EXPOSING THE ELCA
  • Home
  • ELCA Exposed News
    • on The Bible
    • on Homosexuality & Sex
    • on Universalism & Hell
    • on Goddess/Mother God/Gender Neutral Lang.
    • on Israel
    • on Abortion
    • on Social Media (ELCA Wolves Blog)
    • on Radical Hospitality and Prophecy
    • on Transgenders and Drag Queens
    • on Social Justice & DEIA
    • on Gospel Reductionism / Antinomianism
    • on Called to Common Mission & "Christian Nationalism"
    • on Other Critical Issues
  • Responses to ELCA
    • The Bible vs. ELCA
    • Churches Respond
    • Pastors Respond
    • Exposed Quotes
    • People Respond
    • More Responses
    • ELCA Finances
    • Alternatives to the ELCA
  • Exposed Blog
  • Share
  • Support
  • More
    • About & Contact
    • Help and Advice on Leaving ELCA
    • Important Information
    • Church Produced Info
    • ELCA Vault
    • Readers' Comments
    • ELCA Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber
    • ELCA Colleges
    • ELCA Seminaries
    • Want to Know Jesus?
    • Exposing the ELCA Newsletters & Important Websites
    • Submit Tips

ELCA's Disobedience to God Cause Harm to Children and Adults

2/23/2013

5 Comments

 
ELCA churches love to post on their church websites how “welcoming” they are.  It's especially directed to people in the homosexual community.  One ELCA church said it this way, “As a Christian community, we invite all people to join us as we work to better understand the meaning of grace for our lives.  We welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities into the life and mission of our congregation.” (see here)

Another ELCA church says,
“We are all a part of God’s family and all are welcomed here:
Gay and straight, bisexual, transgendered, young and seasoned, out or not;
Single, married, committed, in love, widowed.

Our families take many forms:
Two moms, two dads, moms and dads together;
Single parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles
Childless, divorced and sharing child-rearing,
Whatever the form – Love Makes a Family” (see here)

Welcoming, rightly defined, is a good thing, but the ELCA errors in its definition.  They've turned “welcoming” into “embracing” people's sinful homosexual ways.  They invite people to live out their homosexual lifestyle with full approval of the church.

God's Word tells us homosexuality is sin, yet the ELCA says it is not.  The ELCA will not proclaim God's power to free people from sin, and they will not talk about repentance or turning from sexual sins.  People struggling with same-sex attraction are in bondage to their sin, and the ELCA “ministers of Christ” tell them to stop struggling and to embrace and indulge in it.  The ELCA declares that what they are doing is “loving,” but the truth of the matter is that it is harmful and evil.

Not only does the ELCA harm those trapped in this sin, it also harms the faith of others in their congregations.  The ELCA invites homosexual relationships to be on display in the church for all to see (including the children of the church).  Paul would have given these churches a stern and heavy warning for permitting this, because it is clearly declared to be wrong in Scripture.

Would a church allow an alcoholic to drink a 12 pack of beer during the sermon?  Would they allow the sex addict to view pornographic magazines while worshiping?  No.  And yet the ELCA allows and encourages the homosexual lifestyle to be celebrated.

Sinners are welcome in worship, if not, no one should be there, but blatant sinful behavior should not be.  It's wrong, and subjecting children and all those in the congregation to a sinful lifestyle is in opposition to God.

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.” - Mark 9:42




5 Comments
Didaskalos link
2/22/2013 10:21:52 pm

The ELCA desperately needs leaders like Rob Schwarzwalder (and Martin Luther!) who will stand against the denomination's headlong pursuit of heresy. Is there no faithful remnant among ELCA leaders? Is there no seminary professor, no pastor, no college professor, no bishop who will boldly speak Biblical truth in love to this apostate denomination?

Schwarzwalder, senior vice president of the Family Research Council, writes in "Hatred, Bigotry and Truth":

"The Bible’s teaching on human sexuality is clear: The only kind of sexual intimacy Scripture countenances exists between one man and one woman, within marriage. This teaching is restrictive, limiting, narrow. It also possesses the singular advantage of being accurate, in the sense of being a faithful representation of what the Bible says.
One need not agree with the Bible to acknowledge its clear teaching.

Regarding efforts to diminish the Bible’s teachings about homosexuality, specifically, former Benedictine monk Luke Timothy Johnson, now of Emory University, writes, “I have little patience with efforts to make Scripture say something other than what it says, through appeals to linguistic or cultural subtleties. The exegetical situation is straightforward: we know what the text says.”

The text says that heterosexual fornication and adultery, and homosexual intimacy, are sins against God and those who bear His image. Agree or disagree – you’re free to make that decision. But have the intellectual honesty not to engage in the almost comical expositional gymnastics required to make the Bible say something it doesn’t.

