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(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Augsburg University has become radically liberal, evidenced by its recent chapel series entitled “Series on Female-Identifying Leaders Who Participate in Proclamation”. Notice, the series is not about “women preachers” but “female-identifying preachers” in order, I believe, to include non-binary, transgender preachers. But it gets worse. The Lutheran pastor preaches to the students that Jesus “screwed up” in His dealings with the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30) and that she had to redeem Him (see minute 15:30 below). That’s right, Jesus gets redeemed by the Syrophoenician woman. The preacher also uses the F word in her sermon. A few years ago I did a post on this same preacher who went on (and on and on) in a bizarre sermon telling her congregational members to call a transgender woman “they” This is the bizarre, new, "enlightened" world of many colleges and congregations of the ELCA. In Christ, Pastor Tom Brock
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Capital University, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America school, will require students to be fully vaccinated by December 17, 2021. Capital University is located in Columbus, Ohio. (see article here) The university will still require students to wear masks too, saying "Until further notice, everyone must continue to follow all University-required COVID health and safety protocols, including the University’s mask policy." 
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Today I took a not-so-pleasant nostalgic walk through Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, a college of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Some of my most difficult memories are here since this is where we often held the conventions of the ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod. A handful of conservative pastors and I would get to the microphone and ask “Why is the bishop’s office promoting homosexuality in its literature? Why is the ELCA paying for abortion for any reason in its healthcare plan which is paid for with offering dollars? Why are we incorporating non-Christian Native American worship practices into our worship services? As I walked today into the beautiful Christ Chapel at Guatavus, I saw the below placard. Notice, the chaplain’s office, overseen by Lutheran clergy, will help connect students with a “deity/God“, not necessarily the Christian God. Indeed, some years ago a Buddhist worship service was held in Christ Chapel and they laid an offering to Buddha on the altar. How far things have fallen since the 1800’s when Scandinavian immigrants founded Lutheran colleges to pass on the faith to their children. Today I would send no one to Gustavus, Saint Olaf College, Luther College, Concordia Morehead, or Augsburg University, as they have become so far removed from biblical Christianity. The congregation I served and I left the ELCA years ago, but I get comments today from people who have left the ELCA because they saw our TV show explaining these very things. In God our Father, Pastor Tom Brock
Just because a college is associated with a Christian denomination doesn't mean the school will abide by Biblical teaching or be a Godly learning environment for students. Carthage College, located in Kenosha, WI., is a school of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which is very liberal mainline denomination. Read the following and ask yourself if you want Carthage College educating and disciplining your child. Carthage College: Homosexuality - Carthage College has a LGBT group. “The LGBT Student Association is a student-run group that is focused on educational events, social gatherings, and advocacy surrounding LGBTQIA+ issues.” (See here) - Carthage College has “SafeZones” for LGBTQ people. (See here) As you can see below, ELCA campus pastor is a LGBTQ SafeZone representative. (See here)  - A showing of Moonlight, a film about a homosexual man, took place at Carthage College and was sponsored by Carthage Activities Board, Advocates for Social Change, Black Student Union, and LGBT-SA. (See here) - A Coffee and Conversation gathering about the homosexual based National Coming Out Day was held at Carthage College and hosted by Multicultural Affairs. (See here) - No Hate Week took place at Carthage College. Events included an LGBT speaker, a LGBTQ and Ally Student Panel, “the acknowledgment of the rainbow-painted Kissing Rock…(and) the day of silence, where participators will remain silent to acknowledge the many silenced voices of those who have fought for equality and those who cannot speak up for themselves.” (See here) - A recipient of the Lambda Pioneer Award for contributions to the LGBT literary community spoke at Carthage College. (See here)
