Keep an eye out for what resolutions are passed at your ELCA synod and churchwide assemblies this year. The Metropolitan Chicago Synod Assembly is meeting June 4 and 5, 2010, and will be voting on a resolution called "TO ENCOURAGE UNDERSTANDING OF AND ENDORSEMENT OF THE KAIROS PALESTINE DOCUMENT 2009." (see here)
The Kairos Palestine Document is a propaganda piece against the nation of Israel. "The document. . . is meant to mobilize churches worldwide in a program of boycotts, divestment and delegitimization directed at the State of Israel. It alludes explicitly to a similarly named document issued in South Africa years ago, thus deliberately comparing Israel with the regime of apartheid. It employs extreme language, such as declaring that 'the military occupation of our land is a sin against God and humanity,'" says Malcolm Lowe in his article, "The Palestinian 'Kairos' Document: A Behind-the-Scenes Analysis." Please read Malcolm Lowe's Analysis of the "Kairos" document. (see here) The ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod Assembly will be voting on the endorsement of this document. (will there be something similar at the churchwide Assembly?) I have a bad feeling the ELCA will be passing many of these types of resolutions in the months and years to come.
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"For most Christians, Lent is a season of penitence and devotion in remembrance of the events leading to Christ’s crucifixion. For Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), Lent is an organizing tool for rallying U.S. Christians against Israel.
CMEP is releasing a series of Lenten devotionals, culminating with the current Holy Week, that supporters are urged to disseminate to their local churches. Each devotional has an explicit or implicit critique of modern Israel or message of solidarity with Palestinians. . . " Read more. The ELCA is a member of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) - ELCA website The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is on the attack. And they will let nothing get in the way of their goal, a nation called Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital. They are shameless. The ELCA is now on the attack against Christians who care for and support Israel. Presiding ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson says the support of Israel by Christians “ . . . is a dangerous and radical political movement.” The ELCA has websites and brochures denouncing them. The ELCA gathered with other like-minded mainline denominations, not to long ago, to find ways to combat these Christians.
The ELCA's website highlights Rev. Munib Younan's, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jerusalem, thoughts on the matter. He says, "I hereby declare that (the belief of Christians who support Israel) is not only a sick theology but it is a heresy. . ." That's not all, the Bishop goes on to say this about these Christians, ". . . they are actually anti-Semitic." This is all promoted on our ELCA's official website. Make no mistake. This is the ELCA view. They are promoting anti-semitic statements against Christian supporters of Israel. It is their voice and their position. This is our church everyone. Let's really look at this. Let's say there are two groups. One group 1) loves the Jewish people, 2) supports the Israelis in word and deed, 3) promotes good relations between the governments and people, 4) takes vacations there, 5) prays for them, 6) financially supports the country and organizations with in it, 7) defends them when the vast majority of nations rain down hatred on them. The other group (the ELCA) 1) calls on Israel to give up its land, 2) uses inflammatory language to support their anti-Israeli positions, 3) calls on Israel to give up half of it's capital, 4) not only gives up territory but wants them to give it to a people who violently attack them and claim Jews as their mortal enemies, 5) demands that Israel remove its protective border fence, 6) has a founder with a history of anti-semitic views, 7) has heavily considered doing no financial business with Israel, 8) blames Israel for the reducing rate of Christians in the Palestinian controlled areas, 9) continues to give little credence to the violence perpetrated against the Israelis, 10) believe and teach that when the Bible says "Israel" and "Jerusalem" one should replace those words to read "Christians" and "church." Which one of these groups would you pick as anti-semitic? Group two is the perfect representation of the ELCA. People of the ELCA, is this the Church you want to belong to? Below is an email reply with a friend, who is a pastor. I sent him a link to this website and he replied. This is my reply to him. I have done minor edits to clear up confusion and make it more understandable to the reader. To understand more of my points and views read more of my blogs and the links contained on this website -
And now, the email - . . .I did not know your position on the issue but figured if you agree "great," if not I'd like to hear your thoughts as someone I respect. I find some of your thoughts helpful, and thank you for them. You may not find my site helpful, but the real intent behind it is to inform the regular ELCA members (like my grandmother) about the truth - what the denomination is teaching and doing, as well as to encourage them to take a stand for their churches. (To answer your points) I disagree with your statement on the August decision. The fact is the ELCA has allowed churches to ordain practicing homosexuals and bless their unions. That is an endorsement by the ELCA no matter how you look at it. They wouldn't allow it if they disagreed with it. The synod offices and positions will be allowing it, will they not? I have a different idea about where authority should be, with God and his Holy word. But as you know, if you have read my links, that is the issue (the ELCA view on the Bible.) 1) I like and agree with your thought that I should claim authorship of the website by putting my name on it. 2) (concerning information on the tornado at the ELCA August meetings and if God caused it) The truth is that God does, at times, speak and use nature for his purposes. Think of Noah, the Red Sea, darkness during Jesus crucifixion, Jonah and the storm, etc. So it is possible God was doing the same here. The storm did not injure anyone, so I don't see any suffering because of it. If the ELCA doesn't take heed to God's Word and Will (that is stated so clearly in the Bible on homosexuality), or with conservative pastors' pleas not to vote for it, I don't think it is too far fetched to think He may use a less than F1 tornado to shake the voting ELCA representatives and as a way to try and convince them to obey His word. I don't believe all disasters are warnings from God, but some are. Isaiah 45:7, "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster, I the Lord do all these things". Also, Matt. 16: 2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." 