Head ELCA Bishop Says There May Be a Hell But She Thinks It Is Empty

9/9/2017

(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here. At the end of his article, you will find a few additional comments by me.)

Elizabeth Eaton, the head Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said in an interview that there may be a Hell, but she thinks it is empty. Contrast that to the teaching of Jesus, who said in a number of places that there is a Hell and there will be people going there (Luke 16:19-31, for example). Bishop Eaton is tragically wrong. Is it any wonder that Bishop Eaton spends time talking about transgender rights, racism, immigration, etc. but to my knowledge has never talked about the need to believe in Jesus to be saved from Hell. Some time ago she was quoted to say that it is not the business of the Church to save souls, that is God's job. Yes, Bishop Eaton, but Jesus has given that job to the Church in His last words on earth (Matthew 28:19) to "Go ye therefore and make disciples".

As long as liberal Protestant leaders like Eaton disbelieve Jesus' words on Hell, liberal mainline denominations will be all about political causes, and will neglect the main thing Christians are called to do: preach the necessity of faith in Christ for salvation (Acts 16:30-31).

Sincerely in Christ,
Pastor Tom Brock

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/elizabeth-eaton-presiding-bishop-evangelical-lutheran-church-in-america-chicago-if-hell-exists-i-think-its-empty-face-to-faith-podcast/

--

Here is the response from ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton when she was asked, "Is there a hell?" -

Eaton: “There may be, but I think it is empty.”

Interviewer: "Really?"

Eaton: “Yes.”

Interviewer: "Why is that?"

Eaton: “Well, Jesus was clear in John chapter 3 that when He is raised up he will draw all people to himself. And if we take a look at salvation history, ever since we got booted out of the garden, it has been God’s relentless pursuit to bring His people to God. Now, people wonder “can you say no?” I imagine you can say “no” to God. I don’t think God is going to give up on us. And if God has eternity, than God can certainly keep working on those folks. So that might be a little bit of a heresy along the lines of Origen, but no, I don’t think God gives up.”

If you doubt that the ELCA teaches universalism, here is the ELCA's presiding bishop making it clear. If hell is empty, all people are saved. That is universalism. It is a dangerous heresy, a false teaching, which puts individuals' eternal destiny at risk: faith in Christ is not needed. Live it up, worship other gods, reject Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you will still go to heaven according to the ELCA's top bishop.

Of course, the Bible directly says this is not so. Heaven and hell are real and people and angels will populate both. It is time to flee this false-teaching denomination. They are playing with people's eternal lives. They are not telling them the truth of how to be saved. This could not be more serious. Tell your friends and family so they are not led astray either. Share this and pray they will read it and see the truth.

11 Comments

John

9/10/2017 09:58:09 pm

Eaton's full quote is conclusively universalist. Here it is:

Is there a hell?
“There may be, but I think it’s empty.”
Why?
“Jesus was clear” in the Bible that after he was “raised up he will draw all people to himself.” [end of quote]

So it's official, as of Sep 7, the P.B. of the ELCA is a universalist. Which was recognized as heresy in the 6th century. So the P.B. of the ELCA is a heretic -- or should that be heretrix in her case?!?

Guess what, ELCAnites -- you don't have to settle for "All dogs go to heaven" posing as doctrine. You don't have to settle for heretics posing as clergy. Life is too short, and eternity is too long, to settle for a sham. Find a Bible-teaching congregation in the Christian Church, and experience the difference. You have nothing to lose, but the lies.

9/12/2017 01:04:57 am

Just saw even more of the quote (from another site), where Eaton admits her own heresy:

“Jesus was clear in John 3 that when He is raised up, He will draw all people to Himself,” Eaton stated. “And if we take a look at salvation history, ever since we got booted out of the garden, it has been God’s relentless pursuit to bring His people to God.”

“Now, people wonder, ‘Well, can you say no?’ I imagine you can say no to God, [but] I don’t think God’s going to give up on us. And if God has eternity, then God can certainly keep working on those folks,” she said. “That might be a little bit of heresy along the lines of origin [sic, his name was Origen], but I don’t think God gives up.”