Other Religions - Carthage College has both a Muslim Student Association and a Pagan Forum which you can see listed here. - In 2016 we see that there was an Annual Hijab Day observed at Carthage College where students were encouraged to wear red scarfs over their head. (See here) - Carthage College writes, “You may be thinking, ‘Wait a minute, this is a college rooted in the Lutheran tradition, right? Why would you encourage other faith traditions?’ We do this because we are a college rooted in the Lutheran tradition. Lutherans believe we are saved by grace through faith, and that this grace gives us the freedom we need to love and serve the world — the whole world, not just the Lutheran world.”  - Interfaith leader and Muslim, Eboo Patel spoke at Carthage College. (See here) - A Celebration of Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, took place at Carthage College. (See here and here) - James Lochtefeld, Chair and Religion Department Professor of Religion and Asian Studies “specializes in Hindu pilgrimage.” (See here) Drag Show - In 2018, the second annual Heels For Hope Drag Show was held at Carthage College. (See here) Inclusive Language - Carthage College has a “Glossary of Working Language for Conversation” page. On this page we learn: “Carthage College believes that we are to nurture an enlightened and inclusive college community that inspires meaningful contributions towards a better world. It is to that end we promote a working language that frames our understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion within the context of deepening equity and access, institutional receptivity, diversity in the curriculum, and student/adult learning development to promote equitable student outcomes.” Carthage College then gives a set of words with definitions that frames "our understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion." Included are such words as Adultism, Allyship, Cis, Cisgenderism, Gender identity, Gender neutral pronoun, Heteronormativity, Homophobia, Intersectionality, LGBTTQQIA, Marginalize, Microaggression, Queer, Questioning, Safe space, White guilt, White privilege, Whiteness, Xenophobia, etc. (See here) Politics/Anti-Trump - Carthage College professor Mimi Yang writes about Trump, the boarder wall and bigotry. (See here) - A similar article by the same Carthage College professor can be seen here. - Carthage College President writes of his support for the DACA program. (See here) - A Carthage College professor, Stephanie Mitchell, commented on her pastor allegedly being arrested by ICE saying, “She’s my pastor and my government kidnapped her..." (See here) Campus Pastor at Carthage College - ELCA Rev. Kara Baylor is the Carthage College Campus Pastor. Here is a one of her Facebook posts showing LGBT support/pride.  Anti Christian Zionist Speaker - Controversial speaker, Bishop Dr. Munib Younan, Bishop Emeritus of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, spoke last year at Carthage College. (See here) Read a little about him and some of the controversial things he has said here. "It’s all about U-terus!" presentation - In 2016 Carthage College had a presentation titled “It’s all about U-terus! Come learn about your lady parts!” (See here) As you can see with Carthage College, one should not trust that a school is right for you or your teenager just because they are affiliated with a supposed Christian denomination. One last thing. Check out these ratings of Carthage College. (See here) The Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities publishes a magazine called "Intersections." The Fall 2019 edition of the magazine highlighted "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion." Here are the titles of the articles in the Fall 2019 issue:
(See here) This is the state of "learning" in the ELCA.  (See here)
There are 26 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America colleges. St. Olaf College Grand View University Luther College Augsburg University (College) [in Minneapolis] Augustana College (Illinois) Augustana University Bethany College (Kansas) California Lutheran University Capital University Carthage College Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota) Finlandia University Gettysburg College Gustavus Adolphus College Lenoir–Rhyne University Midland University Muhlenberg College Newberry College Pacific Lutheran University Roanoke College Susquehanna University Texas Lutheran University Thiel College Wagner College Wartburg College Wittenberg University
The Rev. Jes Kast is coming to Augustana University this month. Rev. Kast is an minister in the United Church of Christ and "serves on the Planned Parenthood Clergy Advocacy Board."
Rev. Kast has been asked to speak at the Augustana Chapel of Reconciliation as well as give a lecture titled, "Won't You Be My Neighbor? Friendship and Solidarity Across Religious Differences," which is sponsored by Augustana's Department of Religion, Philosophy and Classics, Augustana Campus Ministry and the Thomas Staley Foundation. (See here)
Augustana Campus Ministry shared the event on their Twitter page:
The following Tweets are from Rev. Jes Kast:
Rev. Jes Kast retweet the following:
Pacific Lutheran University is holding their Ninth Annual Lutheran Studies Conference, which they call "Naked and Unashamed: Sex, Shame and Faith." Pacific Lutheran University's website says:
"The conference itself provides tools and national experts on religion, churches and current political landscapes that influence our discussions of sexuality and identity. A session will review one church tradition, the ELCA, for its social statements on abortion, sexuality and gender justice. We will also explore ways spirituality and religion may heal or hinder a healthy sense of sexuality." See here.
Nadia Bolz-Weber, an ELCA pastor, will be the evening speaker for the conference. Rev. Bolz-Weber is widely known and embraced by the ELCA despite her heretical teachings and disgusting words and actions. (See here)
Another speaker at PLU's conference will be Dr. Mary Streufert, the ELCA Director for Justice for Women from the Office of the ELCA's Presiding Bishop. Dr. Streufert reportedly once presented images of a female Jesus during the "Faith and Feminism – Womanist – Mujerista Conference" (see here) held at the goddess worshiping ELCA congregation known as "herchurch." The title of Dr. Streufert's presentation was "Jesus Christ Beyond the Divide: A Christian Feminist Proposal."