3) I do have a problem with the ELCA's stance on the Israel/Palestine issue. We both know Israel has a longer claim on the land. They have had a continuous presence for over 3000 years there. They also won that land when the arab world attacked them. As Yusef Diya al-Khadidi, Mayor of Jerusalem (1899) said, "Who can challenge the rights of the Jews in Palestine? Good Lord, historically it is really your country." There are 56 Islamic countries and just 1 Jewish country. In 1870, Jews were the majority population in Jerusalem. The ELCA attacks Israel for its security fence and wants it taken down. The fence was built to prevent suicide bombers from walking into Jewish populations and blowing up innocent men, women and children. Many countries have fences and walls. The U.S., Turkey, Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, India, Spain, Thailand, Yemen, etc. The ELCA states it wants Israel to give up Judia, Samaria, and half of Jerusalem. God gave that land to Isaac and Jacob. The Bible says its for their descendants. (here is another point where the ELCA puts their will above what the Bible says.) Have you seen what Gaza is like with the terrorists in leadership? The same will happen in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. If the ELCA cares so much about the issue lets ask one of the arab states to parcel off some of their land and create a Palestinian state away from Israel. That would be a more peaceful solution. After all, Hamas' charter says, "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it." I encourage you to read my articles listed about Israel and the ELCA. If those in Gaza are suffering greatly, it is because of the radical muslims there, for the most part, not the Israelis. The ELCA uses bias terms such as "occupied" territory. Where are the calls for Palestinians to change their ways, to lay down their weapons, to stop teaching their children to hate the Jews, to put in their charter that Israel has a right to live there, to form a true democratic government (like Israel), to allow Jews to live in Gaza if they choose? I am glad we all care about the Palestinians. Absolutely God loves them. But the way the ELCA has chosen to "care" for them is really to blame Israel. I don't see the ELCA confronting those countries that keep "Palestinian Refugees" in poverty and refugee camps and denied them citizenship, since 1948. Do they really care about them or does the Israel angle fit their agenda? I don't see the ELCA demanding Hamas stop using the billions in international money they get to buy weapons and benefit the few. (concerning the ELCA using "mother" as a reference for God) 4) On "mother" God. I don't think most ELCA members would approve, and I want them to know about the ELCA's stance. Wasn't Jesus, God Himself, a man? Did Jesus ever call God "mother?" Did the disciples? Did anyone in the Bible? Why do we think we know better and understand more about God then them? If Jesus called God "Father" that is the term we should use, in my opinion. It seems to me the ELCA thinks they are so intellectual, they are so wise, and they know so much more than the authors of the Bible (God included) that they can decide what is true and what is not. What is real and what is not. What Jesus said and what he didn't. They can dismiss thousands of verses that talk about prophecy and things that will happen because they "know" it's not possible for someone to know the future even if it is God speaking through them. They have put their view above God's Word, which He is said to "inspire." If the ELCA's view of the Bible was right, don't you think Jesus would have said that? If it wasn't from God and true, don't you think Jesus would have said, "Hey everyone, the scriptures are just human's writings. They're not from God. And prophecy? It's a bunch of hogwash." The fact is, Jesus didn't say that and He read and viewed the writing as true and as God's Word. Good connecting with you. If you have more comments and thoughts, I'd love talk with you about them. Peace, Dan I've been reading up on the ELCA's views and positions they have taken against Israel, which can be found on the "ELCA Exposed News" page. It reminded me of an experience I have while at seminary. The teacher liked to refer to people in the ELCA as evangelicals and that day she said how we are much more supportive of Israel than people like Pat Robertson. She went on to say the Pat is very anti-Jewish/Israeli. First off, I think Pat would consider himself an evangelical and I would never consider the ELCA evangelical despite them using the word in their name. But I could not believe the teacher would say that about Pat Robertson. At that time I spoke up and said, "I am very familiar with Pat Robertson. I have been watching him for over 20 years. I have never heard him say any anti-Jewish or anti-Israeli remarks, in fact he is the most supportive person of Israel you will ever find."
After reading the ELCA's view and policies against Israel, my encounter that day really makes me think "Hmmmm." Hello council members and friends,
I found some information I want to share with you as we respond to the ELCA decision on homosexuality. This information comes from Community Church of Joy in Glendale, AZ (one of the largest ELCA churches in America) and their reasoning for leaving the ELCA. It gives a couple of reasons that we have not looked at. They voted 129 to 0 to leave the ELCA in Sept. 2009. I trust the council will read the 5 links I've provided as I believe they relate to us, they speak for a lot of our church members concerning the ELCA's views on scripture and will be helpful for our decisions process (and they are short) Here are the links. - http://www.joyonline.org/blog_entry.php?id=54 - http://www.joyonline.org/PDF/ELCA_Holy_Scripture_0601.pdf - http://www.joyonline.org/PDF/ELCA_Israel_0601.pdf - http://www.joyonline.org/PDF/ELCA_Homosexual_Clergy_0601.pdf - http://www.dakotavoice.com/2009/09/another-large-church-leaves-elca-over-unbiblical-stance/ - here is a news article about CCOJ leaving. It has some quotes from their senior pastor. |
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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