Merry Christmas Myth: ELCA Leader Says Virgin Birth and Nativity Story Did Not Happen

What do you know . . .  An ELCA leader doesn’t believe what the Bible says; this time its about Jesus’ birth.  Surprise and Merry Christmas!  (Do they celebrate Christmas in the ELCA any longer?)

Here is what was said by Rev. Dr. Don Carlson, Assistant to the Bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, concerning the two accounts of Jesus’ birth in the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Luke:

“They are very different stories which are quite incompatible with one another. . .I certainly do not believe they are ‘historical’ in any modern understanding of historicity. . .I think that the stories are made up. (I’m retiring at the end of May anyway so don’t waste time with the heresy accusations.) They are myth” (read here).

Here is what Rev. Carlson had to say about Christ being born of a virgin:

“Focusing on the virgin birth issue, we need to remember that accounts of virgin or miraculous births were not uncommon antiquity. However, we also need to remember that such accounts were intended to express something about the character of the person born. They were a ‘character reference’ or ‘credentials.’ They were not intended to explain where the individual got 23 of his or her chromosomes. An understanding of fertilization and pregnancy in antiquity was, let’s say, ‘agrarian’ at best.” (read in the same article linked above)

Toward the end of his blog/article Rev. Carlson gives this advice to pastors: “tell the old mythic story in a way that. . . it is heard anew”.  In order to prove his points in the blog, the Assistant to the Bishop recommends a discussion of the birth narratives by the controversial Marcus Borg. (find out more about him here)

Pastor Steve Shipman, director of LutheranCORE addresses those who teach like Rev. Carlson.  Rev. Shipman wrote:

“If a person chooses not to believe the Virgin Birth, they are free to do so.  But they have no right then to claim to be a teacher or believer in Christianity.  The faith once delivered to the saints is not a cafeteria from which we can pick and choose what pleases us.

If Jesus were born in the usual way, then what does it mean that He is 'the Word made flesh'? How can God be his Father in the way the Church has always proclaimed, if he is biologically the child of both Mary and Joseph (or even, as certain blasphemous legends suggest, of Mary and some other man)? Some early Christians made arguments for what is called ‘adoptionism,’ which taught that Jesus wasn’t born Son of God but was adopted into that role at his baptism by John. This was quickly rejected as heresy, because then the good news of the Incarnation simply can’t stand.

And it does matter for our salvation that ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.’ It does matter that ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ If Jesus is just a good human being, even a perfect human being, He cannot save us but would only have saved Himself. But because He is God among us, taking our humanity into the life of the Holy Trinity, we have a marvelous hope for this life and the next.”   (read here)

What I am reporting isn’t just one ELCA leader preaching heresy.  No. Rev. Carlson’s article was posted on the website and blog of Michael Rinehart, bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  Bishop Rinehart is responsible for the article’s posting on his blog and he is culpable for what it says.  ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson, the ELCA’s Church Council and all high-ranking ELCA leaders are also responsible and culpable for what he (and others) say and/or for allowing theologically false-teaching to be preached. Allowing this heresy is the same as promoting it yourself.  They are accomplices and are leading people away from God’s Truth and way from Christ.

People who don’t believe basic Christian truths and historic stories in the Bible are running the ELCA, teaching in the seminaries, preaching in the pulpits and “teaching” you about Christianity.  Honestly, I believe Satan has infiltrated the ELCA and placed his people in leadership positions.

Here’s some more information on Assistant to the Bishop Rev. Dr. Don Carlson:

• Some of Rev. Carlson responsibilities as Assistant to the Bishop are “Call Process, Candidacy, Theological Education, Leadership” (see here).

• Carlson, a gay man, has been pushing homosexuality issues in the ELCA for years.  (link provided upon request)

• As Exposing the ELCA has reported, Rev. Carlson has said a number of unBiblical things in the past (see here and here)