Dr. Streufert as well as Dr. Mary Lowe, from Augsburg University, will collaborate, presenting "Gender Justice and Faith: 2019 ELCA Social Statement.” The description of this presentation indicates, "...they will introduce three themes in the statement: sexism as sin, intersectionality as an approach to the problem of sexism, and the ELCA’s ongoing effort to view sex and gender in non-binary ways." (See here and below) 
Opening remarks of the conference will be by Dr. Marit A. Trelstad, PLU Chair of Lutheran Studies and Professor of Constructive and Lutheran Theologies at PLU. (See here) Pastor Jen Rude, of PLU Campus Ministry, will be speaking at another session. She is openly gay and the former program director for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. (See here)
The morning of the conference there will be a pre-conference where the "Focus of this time will be to review the content of ELCA Social Statements on Abortion (1991), Human Sexuality (2009) and Gender Justice (2019) and to discuss their implementation/impact and current issues congregations are facing in terms of gender and justice in their congregations...We may also have representatives from Extraordinary Ministries and Reconciling Works present as ELCA-focused ministries." (See here) Extraordinary Ministries and Reconciling Works are pro-LGBT organizations.
Below is an article by our friend Rev. Tom Brock with more details about the conference: (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) I got a phone call today from a father in Colorado whose son was considering attending Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, a college affiliated with the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He stumbled across my website in which I criticize ELCA colleges for promoting the LGBT movement and liberal theology (teachings such as universalism, the belief that all people will be saved regardless of faith in Christ). The father, given that Gustavus calls itself a Christian college, assumed it holds to Christian values. Then he watched the below video of the sex skits for incoming Gustavus students. The video is from years ago, but to my knowledge, nothing has changed. I was told years ago that Gustavus lost a huge financial gift because of these videos (you can view more of them on youtube, just google "Gustavus Adolphus Freshman Orientation"). The father told me he talked today with a member of Gustavus' admission staff about his concerns and eventually the staffer said "Well, I think this conservation is over." The father now has no desire to send his son to Gustavus, even though his son is being offered a scholarship. If you are considering sending your son or daughter to Gustavus Adolphus, St. Olaf College, Augsburg College, Luther College, Wartburg College, or Concordia Moorhead, I would think again. The heresy in ELCA colleges has been going on for years. Even way back in the 1970's I remember one of my high school friends went off to Concordia Moorhead and came back home denying the resurrection of Christ because of one of her professors. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock Problems With Bethany College (Kansas), a School of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America1/20/2019
Bethany College is located in Lindsborg, Kansas, and boasts that it "is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), owned and operated by the Central States Synod and the Arkansas/Oklahoma Synod of the ELCA" (See here).
If you have looked through the multitude of documented information on Exposing the ELCA, you know that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is shockingly liberal and progressively extreme. Exposing the ELCA began investigating the colleges of this denomination, and in this installment, we will look at Bethany College (Kansas). It was more difficult, than other ELCA colleges, to unearth material about Bethany, because they do not have as much information online. This is what was found: - On campus at Bethany College is “The Ally Group." It is "a gay/straight alliance of students, staff and faculty who support gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. The group also works to promote a positive campus environment for GLBTs.” (See here)
- Bethany College provides condoms and Depo Provera birth control shots at the school's nurse office. See the Health & Wellness page here.
- In 2017, the president of Bethany College wrote a letter in favor of DACA saying
"...Jesus did not teach us to deport the stranger, but to take them into our homes and to love them." (See here)
- One of the most vocally liberal ELCA bishops, Michael Rinehart, will be speaking at Bethany College. He is bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. (See here)
- Controversial Pastor Michael Himlie was a speaker at Kansas' Bethany College recently. Pastor Himlie "spoke at chapel, met with local area pastors, and gave a public lecture in the evening." He graduated from Manchester University majoring on peace studies and focusing on "Israel’s occupation of Palestine." (See here)
Rev. Amy Truhe is the Bethany College Campus Pastor. (See here) Below are some posts she has made on her Facebook page and it tells a lot about the type of pastor she is.
Bethany College Campus Pastor Amy Truhe also shared a number of Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber related posts in the last couple months. Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, an ELCA pastor, has very troubling views of God's Word and sex. Read more about Rev. Bolz-Weber here and here.
With that in mind, consider also the pride Bethany College has in being affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as you can again see below. It is hard to imagine any reason to tout that connection unless you align with their ways.
You are playing with fire when you send your teenager to an ELCA college. That is definitely true of Augustana University, as you will see below, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Augustana University is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In 2015-2016 it had an undergraduate enrollment of 1,563. For Bible-believing followers of Jesus, the stances and activities of Augustana University should be disturbing and alarming. Here is what my investigation uncovered: Drag Shows - If you like to look at men dressed up as women, or women dressed as men, you can see it at Augustana University.
