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(The following article was written a number of months ago by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
Today I walked inside the Philadelphia Convention Center where back in 1997 I watched the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America convention vote to pay for abortion, for any reason, with offering dollars in its healthcare plan for pastors and their families. Some of us tried to change this abhorrent practice and we lost the vote by a two-thirds majority. This ELCA policy remains the same today, your offering dollars can go to kill unborn babies. At the same convention the ELCA voted to interchange clergy with the very liberal United Church of Christ. Before the vote a delegate publicly asked the UCC President "Why does the UCC ordain practicing homosexuals?" The UCC President replied that "the Holy Spirit" led them to do this. I went up to him afterward and wondered if he had perhaps blasphemed the Holy Spirit. I believe a spirit led the UCC to do what they did, but it wasn't the Holy Spirit. He said he would have to think about that. Today in 2015, the ELCA, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Episcopal Church in America, and the Disciples of Christ and have decided to follow the UCC in its decision to ordain practicing homosexuals. They follow the world, not the Word. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org
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The mindless evil being spouted by many liberals is catching on in the ELCA. For some it seems that "the Christians" are to blame for the Muslim terrorist slaughtering of LGBT people in Orlando.
Here is what Meagan McLaughlin, a first-call pastoral candidate in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America had to say on an ELCA Clergy Facebook page. 
I will leave it to you, the reader, to interpret what ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod Bishop Mike Rinehart means when he says "Even the debate over human sexuality in the ELCA dehumanized. Those who maintain the 'sinfulness' of LGBTQIA folks participate #faithimpulse." (Pulse is the name of the gay nightclub where the massacre took place in Florida.)
If you haven't read my previous blog about the Orlando terrorist attack (see here) it contains two different ELCA pastors and one ELCA bishop who place blame for the attack on Christians. (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
The Bible teaches, and virtually all churches have always taught, that Holy Communion is for baptized Christians only. But there is a new heresy in the church which says everyone, nonbelievers included, should be invited to Holy Communion. We are told this is part of the "radical hospitality" of Christ. But this new teaching is not loving. The Apostle Paul teaches that a person should examine himself before he takes communion (I Corinthians 11:28) and a person who takes communion improperly is bringing "judgement upon himself" (I Corinthians 11:29). Thus, it is troubling to come across this statement on the website of a very large congregation in the Twin Cities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: What are the rules for taking communion? There are no rules. Everyone is welcome at our table of grace. We believe that Holy Communion is a way of receiving the grace of God meant for all people. I encourage everyone to read the entire chapter of I Corinthians 11. God was killing people for abusing Holy Communion. May we partake of the Lord's Supper with repentance from our sins and faith in Christ's redeeming blood. To do otherwise, we hurt ourselves and others. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org
Updated
Last Sunday a Muslim terrorist killed more than four dozen innocent people in Orlando, Florida and injured 54 others. Rightfully, many ELCA leaders respond to the attack with sorrow and prayers, but some of what they said should infuriate you. ELCA pastor Heidi Neumark writes the following: 
Pastor Tom Brock (of pastorsstudy.org) shared his thoughts on pastor Neumark’s comments saying, “If I understand her right, this ELCA Lutheran pastor is saying that we better say homosexual behavior is OK, or you are helping murder people. The opposite is true. By telling people homosexual behavior is OK, we are helping them go to a tragic eternity (I Corinthians 6:9-11).”
