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Today is Reformation Day. On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the church of All Saints.
To all of you standing up to the apostasy and heresy of the ELCA, Luther would be very proud!
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A video recently released by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America shows the ELCA's Presiding Bishop and ELCA leaderships view on God, Scripture and homosexuality. He states, "My name is Mark Hanson, and I am the Presiding Bishop of the largest Lutheran Church in North America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and I’m a father of six and grandfather of four. I have listen with pain and shock to reports of young people, taking their lives, because they’ve been bullied and tormented for being different, for being gay or perceived to be gay, for being the people God created them to be." "Did you catch that? The ELCA's Presiding Bishop said that God made people gay. Nowhere in Scripture does God say that He made people gay. But then again the ELCA does not follow Scripture, and they do not give evidence to believing much of what it says. Hanson's statement does fit nicely with the ELCA's stance on homosexuality, and the ELCA's opinion is all that really matters it seems. Here is the video - In an effort to see what age groups were most concerned about the issues brought up by Exposing the ELCA, we conduct a poll.
Visitors to Exposing the ELCA were asked: What age group to you fall into? The Results - Total Responces: 248 18 or under - 0.4% (1 votes) 19 to 29 - 8.06% (20 votes) 30 to 39 - 12.9% (32 votes) 40 to 49 - 18.95% (47 votes) 50 to 59 - 29.84% (74 votes) 60+ - 29.84% (74 votes) (The following is written by a reader of Exposing the ELCA)
Here's an interesting tidbit, straight from the ELCA Town Hall meeting September 19: "As a Christian, I want to hear a Muslim speak of their faith, how the Qur’an shapes their faith, how they live their faith in daily life, what it’s like to worship together. And I want to share that story as a Christian. And in that exchange, we might grow to appreciate the faith of the other. Sometimes in that conversation, one may even be opened to being converted to the faith of the other. But if that doesn’t happen, we will at least begin to say: We have a common commitment to the one world in which God has placed us, to work together for justice and peace." For the full transcript, you can visit this page. But it's obvious that quote wasn't taken out of context, and it's only on page 2 and 3. Martin Luther transcribed the Quran into German because he felt that the learned Christian ought to know it so that through knowing it, he or she "might be able to heal some." But now, we have become so afraid of embracing the Word that the best the ELCA can do is say that though interfaith dialogue, a Christian or Muslim might or might not be inclined to convert to the faith of another. I think that we have to live with our neighbors of other faiths on three levels: civic, just, and evangelical. Civic in the sense that we have to figure out how to get along with neighbors, friends, family members, and coworkers who are of radically different faiths. Just in the sense that most of us can agree that things like bullying, racial slurs, world hunger, poverty, etc., ought not to be no matter what your religious/racial/sexual/national affiliation may be. And evangelical because we may be called to invite people into the Christian faith and we need to know how to do that. The ELCA has substituted evangelism with justice and called it good. Exposing the ELCA has documented that the ELCA’s official website supports and promotes Universal Salvation, the belief that “everyone will be saved.” Within a section called “What We Believe,” on a page dealing with “Salvation” the denomination states:
"Because Jesus is the unique and universal Savior, there is a large hope for salvation, not only for me and others with the proper credentials of believing and belonging to the church, but for all people whenever or wherever they might have lived and no matter how religious or irreligious they may have proved to be themselves. It is clearly God’s announced will that all people shall be saved and come to the knowledge of truth (1 Timothy 2:4)." (ELCA webpage has been taken down but an internet archive website has it here) This is not the only mention of this false teaching on the ELCA website. On “The Resurrection” page, is a subheading “Resurrection for all?” The ELCA document, after first saying that most of the verses in the Bible say not everyone will be saved, goes on to say, "(B)ut ELCA members also look to New Testament texts that go beyond those parameters . . . Lutheran theologian Joseph Sittler coined the phrase ‘Cosmic Christ’ in his 1952 address to the New Delhi assembly of the World Council of Churches, saying, ‘It is now excruciatingly clear that Christ cannot be a light that lighteth everyone coming into the world, if he is not also the light that falls upon the world into which everyone comes.’" A little later it states, “For ELCA members, the resurrection that completes the victory of Christ over sin and death is not intended for Christians alone.” The article continues, "Beyond that,
ELCA members believe that, being ‘entrusted’ with this message of reconciliation, we are to proclaim this salvation intended for all humankind, this redemption of the whole world, this resurrection to new life.” (webpage has been taken down but an internet archive website has the page here) This is on the ELCA’s official website, and it is contained in a section called “What We Believe.” Is there any doubt the ELCA is preaching Universal Salvation? To read more evidence that the ELCA teaches and promotes Universal Salvation see here. The ELCA teaches an interesting, non-orthodox view of Jesus' resurrection. Gnesio, an online magazine of Lutheran theology, writes:
The resurrection for the ELCA does not necessarily have to be a historic event, but something of faith. From their website: “All of this has led some scholars to write that the risen Jesus (and apparitions of the risen Jesus) is a supernatural reality which does not belong to this world and cannot be the object of historic investigation. Rather, Jesus’ resurrection is an object of faith. Accordingly, ELCA members believe that what history does is to demonstrate the disciples’ faith in the resurrection. Their witness and testimony to Jesus’ post-death appearances make it abundantly clear that the resurrection was a primary object of the apostolic proclamation from Christianity’s very beginning.” This view then means that it is not important whether Jesus is still dead in a tomb or not, just that you believe that He rose. Cited from: http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/New-or-Returning-to-Church/Dig-Deeper/The-Resurrection.aspx” (see Gnesio article here. The ELCA removed the article cited by Gnesio from their website but here it is thanks to the wonders of the internet - http://web.archive.org/web/20091005023518/http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/New-or-Returning-to-Church/Dig-Deeper/The-Resurrection.aspx) Mark C. Chavez, director of Lutheran CORE, writes of leadership in the ELCA that follow a Liberal Protestant (LP) theology. An “LP says that resurrection is spiritual or metaphorical, not physical, and LP often asserts that the apostles created a myth to cope with the tragic loss of their leader.” (read here) I guess denying what the Bible says gets easier and easier in the ELCA, the more you do it. Recently I spoke with a high ranking employee at ELCA headquarters in Chicago, in order to confirm that the ELCA teaches and uses redaction criticism in Biblical interpretation. This person did confirm that the ELCA teaches redaction criticism and said he had read some of the information on Exposing the ELCA. This ELCA leader was concerned about some of what he read. I welcomed him to discuss it with me, if he wanted to, and when he had time. He contacted me about a week later to discuss his concerns. Unfortunately, this person was noticeably angry and upset in regard to what was written about the ELCA on my website. At that point, I stopped and informed him that we needed to speak with kindness and respect, and if he couldn’t do that, we needed to end the conversation. I repeated that I was interested in speaking with him, but it must be a dialog, not a monologue, and it must be with respect. In short order, this person decided he wasn’t interested in continuing the conversation.
The ELCA should be upset with us. Exposing the ELCA is exposing the truth about what the ELCA teaches and believes. We are informing Christendom of the ELCA’s heretical views and policies. The ELCA doesn’t want their members to know the truth. The more people that know, the fewer who will support them. ----------------- I have put together a list of over 30 questions to be used when asking bishops or pastors about the ELCA. They are questions which tackle many issues, and they will help to clarify the ELCA’s positions. For a gift of $100 or more to the work of Exposing the ELCA, we will send you this helpful resource. See the donation button on the right side of this webpage. Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa is an ELCA school. On March 20, 2010, they hosted Wartburg College's 5th Annual Drag Show. "The show brings in professional drag queens and kings from around the state of Iowa and also features students, faculty, and staff performers." (see here)
The Drag Show takes place on campus at Neumann Auditorium (see here) and is sponsored by Wartburg Alliance, which describes itself as ". . . a student-run organization that seeks to generate awareness about LGBT issues and advocate for more inclusive environments on campus, locally, and nationally." (see here) A blogger in attendance during this year’s drag show said the star performer was Serena Michaels, otherwise known as Miss Gay Iowa 2010. (read here) Here are links to pictures from the event - - Picture 1 - Picture 2 - Picture 3 - Picture 4 - Picture 5 - Picture 6 An ELCA college hosting drag shows for their student body, as well as inviting the attendance of the local community, should not be a surprise. When the parent denomination is rewriting God’s Word and encouraging people to remain in sin, how can one expect the schools they run to uphold Christian values? Wartburg College student programming - God’s money - your tithes, gifts and tuition at work. ELCA Presiding Bishop Announces New Churchwide Organization Design for 2010 (read here)
I know there are some who are saddened by this news. Not I. For those of us who see the ELCA's move away from Christianity, this is good news. Here's why - - We are seeing the “voice” of the ELCA weakened. - The ELCA is less effective in preaching false doctrines, such as universal salvation. - The ELCA desire to replace the authority of Scripture with society's values is less effective. - A smaller ELCA means fewer people deceived by a denomination that has left God. - It also means more time, effort and finances are going to Christ centered, Scripture believing denominations. Praise God for His faithful people. This is another step, there is more to be done, but it is good news indeed. One would think if you send your child to a Christian college that the school would uphold Christian principles and values. That is often not the case. Gustavus Adolphus College, an ELCA school presents some eye opening and very disturbing information to its incoming 2010 freshmen class. A group called Gusties for Restoring America describes one of the presentations, “The first video, from a seminar titled the 'Inside Scoop' (a 'must see' event according to the orientation schedule), features a series of sexually suggestive skits explaining to incoming students such things as where to get free condoms on campus, how to signal to your roommate that you are busy having sex (so he waits until later to come in), and how to tell your roommate you're gay (as well as the appropriate response you ought take when receiving such information).” (the original link is gone but you can see the same quote here) Video one - For more information and to see the second video featuring another orientation skit, see the article “Sexual Indoctrination at Lutheran College's Freshmen Orientation Caught on Tape” (read and view here) I have to ask, why send your children to ELCA colleges anymore when they can get this same experience at a state college for 1/4th the money? Update: Here is another blog written about the Gustavus Adolphus presentation - Bargain Alert: Our “Christian” College Will Teach Your Kids Decadence, Atheism and Doubt for only $42,000 a year!
The Confession has a real anti-American feel, among other things. Signed by 30 ELCA pastors.
The Colorado Confession 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.
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/2012 http://www.icr.org/article/5669 http://www.icr.org/article/creation-evolution https://evolutionnews.org/ http://www.trueauthority.com/cvse/faq2.htm Read more about evolution’s claim to be scientific at: http://scienceagainstevolution.info/topics.htm |
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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Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11
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