- The Augustana Student Association gave $250 "for an 18 plus drag show" to the Gender & Sexuality Alliance. (See here, page one)
Sex and LGBT Related
- Augustana University has a student group called the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) which describes itself in this way, “The Augustana GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) is an organization committed to the representation and advocacy of the Gender/Sexual diverse.” (see here)
- The Augustana Campus Ministry website displays "The Augustana Student Congregation Welcome Statement." It begins this way:
“Come to me, All who believe, all who wonder, and all who don’t know what to think; All who are joyful, all who suffer, and all who are complacent; All who are homosexual, or heterosexual, or bisexual, and all who simply don’t know; All who are male, all who are female, and all who are transgender.” (See here) - The Augustana University Campus Ministry is also a Reconciling in Christ Congregation which, in essence, means they view LGBT behaviors as normal and not sinful. (See here) - A lecture by Austen Hartke, a bisexual, transgender man is happening October 29th, 2018 at Augustana University (See here) More about Campus Ministry - The Campus Ministry likes to delve into the politics of the day, seen here co-sponsoring a “Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Refugees, Immigrants and Sojourners” with the Muslim Students' Association (MSA), area churches, the South Dakota Synod of the ELCA, and the Muslims Community Center. (See here) Non-Christian Religions
- At Augustana University you will find a student group called the Muslim Students' Association (see here)
- Augustana University has a Interfaith Reflection Room. The university reports that the "space is designed to provide a safe place for people of all religions and non-religious traditions to pray, meditate, worship, reflect, study and practice their faith . . . the room includes sacred texts from a variety of religious traditions . . .” (See here) - The Augustana Magazine printed an article highlighting the atheist group, Augustana Open Minds. (see here on page 25 and the group page here) - The university also partnered with a Unitarian Universalist church. (see here) - Augustana University newspaper, The Augustana Mirror published a 2 page article about two Augustana seniors who practice witchcraft. It is titled "Modern witches: two students find spirituality in Wicca." (See here)
"Cultural Appropriation" - Augustana University website, "VikingCentral," has this article, see below, titled “4 Acts of Cultural Appropriation You Should Avoid this Cinco de Mayo.” (Also see here) 
- This must be an important idea to the university since they posted seven other related articles informing students what they feel is right and what is wrong when it comes to culture and costume. See below and here) 
Housing - Flexible housing is offered at Augustana University. This means “that students may select roommates or housemates regardless of gender.” This is available at select university housing. (See here)
Lastly, see how Augustana University was rated by students who attended the school, and what they had to say about their experiences here.
(Updated March 2018 - Original blog was written March, 2011) 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 2400 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 the following website of the many scientists who are skeptical of Darwinism. (read here and download the list of scientists who signed "A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism.") The Clergy letter also says, “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 have no doubt that statement is true. Sadly, seminary professors’ beliefs are being picked up by their students, who are the current and future 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 Tom Aitken (Northeastern Minnesota Synod), The Rev. Hans R. Arnesen (Associate to the Bishop of the New England Synod), 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), The Rev. Jean DeVoll-Donaldson (Assistant to the Bishop/Director for Evangelical Mission Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod), 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. Jim Hazelwood (Bishop of the New England 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), Bishop Brian D.Maas (Nebraska Synod - ELCA), Bishop John S. Macholz (Upstate New York Synod - 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), Rev. Robin J. Steinke, Ph.D. (President Luther 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), The Rev. Eric G. Wolf(Assistant to the Bishop of the South Carolina Synod, ELCA), The Rev. Dr. Herman Yoos (Bishop - South Carolina Synod) and Bishop David B. Zellmer (South Dakota Synod). More than 14500 American pastors signed this letter and over 2400 of them are Evangelical Lutheran Church in America leaders. Here is a list of all the ELCA leaders who signed the Clergy letter. To read more about creation, intelligent design or evolution see: 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 http://scienceagainstevolution.info/topics.htm --- It takes a lot of work to keep this ministry going. Please prayerfully consider supporting the ministry of Exposing the ELCA. Click here to find out how.
chapel service or church should not happen. Religions other than the Judeo-Christian faith are false, but it gets worse.