[. . . ]

Persons of biblical faith – who believe the Bible says what it means and look to it as the source of truth, not just comfort – have no alternative but to stand with Scripture. For this, we are accused of a lack of love. Nonsense: There can be nothing more unloving, or more cowardly, than ignoring a train as it is about to strike someone on its tracks. If we warn against the consequences of sexual sin, whether heterosexual or homosexual, we do so not with self-righteous condemnation but sincere concern for those wrestling with such sins.

The homosexual left [abetted by the Bible-abandoning churches like the ELCA] insists that everyone endorse same-sex relationships as morally and legally valid. We will not. They want to redefine marriage. We refuse. The want homosexuality to be affirmed universally as morally good or at least morally neutral. We cannot. They want full and affirming integration into every social institution, whether it be the military or the Boy scouts or, for that matter, churches of all kinds. We cannot support it.

This is not hate. It’s moral conviction. It will not change.

Here we stand. We can do no other. God help us. Amen."

Reply
Anonymous
2/23/2013 01:35:20 am

Harm. From God's point of view -- I will guess -- harm is the reason for the Biblical injunctions against homosexuality. There are people I have known since childhood who consider themselves homosexual, and who are now entering old age. (I love them very much and I am not passing a "judgment" on them.) I can see they are not happy. Some of them are taking medications for depression. This past Christmas I saw them at holiday parties. Their lives are sterile, even though they have many possessions and accomplishments. Even though society completely accepts them, in an unguarded moment, they express shame.

Harm. How very sad.

Reply
Chuck Braun
2/25/2013 09:28:34 am

Well, it seems that "Jesus has left the Building" on Higgins Road! In my 14 years exiled in the ELCA due to marriage, I have heard my pastor glowingly speak of the Jesus Seminar, the claim made that "Jesus saves through all world religions", the Lord's Prayer beginning with "Our Father and Mother" (One or two Supreme Beings?), denial of the Substitutionary Blood Atonement of Christ, downplaying any mention of Hell in Scripture, claims that Jesus didn't heal anybody and the quote "Christ has risen - we're not sure...) from the pulpit.

The ELCA missionaries stopped witnessing just after I joined, the magazine "The Lutheran" praises interfaith worship of Christians with pagans, and the ELCA website used to all but deny the Virgin Birth of Christ.

It's ironic- Wrigley field stands on the site where the present-day ELCA seminary in Chicago, CLTS (Want cults? all they need is U!) once stood. The Cubs were apparently cursed by a goat; or maybe some other being. The ELCA is a CULT! Touch ye not the unclean thing and depart from her abominations!

I pray that if there are ten faithful preachers of the Word left in the ELCA, and that they stand up for Jesus. If they get the boot, it would be an honor worth infinitely more than their salaries.

Reply
kathy
2/26/2013 01:59:27 am

I have so many things to pray about. The ELCA is leading it's followers to hell! There are 23 ELCA churches within 15 miles of my home. I am amazed. This is so sad. I called my neighbor (who is a member of one local church) but rarely attends. She said she was sent a paper to vote on the new ways of the church but didn't. She had no clue what her church was doing. We have to continue to speak the truth no matter what - because if we don't who will? Who are these leaders that embrace false doctrine? What Bible are they reading? What has happened to their conscience?

Reply
Chuck Braun
2/26/2013 10:43:12 pm

In my previous post, I failed to convey that at this very moment, hundreds of ELCA congregations are working through the tedious process of voting to disaffilliate from the denomination. Many ELCA pastors are being chastized by their superiors as well. I need the Holy Spirit's guidance to prevent my righteous anger at ELCA leadership's failure to uphold the Scriptures and Creeds from turning to hateful spite. May God forgive me. Many of our loved ones and other brothers and sisters in Christ are still in the ELCA. May we continue to pray for them, and pray that Bishop Hanson and his like-minded leaders would repent of their false teachings. The Lord will judge the leaders of His Church more severely than her laity, so we need to pray for these straying brothers and sisters and stand up to them lovingly and humbly. But for Jesus, we'd all be in the same boat which they seem to be aboard, headed full steam towards a grim destination. The LCMS went through her own battle for the Bible, and the Lord brought them back on course. The Southern Baptist Church also was turned around in the 1970's from an errant course. Pray that this would happen in the ELCA as well...

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    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.

