s website, “The tragedy is that everyone suffers in this environment. The Palestinian people face daily indignities, injustices and experience oppression familiar to the Jim Crow South of the United States and apartheid of South Africa.” (see here)
- The ELCA’s anti-Israeli section of its website posted this statement in one of its articles, “You do not leave an occupied people at the mercy of those who occupy them and who act unilaterally in violation of international law by continuing to demolish homes, annex land, build settlements, erect apartheid walls and revoke IDs.” (see here)
- Again, the ELCA website published this statement, “I think we are heading with full power to a fully developed apartheid system.” (see here)
- Lutheran Woman Today published this, “Jimmy Carter has been criticized for using the word apartheid (literally, apart-hood) to describe the situation of the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, but the system under which they live has a similar effect if not intent . . .” (read here)
- A video produced by the ELCA, which is a propaganda-laced piece against Israel, has a clip that focuses in on the words, “This is Apartheid.” (see here)
Is Israel an apartheid state? Many say "no."
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, the president of International Fellowship of Christians and Jews says “In apartheid-era South Africa, black citizens were totally disenfranchised and relegated to the status of second-class citizens. In Israel, on the other hand, both Jewish and Arab citizens have equal protection under the law, enjoy freedom of religion and speech, and have full voting rights. Arab-Israeli members are present in Israel's 120-member parliament, the Knesset.” (read here)
Dennis Prager, a syndicated radio talk show host, author, columnist and public speaker answers the Israel and apartheid question this way, “More and more of these days one hears this charge made . . . There is no truth to it.” (see video below) Dr. Michael Oren, Ambassador of Israel writes, “In October 2011, Richard Goldstone, the South African Jurist who aided his country’s transition from its apartheid policies, published the following in the New York Times:
‘While “apartheid” can have broader meaning, its use is meant to evoke the situation in pre-1994 South Africa. It is an unfair and inaccurate slander against Israel, calculated to retard rather than advance peace negotiations.’
As the Ambassador of Israel to the United States, I unequivocally refute the charge that Israel is guilty of pursuing a policy of apartheid and, in fact, regard that allegation as deeply offensive. Apartheid refers to a legal system that segregates all aspects of civil society and in which a minority rules over the majority. Israel in no way resembles that system, and any assertion to the contrary is an affront to the true victims of apartheid.
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and one of only a handful of all countries in the world which has never known a moment of non-democratic rule. Israel is home to over 1.5 million Arab Muslims, Arab Christians, Druze, Baha’i, and Bedouin, all of whom receive full and equal rights under Israeli law.” (see here)
So why are people claiming that Israel is an apartheid state? And why is the ELCA propagating this lie?
Dennis Prager replies, “Because by comparing the freest, most equitable country in the Middle East to the former South Africa, those who hate Israel, hope they can persuade uninformed people that Israel doesn’t deserve to exist just as apartheid South Africa didn’t deserve to exist.” (see here)
Rabbi Eckstein says, “Anyone who promotes the idea of Israel as an ‘apartheid state’ is either ignorant or motivated by bias against the Jewish state so intense that facts and truth no longer have any meaning to them.” (read here)
What do you think?
See more information exposing the lie that Israel is an apartheid state -
A Lutheran pro-homosexuality organization reports that an ELCA bishop, the third one Exposing the ELCA has highlighted this year, is advocating for gay marriage. LCNA says, “Richard Graham, ELCA Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, will be attending the rally in favor of marriage equality . . .” The bishop was reported to be attending a rally and conducting “lobbying visits to legislators in support of marriage equality bill in Maryland.” (see here)
(see the other ELCA bishops advocacy actions here and here)
In the same vain, a keynote speaker at this summer’s 2012 ELCA National Youth Gathering went to her state legislature (CO) to speak in support of “civil unions for GLBTQ couples.” (see here) This is the same person (ELCA pastor, Nadia Bolz-Weber) who recently performed a transgender renaming service at her ELCA church. (see here)
So to all those ELCA members who think that the actions and policies of the ELCA will not affect you, what to you think now? To those of you sending your kids to the ELCA Youth Gathering, do you realize you are sending them into the lion's den? To those of you who think the actions of the ELCA leadership go against God Almighty’s will, how do you justify your contentment continuing to be part of this denomination?
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
The ELCA’s Minneapolis Area Synod assembly “went on record against changing the state Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.
Their vote made them one of the largest faith groups yet to formally oppose the amendment that will go before voters Nov. 6, which would ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota.”
Lauren Morse-Wendt, an author of the ELCA resolution in support of gay marriage, said, “(T)his marriage amendment to define marriage between a man and a woman is a discriminatory amendment which would deliberately deny justice to a portion of the population of Minnesota.”
A Minneapolis Area Synod spokeswoman said she “hopes congregations will study the resolution and ‘consider how they will respond.’”
“The Minneapolis synod's resolution states that the amendment ‘would prevent one group of committed couples and their families from pursuing ordinary legislative or legal means to gain the support and protections afforded to all others.’” (see here)
The ELCA leadership is on an all-out offensive to legalize gay marriage. So much so that they have taken an aggressive position against defining marriage to be only between one man and one women.
The ELCA likes to say they are loving and welcoming, but the truth is that they are acting in hate for God and for their fellow man. God warns us to stay away from sin because He knows how destructive it is. The ELCA leadership’s position results in those with same sex attraction being bound in sin. How evil is that?
Only those who support the ELCA’s policies and theology should remain members. If you disagree with the ELCA it is time to get yourself, your family and your friends out. The ELCA has turned its back on the God of the Bible and is running full speed with the god of this world, the god who wants us to be bound in sin and separated from God.
For the second time in the last two weeks an ELCA bishop is taking a public stand, advocating for homosexual marriage in his state. The Rev. E. Roy Riley Jr., bishop of the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America co-authored a column that was published by NJ.com, a New Jersey online newspaper.
In the column the ELCA bishop and two other faith leaders say, “(a)s representatives of faith traditions that struggled for decades with this issue, we know that attitudes about homosexuality do not change easily. Still, it pains us that so many opponents of marriage equality invoke a handful of scriptural texts — open to a variety of interpretations — to deny their fellow citizens equal treatment under civil law.”
The authors then list reasons why, they believe, the Biblical verses warning against homosexual relations should not be followed.
Then they state, “(t)hanks to the wisdom of the First Amendment, differing theological notions about the nature of marriage will continue to flourish across our diverse religious landscape. But a state has neither the right nor the competence to promote one of those theological understandings in opposition to others — particularly when doing so deprives some citizens of the rights enjoyed by others. . .It is our prayer that the state’s legislators will find the wisdom to act with . . . impartiality and justice.” (see here)
This is your ELCA leadership. Denying the clear reading and teaching of scripture (God’s word). Encouraging people to immerse themselves in sin. Trying to persuade state legislators and the public to support what they want, gay marriage.
(blog from 2-2-2012 reporting on ELCA Bishop, Chris Boerger, of the Northwest Washington Synod public statement in support of homosexual marriage)
Exposing the ELCA asked, “Should any ELCA leader, let alone a director in the Office of the Presiding Bishop, be showing images of Jesus as a female?”
The results of the poll:
9.25% said “Yes” (26 votes)
90.75% said “No“ (255 votes)
Total Votes: 281
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