At the St. Olaf service, Fardosa Hasson spoke of how Muslim students at Augsburg University asked her to help them hold Friday prayers on campus. She said, “The Director of Ministry, Pastor Sonya (Hagander), says, ‘Oh it would be great if we can actually have it in the Chapel.’ And I remember the conversation, as we go on, and now that I see every Friday, on campus, we have Friday services, inside the Chapel…it is reaffirming of diversity and inclusion to actually have it in a space where we all worship that one god. And remember, our chapel is not like here, where there are so many pictures of Jesus and Mary…” (see here) So Muslim prayer services, to Allah, who is NOT the God of the Bible, are happening every Friday at Hoversten Chapel at Augsburg University. This is happening, as the speaker said, at the initiative of ELCA Pastor Sonja M. Hagander, University Pastor and Director of Ministries and Associate Director at Augsburg University (see here), and obviously with the approval of Augsburg University itself. Using a house of God to worship other gods is a violation of the first commandment. God’s Word in Exodus 20:2,3 tells us, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.” Here are some similar verses - https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Do-Not-Have-Other-Gods The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its colleges, like Augsburg University and St. Olaf College, cannot and should not be trusted with the responsibility of teaching and guiding you or your family’s faith development. St. Olaf College is a school of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It is a private liberal arts college located in Northfield, Minnesota. Many parents send their children to St. Olaf believing they will be going to a Christian college and will learn about the Christian faith, deepening their faith with godly teachers leading the way. This could not be further from the truth. As is evident in this entire website, the ELCA has turned its back on the truth and the authority of Scripture, and when you take a look at this ELCA-affiliated institution, it is easy to surmise that St. Olaf College has done the same. See the following: Related to Sex - The St. Olaf College website provides free condoms and lubricant at the school's wellness center. The school also details other forms of contraception students can consider. See below and here.  - St. Olaf’s Sexual Health “Helpful Links” page lists the National Gay and Lesbian Hotline. (See here) - The St. Olaf website has a section called "CitizenBlog" which has an article about the The Vagina Monologues, a play performed on the campus of St. Olaf. The article talks about one monologue often presented called “The Little Coochie Snorcher that Could.” Here is how the article describes the monologue. “(A)n underage girl recounts having been given alcohol and then having sex with an adult woman––her female abuser is portrayed positively as someone ‘rescuing’ her from the sexually abusive men of her past…” (See here) - St. Olaf also has a student group called "GLOW!" It “stands for ‘Gay, Lesbian, or Whatever!’, and is a student organization comprised of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and heterosexual persons. GLOW! helps to educate, provide resources for and foster acceptance and support for self-identified GLBT persons with and through the alliance of all sexual orientations and gender identities.” (see here) - St. Olaf offers 16 different LGBTQ Scholarships. (see here) - Did you know that “The St. Olaf College Student Congregation has been a Reconciling In Christ congregation since 1989. Together, we advocate for the full welcome, inclusion, and equity of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) students in all aspects of the life of our congregation and community.” (see here) - The St. Olaf College Students Activities Committee posted pictures on its Facebook page. Among the photos are two men kissing. (See here) - St. Olaf's "Champion of the Hill" competition, during Parents Weekend I believe, a man dressed as a women performed a dance routine. He was voted the "Champion of the Hill" and announced "This is the years of the queers." (see video here and pictures of the competition here) - St. Olaf has a "Students for Reproductive Rights" group. This disturbing club recently hosted a “Birth Control Methods w/ Planned Parenthood!” event as well as “Sex Toys 101” event. (See below)  Planned Parenthood - St. Olaf has a “Helpful Links” page on their website that includes a link to Planned Parenthood. (see here) - The college website has a page titled “Local Health Providers” where St. Olaf gives Apple Valley Planned Parenthood’s phone number and a link to Planned Parenthood. (See here) Transgender - St. Olaf must have been mighty proud to post this story about a transgender alumna’s appointment to White House staff. (see here) - Transgender artist, Zackary Drucker, spoke a number of times in 2015, at St. Olaf College, including a “CILA Faculty Lunch Conversation on Trans-Sensitivity Awareness.” (see here) - There is a “Gender and Sexuality Center” at St. Olaf that “seeks to educate, increase awareness, and create dialogue around issues of gender and sexuality, including feminism, queer and transgender issues, and safer sex practices, as well as the intersectional effects of these issues.” (see here) - St. Olaf College's website has a section of pages called “The Edit Desk: A guide to student journalism at St. Olaf.” On the main page they have a link to an article. Under that link it says, “The Radical Copyeditor provides a starting point for determining what language to use in articles that reference transgender people or transgender issues.” That article is written from a transgender supportive view. (see here) - The St. Olaf