    Give online
    by clicking the "donate" button below:

    Categories

    All
    2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
    Abortion
    Adam And Eve
    Advocacy
    All Paths Lead To God
    Angels
    Anglican Church
    A Pastors Thoughts
    Astrology
    Bds
    Belief
    Berlin Wall
    BIPOC
    Bisexual
    Bishop
    Black-lives-matter
    Blasphemy
    Border Fence
    Camp
    Capitalism
    Christian Nationalism
    Christmas
    Church Leaves Elca
    Church Plant
    Climate Change
    Columbus Day
    Communion
    Community Organizing
    COVID
    Covington-catholic
    Creation
    Cross Dressing
    Cursing
    Deaconness
    Decolonizelutheranism
    DEI
    Divorce
    Drag
    Drag Queen
    Eappi
    Easter
    Elca
    ELCA Churchwide Assembly
    Elca College
    ELCA Conference Of Bishops
    Elca World Hunger
    Environmentalism
    Episcopal
    Equality Act
    Evil
    Evolution
    Exposing The Elca
    Feminism
    Feminist Theology
    Fracking
    Franklin Graham
    Fundamentalists
    Future
    Gay Bar
    Gay Marriage
    Gender
    Gender Neutral Language
    Gnosticism
    God
    Goddess Worship
    Gospel Of Affirmation
    Grace Luth Eau Claire
    Guns
    Halloween
    Heaven-on-earth
    Hell
    Herchurch
    Heresy
    Heterosexism
    Holy Spirit
    Homosexuality
    ICE
    Ilhan Omar
    Illegal Immigration
    Illustration
    Immigration
    Inclusion
    Inerrancy
    Interfaith
    Intersex
    Intolerant
    Israel
    Jesus
    John Dominic Crossan
    Jonah
    Judge Kavanaugh
    Lcmc
    Lent
    Letter
    Liberal Theology
    Liberation Theology
    Lift
    Living Lutheran
    Lutheran Church Of Hope
    Lutheran Core
    Lutheran Immigration And Refugee Sevice
    Lutheran Social Services
    LWF
    Mainline Protestant
    Mantra
    Marcus Borg
    Martin Luther
    Masterpiece Cake Shop
    Masturbation
    Media 1517
    Membership
    Methodist
    Mike Housholder
    Missionaries
    Money
    Mother God
    Naked And Unashamed
    Nakedness
    Nalc
    National Day Of Mourning
    Noah's Ark
    Non-Binary
    Operation Christmas Child
    Other Religions
    Overpopulation
    Pam Rocker
    Patriarchy
    Pat Robertson
    PC(USA)
    Police
    Politics
    Polls
    Polyamorous Relationships
    Pornography
    Portico Benefit Services
    Prayer
    Premarital Sex
    Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
    Presiding Bishop Herbert Chilstrom
    Pronouns
    Purity Rings
    Queer Eye
    Queer Theology
    Race
    Racism
    Rage
    Reform Elca
    Refugees
    Reiki
    Resurrection
    Rev Nadia Bolz Weber
    Right And Wrong
    Rob Bell
    Salvation
    Salvation Army
    Samaritan's Purse
    Sanctuary
    Satan
    Saul Alinsky
    Seminaries
    Sex
    Silencing Free Speech
    Silencing Pastors
    Sin
    Smudging
    Socialism
    Social Justice
    Spirit Guides
    Standing Rock
    Store
    Substitutionary Atonement
    Syncretism
    Synods
    Tarot Cards
    Taxes
    Thanksgiving
    The Bible
    The Finger
    The Gospel
    The Lutheran
    The Tea Party
    Thrivent
    Tolerance
    Transgender
    Trump
    UCC
    Unitarian Universalist
    United Methodist Church
    United Nations
    United States Of America
    Unity
    Universalism
    Universal Salvation
    Vagina
    Video
    Virgin Birth
    Welca
    White
    White Privilege
    White Supremacists
    Wiccan
    Wordalone
    Yoga
    Youth


    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009


    RSS Feed


    Exposing the ELCA
    Exposing the ELCA is on Facebook

    Picture
    Follow Exposing the ELCA on Twitter

    ​Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11

Home

Share

Exposed Blog

HELP

Contact

Exposing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
​Copyright © 2021
Photos from lcm1863, Toolstotal, QuinnDombrowski
  • Home
  • ELCA Exposed News
    • on The Bible
    • on Homosexuality & Sex
    • on Universalism & Hell
    • on Goddess/Mother God/Gender Neutral Lang.
    • on Israel
    • on Abortion
    • on Social Media (ELCA Wolves Blog)
    • on Radical Hospitality and Prophecy
    • on Transgenders and Drag Queens
    • on Social Justice & DEIA
    • on Gospel Reductionism / Antinomianism
    • on Called to Common Mission & "Christian Nationalism"
    • on Other Critical Issues
  • Responses to ELCA
    • The Bible vs. ELCA
    • Churches Respond
    • Pastors Respond
    • Exposed Quotes
    • People Respond
    • More Responses
    • ELCA Finances
    • Alternatives to the ELCA
  • Exposed Blog
  • Share
  • Support
  • More
    • About & Contact
    • Help and Advice on Leaving ELCA
    • Important Information
    • Church Produced Info
    • ELCA Vault
    • Readers' Comments
    • ELCA Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber
    • ELCA Colleges
    • ELCA Seminaries
    • Want to Know Jesus?
    • Exposing the ELCA Newsletters & Important Websites
    • Submit Tips