So she admits her heresy, but hey, as long as she thinks it or imagines it, it's OK with her. (So for the last 14 centuries universalism has been a heresy, but that's because the heretics didn't really think it or imagine it? If they had only thought it or imagined it, that would have made it OK?) Wow. Maybe, just maybe, there's even more heresy in the ELCA based on what their clergy have been thinking and imagining. Sounds like an opportunity for another ELCA hymnal revision, with new hymns like "Standing, standing, standing on the guesses of my four year bishop..." Or how about "Blessed uncertainty, Jesus or not ..."

With bishops like her, who needs heretics??
It would be funny if it weren't so tragic!!
ELCAnites, don't settle for her baloney. As the old song says, "Put Your Hand in the Hand of the Man from Galilee." Experience the difference.

Frederick

3/19/2018 12:07:12 pm

Finally we have obtained ecumenical agreement with Rome. Frankly the Bouncer espouses the same heresy.

Barb Herman

7/20/2020 10:23:11 am

We are members of an ELCA church but after reading what the Bishop is saying, we are going to think about leaving the ELCA. I am very sad that the ELCA would even THINK of employing a Bishop with those beliefs. That is so anti Bible. I can't believe she is still on the payroll !

Dan Skogen

7/20/2020 03:47:27 pm

It is not Biblical. Jesus talked about Hell more than anyone. Sadly, there are lots (a large majority) of ELCA Bishops and pastors who believe this, that everyone will go to heaven,and if there is even a hell it will be empty. See this link for more documentation. https://www.exposingtheelca.com/on-universalism--hell.html

Allan Aanonson

9/21/2020 09:11:38 pm

The ELCA desperately needs a Father Altman.

9/21/2020 09:23:32 pm

Thank God that God compelled my wife and I to leave the ELCA Lutheran Church after being members for over 60 years. By being out of this evil church our redemption and salvation is more assured.

I was in the storm in Minneapolis that broke the cross off Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis in 2009 when the leaders of the ELCA Lutheran Church voted to approve the ordination of actively gay pastors. Ever since this highly mysterious storm that was not predicted on an absolutely clear blue sky day as we drove from Wisconsin into St Paul and into Minneapolis, the storm materialized out of no where. The small tornado took out small trees along the interstate just a head of us, destroyed the cross on the church within the hour they approved the vote, and then lifted and disappeared. My wife and I were finally compelled by God and given the courage to leave the ELCA in 2016. Praise the Lord.

Didaskalos link

9/11/2017 04:22:56 am

Bishop Eaton is carrying on the ELCA's tragic "tradition" of the heresy of universalism.

Her predecessor, Mark Hanson, wrote in "An Open Letter to Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Leaders" (2006) [ http://web.archive.org/web/20070214062821/http://www.elca.org/bishop/m_060809letter.html ] :

"The one God whom we worship. . . "

Carmen M. Soto link

9/12/2017 02:21:56 pm

ELCA church members better wake up. This is not the Lutheran Church Luther reformed. He was a man that went by the Word and lived by the Word. ELCA is the False Prophets in the last days that the Word spoke about. This lady Eaton is full of a demon and not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit condemns her beliefs.

Someone

6/24/2018 08:30:44 am

The ELCA bishops are, not just covering up rape of children, as confessed to in this book by a justifiably appalled ELCA insider. (I'm one of the many "widows" mentioned in the Preface of this book, so I know all about how the ELCA pastors and bishops cover up the sexual assault of Lutheran children.)

https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Culture-Wars-Reclaiming-Prayer/dp/1598868330

But the ELCA hospitals are also profiteering off of covering up child abuse on a massive scale, and in the tune of billions, with the help of today's so called "mental health professionals" and mainstream doctors.