Sociology/Anthropology Department has offered a class called, “GLBT Lives and Issues.” Here is the class description: “This course explores the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people from several social science perspectives. Students examine whether gender and sexual orientation (both heterosexual and homosexual) are socially constructed or biologically natural, and what cross-cultural and historical examples can tell us. Students also study controversies over the family and religious status of GLBT people, why homosexuality has become such a political issue, and movements for change. Offered during interim.” (see here and here) Other Religions God's Word is clear that Christ is the only way to the Father. Yet . . . - St. Olaf College employees Anant Rambachan as a Professor of Religion. His school profile says “Prof. Rambachan has been involved in the field of interreligious relations and dialogue for over twenty-five years, as a Hindu participant and analyst” and “Prof. Rambachan has traveled and lectured in many part of the world and teaches regularly at several Hindu temples in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.” (see here) - On campus is a Muslim Student Association. (see here) - The St. Olaf student-run radio station, KSTO, has a program called “The Hour of Islam.” (see here) - St. Olaf has a program celebrating Diwali, “the Hindu festival of lights that is celebrated every year during the Fall season…During Diwali, we worship goddess Laxmi, who is the goddess of wealth and prosperity.” (see here) Additional Information - If you attend St. Olaf College, you will find that they hold "Drag Balls." It is described as “An annual Pause dance at which students are encouraged to dress in drag, whatever that means to them and their unique wardrobes. Part of this tradition includes performances on stage from practiced drag entertainers, with a Q&A panel with the guest performers preceding the dance.” (see here) - Angela Davis was brought to St. Olaf to speak. She is a "a two-time Communist Party vice presidential candidate." See (here and here)
- What ELCA college doesn't have its Palestinian supporters or Anti-Israel activists? At St. Olaf there is a group called "Oles for Justice in Palestine." (see here) - This year the "Christian" college hosted a “Ghosts of St. Olaf tour" which was led by Vice President for Student Life Greg Kneser. (see here) Politics and Race Beware if you are a conservative or Republican. The article titles say it all: - "Conservative Students Say They Have Been ‘Violently Threatened’ at Lutheran College." (see here) - "Higher Education: No Safe Spaces For Conservatives." (see here) - "Outnumbered and 'threatened,' some conservatives are leaving St. Olaf College." (see here) Racial problems? St. Olaf College has that too: - "‘Student Coup’ at St. Olaf College: Students Block Buildings, Classes Shut Down Over Racial Unrest." (see here) - "St. Olaf President Says Racist Note Was 'Fabricated.'" (see here) - "The Farce at St. Olaf." (see here) It truly is disturbing what is happening at this Evangelical Lutheran Church in America college. I would pray diligently if you are trying to decide to go to or send your college-age children here. -- Exposing the ELCA has shared many other disturbing stories concerning St. Olaf College over the last few years. They can be found here. (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. I have included some more information at the end of the article. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Reverend Asher O'Callaghan, a woman who presents herself as a man, is the first transgender pastor ordained through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's ordination process. In 2009 the ELCA voted to ordain practicing homosexuals. There was never a vote to ordain transsexuals, but ELCA leadership has been doing it anyway. Not too many years ago Luther Seminary (my alma mater) was known as the most conservative of the ELCA's seminaries. I'm afraid those days are gone. On November 15th at Luther Seminary's Holy Communion service, Reverend O'Callaghan will be the preacher in observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance. How sad that the ELCA is jumping on the transgender bandwagon which says "You are whatever sex you think you are." As Bible-believing Christians we respond " No, you are the sex God created you to be." But instead of siding with God and biology, the ELCA has sided with our sexually confused culture. Instead of helping people out of their confusion, the ELCA confirms people in their confusion. In a recent interview, in which she stated that she thinks Hell is empty, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton also took a stand for transgender rights. Sadly, I'll say it again: This is not my grandma's Lutheran church. Last week we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. Luther would grieve over the ELCA. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org PS. Below is a description of Reverend O'Callaghan from the pro-LGBT website "Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries". "Before becoming a Lutheran pastor, Asher fancied himself spiritual but not religious. He thought he was done with organized religion after growing up transgender and bisexual in a fundamentalist church. But then he stumbled into a church called House For All Sinners and Saints in Denver, Colorado where God messed up all his plans. There he heard an invitation he couldn’t help but go share. From Christ’s open table he heard: “Behold who you are. Become what you receive.” Becoming what he’s received has led him to earn a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary, to pastor a small mountain congregation called Zion Lutheran Church in Idaho Springs, Colorado, and now to serve as ELM’s Program Director." (see here) -- Not only is the ELCA indoctrinating their future pastors with their false view of Scripture and the world but they are doing the same with college kids at their institutions. Last week Luther College (an ELCA school) brought in a transgender speaker.  