ELCA pastor Ángel Marrero blames Christians and Jews in an article he wrote for the Huffington Post saying, “this isn’t simply ‘extremist Islam’, as some would like to paint it. This comes out of centuries of many religious traditions systematically demonizing and dehumanizing LGBTQ individuals. This hatred isn’t out of nowhere. It is in parts of Islam, yes, but it is within parts of Christianity and Judaism, as well. Facing such a reality, I feel I must apologize for the complicity and silence of the Church. I am sorry for the pain our sinful indifference and self-righteousness has caused, and continues to cause, throughout the world." (see here) Bishop Jim Hazelwood of the ELCA's New England Synod wrote a letter in response to the massacre going into great detail of his desire for gun control. He also writes about his concern for "our Muslim brothers and sisters." (see here) He then jumps the shark with this accusation:
Much like the liberal media many ELCA leaders are: 1. calling for stricter gun control in America and 2. can't seem to understand the connection almost all the terrorism happening in the world has with the religion of Islam. Bishop David B. Zellmer of the ELCA's South Dakota Synod said, “There is no place among us for words and actions that disparage the Islamic faith…This act of terror and actions like it are carried out by people who have taken a world religion and perverted it to their own evil purposes – not unlike others have done with Christianity in past centuries.” (see here) Bishop Robert G. Schaefer of the ELCA's Florida-Bahamas Synod writes, “There are deeper issues here. Church, it’s time to be clear about honoring and speaking up for...reasonable gun control in this country.” (see here) The ELCA's Southwest California Synod sent out an email saying, "I would also invite you to rechannel whatever anger and frustration you might be feeling into positive action. Such violence effects everyone, and motivations include terrorism, hatred of various groups, and mental health issues, all of which are often interrelated. But along with our task force, I am devoted to putting a stop to this carnage by the advocacy of stricter, common sense gun laws. If you feel called to share in this endeavor, we recommend that you get involved with a movement (such as Everytown for Gun Safety, Women Against Gun Violence, The Brady Campaign, or our own joint task force). Meanwhile, know that the SWCA Synod Gun Violence Prevention Task Force will be reconvening this week with a renewed commitment to end the kind of tragedy we saw in Orlando so that we all might live in safety and in peace." (see here) Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Elizabeth A. Eaton tweeted this:
ELCA Bishop Timothy Smith of the North Carolina Synod posted this on his Facebook page (be sure to read his comments at the end): The ELCA's Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod (SEPA) shared a prayer on their Facebook page that included this: "We pray for renewed action and perseverance in reforming our American gun laws, especially the sale of automatic weapons." (see here) Dr. Samuel Torvend, Professor of Religion at the ELCA's Pacific Lutheran University writes, "The massacre of innocents in Orlando prompts us to pray for those who grieve, to resist homophobia and Islamophobia, and to work diligently for an end to the easy purchase of deadly weapons." - Quote posted on PLU's Facebook page. (see here) Bishop Patricia Lull of the ELCA's Saint Paul Area Synod comments "I invite your prayers for the family and friends of those killed or injured, for the Muslim community, which repudiates this act of hatred and violence, and for all who work to curtail gun violence. We also pray for colleagues in the Florida-Bahamas Synod, ELCA, who are offering pastoral care to those involved in this tragedy. (see here) My, my. The opportunists are out in full force. Jesus talked about hell, more than anyone in Scripture, but many ELCA leaders are so enamored with their own "enlightened" views that they have decided and teach that hell is not real and everyone goes to heaven. They believe they are more attuned to truth then the Son of God, I guess. This is ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber’s teaching. She has already revealed that she is a universalist (see here) and in a recent sermon Nadia tells us that hell is "imaginary." Here is her direct quote,
“One of the more interesting things folks will say to me is: ‘I’m not religious or anything, I just hope that being a good person is enough.’ To which I always want to say… ‘enough for what?’ … avoiding the punishment of burning in the eternal fires of some kind of imaginary hell?” (see here) As I’ve already mentioned, “hell deniers” must be deceived or in a state of denial because Jesus continually warned people about hell and being eternally separated from God. In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about people being separated like sheep and goats and He says the goats "will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Elsewhere He says, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Hell is real. Telling people that it is not, is a lie from Satan, and it can lead people to think that faith in Christ is not necessary, that one can believe what ever they want and still go to heaven. People will end up in hell because of this lie. Stop listening to people who teach contrary to God’s Word and warn others about them. They are false teachers. |
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Dan Skogen
Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word. If you have been helped and blessed by Exposing the ELCA's ministry, please help us continue to proclaim the truth of God's Word to ELCA members who need to hear it.
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