Today, over 80% of those labeled as "depressed," "anxious," "bipolar," or "schizophrenic," are actually misdiagnosed child abuse victims. Over 90% of those labeled as "borderline" are misdiagnosed child abuse victims.

https://www.madinamerica.com/2016/04/heal-for-life/

Why all this misdiagnosis of child abuse victims with the DSM disorders? Today's "mental health industry" is, by design, set up to ensure that all child abuse victims will be misdiagnosed with the billable DSM disorders. Because child abuse is listed in the DSM as a "V Code," and the "V Codes" are NOT insurance billable disorders. Thus in order to get paid, the "mental health professionals" must misdiagnose child abuse victims with a billable DSM disorder.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-child-does-not-have-bipolar-disorder/201402/dsm-5-and-child-neglect-and-abuse-1

Do the psychiatric drugs help child abuse victims? No. How do the psychiatric drugs work? The ADHD drugs and antidepressants can create the "bipolar" symptoms. And over a million American children have already had the adverse effects of these drug classes misdiagnosed (according to the DSM-IV-TR, but NOT the DSM5) as "bipolar." Resulting in an American only, completely iatrogenic (not "genetic") "childhood bipolar epidemic."

https://www.alternet.org/story/146659/are_prozac_and_other_psychiatric_drugs_causing_the_astonishing_rise_of_mental_illness_in_america

And the "bipolar," "borderline," and "schizophrenia" DSM recommended drug cocktails and drugs can create both the negative and positive symptoms of "schizophrenia." The negative symptoms of "schizophrenia" are created via neuroleptic induced deficit syndrome. And the positive symptoms of "schizophrenia" are created via antidepressant and/or antipsychotic induced anticholinergic toxidrome.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroleptic-induced_deficit_syndrome
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxidrome

But, once again, since neither of these medically known psychiatric drug induced syndrome/toxidrome are billable DSM disorders, or even listed in the DSM, they are always misdiagnosed as one of the billable DSM disorders. Out of sight, out of the DSM billing code "bible," out of minds of all the so called "mental health professionals" and mainstream doctors.

But what all this means is that today's "mental health industry" is a multibillion dollar, iatrogenic illness creating, primarily child abuse covering up, industry. The head of the National Institute of Mental Health did finally confess to the scientific invalidity of all the DSM disorders in 2013.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/directors/thomas-insel/blog/2013/transforming-diagnosis.shtml

But the bottom line is when the leaders of the religions stand 100% in support of this multibillion dollar, iatrogenic illness creating, primarily child abuse covering up system, as Bishop Eaton does.

Well, what choice do the ELCA leaders have, but to believe in universalism, since the unrepentant, child abuse covering up ELCA bishops and pastors are amongst "the worst of all" people on this planet.

The ELCA leaders aid, abet, and empower child molesters, while profiteering in the tune of billions off of their "dirty little secret of the two original educated professions," child abuse covering up system.

Personally, I agree with Jesus, that repentance is required for forgiveness. And Jesus said, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." Thus, Jesus was NOT an advocate of child rapists, like the ELCA leaders are.

Let's hope the ELCA leadership and the doctors some day learn to behave as Christians instead, and decide to get out of the child abuse covering up and child rapist empowerment business.

These ELCA leaders' and the doctors pedophile empowerment crimes have resulted in our world having huge pedophilia run amok problems, and apparently also child sex trafficking problems, according to world leaders.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/us/backpage-sex-trafficking.html
http://www.wuc-news.com/2017/09/putin-west-is-controlled-by-satanic.html

But since this medical/religious "dirty little secret of the two original educated professions" child abuse covering up system is now a multibillion dollar industry. Well,

Greg

5/10/2024 11:50:44 am

I'm amazed that she quotes John 3:14-15 and just forgets that it's not "so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone... may have eternal life" but that the ellipsis omits "who believes". It goes: "so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone WHO BELIEVES may have eternal life IN HIM.” You'd think a bishop would have read a bible.

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

Head ELCA Bishop Says There May Be a Hell But She Thinks It Is Empty

Leave a Reply.

Dan Skogen

Categories

Archives

Home

Share

Exposed Blog

HELP

Contact