This is the time of year when many seniors in high school are finalizing their decisions on where they will go to college. It is an important decision that will shape and influence the rest of their lives in many ways. Most importantly, it will influence students' Christian faith. Parents need to ask and investigate how the prospective college will influence their child's Christian faith and belief. To help parents and students in their investigation I have written the following about Gustavus Adolphus College. Gustavus Adolphus College is a school of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. One would think this Lutheran college would be an excellent place to grow in your Christian faith, to encourage you in your faith and to deepen your understanding of Scripture and God’s will for you. It is not. I repeat, it is not. As you will read below, Gustavus Adolphus College is openly encouraging thoughts and behaviors that go against the will of God, thereby leading students away from Christ Jesus and the Truth of God’s Word. Sexuality --- The Gustavus Adolphus Department of Theatre/Dance performed the play “In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play.” On the Gustavus Adolphus website, announcing this production, is the warning, “If you are offended by beautiful naked people and/or consenting adults having frank conversations about physical pleasure please, do not come to see this play.” (see here) --- Gustavus Adolphus’ made news when freshman orientation activities were filmed and posted online in 2010. The article linked below describes the school's orientation gathering as 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 (to) take when receiving such information).” (see report here) Here is a video of the Gustavus Adolphus College freshman orientation activity. The second Gustavus Adolphus College freshmen orientation video post below is equally disturbing. --- Last month, a Safer Sex Carnival was held at Gustavus Adolphus. The college’s website reports “The Carnival will include resources and information about having safer sex and overall healthier, more satisfying relationships.” The Safer Sex Carnival is sponsored by Title IX, the Dean of Students Office, and the Sexual Education and Decision Committee. (see here) --- On the Gustavus Adolphus website you can find a section from a book called “Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex.” One line from the excerpt says “Child or teen sex can be moral or immoral.” (see here) --- The college paper, Gustavus Weekly, tells us, “Gustavus library finalizes plans for gender-neutral bathrooms.” (see below)  --- The College newspaper published another piece called “Legalize Sex Work” where the author encourages the legalization of prostitution. (see here) --- Gustavus Adolphus’ Women’s Awareness Center held an event to talk about “orgasms, safe sex decisions and the importance of respecting our bodies.” (see here) Other religions --- The Gustavus Day of Fasting-A Ramadan Celebration in honor of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan was sponsored by the Chaplains’ Office. (see here) --- Last year the Chaplains’ Office and Diversity Center sponsored a webinar called Campus Responses to Islamophobia (see here) --- Office of the Chaplains’, Siri Erickson, Brian Konkol and Ailya Vajid released a statement saying “we are deeply grieved by the rise of Islamophobia in our nation…we stand against hate, ignorance, and bigotry wherever they occur and together work to promote dignity, inclusion, and equity.” (see here) --- The ELCA Lutheran school has a multifaith center. “The Center is the new home for a number of student organizations, including Gustavus’ Muslim Student Association, Gustavus Meditation, Gustavus Interfaith Lodge, and the Multifaith Leadership Council.” (see here and the screenshot below)  --- “Diwali Festival of Lights, a traditional Hindu celebration, will be observed at Gustavus Adolphus College at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28 in Alumni Hall, in O.J. Johnson Student Union.” (see here) --- What about Buddhism at Gustavus Adolphus? Yep. “Gustavus community will have the opportunity to participate in a cultural event not normally seen in this part of the world. Students and faculty are invited to join in the celebration of the annual Buddhist festival of Vesak…” (see here) --- The Chaplins’ Office section on the college website has a list of small groups and programs one can attend. Among them is Feminist Bible Study, Muslim Student Association and Gustavus Meditation. On the Chaplins’ Office webpage we are told that Gustavus’ “Meditation is lead (sic) by a local Buddhist monk, Prof. John Cha, and Cody Kirk and is followed by discussion. The purpose of this organization is to provide a weekly meditation classes for the entire Gustavus campus.” (see here) --- Department of Theatre/Dance at Gustavus presented a performance of The Ragamala Dance’s 1,001 Buddhas: Journey of the Gods. This performance was “inspired by twenty-eight Hindu deities that guard the 1,001 Buddhist statues of the Sanjusangendo temple in Kyoto, Japan.” And illustrated “the myriad histories and energies of these gods and goddesses and to bring to the modern stage a vision that traverses the scope of spiritual experience, from the intimate to the infinite.” (see here) More LGBT --- Yes, Gustavus Adolphus College observes “Coming Out” week. It is run by the group “Queers & Allies.” There is an article about it in the school paper, The Gustavian Weekly, titled “Importance of Coming Out Week…” (see here) --- On the Gustavus Adolphus College website it has a Latina/o resource page on ‘coming out,” LGBT issues, “Transgender Resources and Immigration Law and Policy” (one resource shared is information on the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) (see here) --- The college website also has a LGBTQ resources page. (see here) --- Another Department of Theatre/Dance performance was “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,” a play about a 1980’s gay community. (see here) Speakers/performers --- A gay comedian/actress was on campus pushing her causes. The school paper writes, “Orange is the New Black’s Lea DeLaria speaks in Christ Chapel May 13, 2016 – Star of the popular Netflix series, Orange is the New Black, actress Lea DeLaria visited Gustavus on May 10. DeLaria is also known for being the first openly gay comic to take the stage on many late-night talkshows. She is also a prominent figure in the LGBT community. DeLaria entertained the audience through humor and song, while discussing important topics on gender identity and equity.” (see here and see the Exposing the ELCA blog about DeLaria’s performance here) --- Historian and professor Kevin Mumford came to Gustavus Adolphus College and gave a lecture on black gay history. (see here) --- The Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus performed at Gustavus Adolphus. (see here) --- And when a Christian musician who “used to identify himself as a homosexual but now identifies himself as heterosexual” performed on the Gustavus Adolphus campus with his band, they were protested because the “band spoke about the possibility that homosexuals could be ‘cured…’” (see here) --- Like so many ELCA colleges, Gustavus Adolphus holds a drag show (see here and here) Planned Parenthood --- The Gustavus Adolphus website has an article blasting abstinence-only sex education and the article is produced by Planned Parenthood. (see here) --- The Gustavus Adolphus College website has a webpage called “Sex & Relationships.” The page provides a link to Planned Parenthood (see here) --- The Gustavian Weekly posted a one-sided, pro-Planned Parenthood article. (see here) Another article that discusses the same event tells how students "all over campus sported pink attire to support Planned Parenthood. (read here) Professors --- Professor John Cha, Associate Professor in Religion and Japanese Studies at Gustavus Adolphus, is a Buddhist monk and a meditation teacher/guide for the group Gustavus Meditation. Those who attend Gustavus Meditation “experience Buddhist mettā bhāvanā (loving-kindness meditation) and ānāpānasati (breathing meditation).”(see here) Professor Cha’s “teaching and research interests include Buddhist philosophy, Indian intellectual history, comparative philosophy, and inter-religious dialogue (primarily Buddhist/Christian dialogue).” (see here) --- Fuad S. Naeem is an assistant professor who teaches Islam and World Religions at Gustavus Adolphus College: “His interests include Islamic intellectual traditions in South Asia, Muslim encounters with religious others, Islam and modernity, the Qur'an and its exegesis, and Islamic philosophy, theology, and esoteric traditions.” (see here) --- “Professors at Gustavus Adolphus College make on average $108,181 per year. This is $44,715 more than the average liberal arts college professor's annual salary ($63,466).” (see here) Race --- Just this spring (2017), the “Diversity Leadership Council” did something that had many media outlets talking. They posted racially offensive posters (FAKE racist posters) around Gustavus Adolphus’ campus (see here) --- The Gustavus Adolphus student newspaper published a piece called “Mein Trump,” mimicking the name of a book written by Adolph Hitler. A Gustavus Adolphus writer expressed the following, “Trump is quickly and not so quietly building a coalition of white supremacists and closet racists alike.” (see here) Politics --- The Gustavus College Republicans decided to leave the The Diversity Leadership Council “implying that their opinions have been disregarded.” (see here) --- A Gustavus Adolphus College woman wearing a “make America great again” hat was allegedly assaulted on campus. (see here) --- Lutheran Pastor Tom Brock recounts what he saw and experienced while visiting Gustavus Adolphus College writing, “I visited the campus today and walked past the chaplains' offices and the offices of the religion professors, wondering what I would see on their doors. A picture of Jesus or a Bible verse? None of that. Instead I saw signs saying 'Gay safe zone' and 'Hate free zone'. One religion prof showed a rainbow sticker and a sign 'My Karma ran over your dogma'. One door had a posting for feminist theology, another door or two displayed images from Eastern religions. As I was perusing the doors, an Asian religion professor was talking to a student about the different kinds of meditation. Nothing of Jesus." (see here) Students who grew up believing God’s Word, believing in biblical marriage (one man, one woman) and that you shall have no other gods before Him, are having their beliefs trampled on at Gustavus Adolphus. Gustavus Adolphus College is not a faithful, Bible-believing college. This is a series of investigations into the colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Below are links to the first two installments. --- What to Expect if You Attend Luther College (see here) --- Beware of the ELCA’s Grand View University (see here) The work required to run this website is extensive. Please prayerfully consider supporting the ministry of Exposing the ELCA. Click here to find out how. |
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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