ELCA Vault - Room 21
The ELCA Vault is a collection of articles, blogs, and documents related to issues with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
For ‘neutrality’ between good and evil Thrivent cuts pro-life adrift. . .“The efforts of Lutherans for Life and other pro-life organizations are consistent with the Lutheran commitment to the sanctity of life. Planned Parenthood’s pro-abortion practices and policies are utterly contrary to the Lutheran commitment to the sanctity of life,” said Lamb. . .
Lost Church. . .The ELCA has become a marvelous analogy of the “free love,” “sexual liberation,” in our hedonistic society. All her relationships are dysfunctional to toxic, but proudly displayed – “I will live the life I choose.” . .
But It Doesn’t Say That!. . .It never ceases to amaze me the contortions some folks will go through to get the Bible to say what they want to say. But asking, ‘Did God really say..?’ is the oldest trick in the book.
Well, I Was Wrong. . .The ELCA didn’t split into two over the issue, but its long decline certainly accelerated. In neoliberal America, we don’t blow things up. We walk away from them slowly until they fall into disrepair and decay. . .
UCC, ELCA, and Episcopal Church join to support “Buildings for a New Tomorrow” April symposium. . .To underscore their support of this work, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Mission Investment Fund and the United Church of Christ Building & Loan Fund are both underwriting the April 28-30, 2014 event, which will be held in Fort Lauderdale, FL. . .
An Exodus - Congregations that have left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada over the last 28 Years. . .About 70 congregations have left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) since the merger in 1986.
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Al Mohler, Dennis Prager & Ross Douthat on Religion and State
. . .Citing the example of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), Mohler said church officials hired sociologists to help explain why their attendance continues to drop. The sociologists gave a “theological answer,” that people left because there was no binding authority keeping them in the pews. “You no longer believe that Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation, you don’t think there’s anything from which people need to be saved, and thus no one comes to church, no one wants to go, no one feels any binding authority. . .
Thrivent Financial Neutrality Policy
. . .Under this policy, certain organizations are not eligible to receive outreach support or funding. This includes, but is not limited to, organizations with a primary purpose of providing services for or advocating positions either supporting or opposing certain social, politically partisan, or health and human services causes and issues, such as abortion, sexual orientation, or guns. . .
Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace
I’ve been noticing lately how all around us in the mainline churches military imagery is being carefully and quietly plucked out of our worship language. Partly it is (cowardly) discomfort with the violence and apocalypticism of the Scriptures. . .
Ghosts of Gettyburg
. . .A quick look at the Exposing the ELCA website, or the journals published by LTSG and LTSP, show just how far both seminaries have strayed not only from traditional Lutheranism but from "the faith delivered once and for all to the saints." . .
______, Justice, Jazz (2009)
The theme of the 2009 ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans was “Jesus, Justice, Jazz.” However, early on what began to concern me and several friends who attended was that the first one in the list, Jesus of Nazareth, seemed noticeably absent by name in the mass gatherings. . .
Evangelical Lutheran leader suggests Bible not the final authority (2009)
. . .In a town hall meeting Sunday, Bishop Mark Hanson said, “the understanding we have of homosexuality today does not seem to be reflected at all in the context of the biblical writers.” Therefore, he said, Lutherans should consider more modern views on sexual orientation. . .
The ELCA would like to exercise your demons!
. . .Now we don’t “exorcise” demons that would be superstitious. Instead we “exercise” our demons. In our “freedom in Christ” in the progressive and liberal churches, we indulge, and even celebrate and bless our sins. . .
Catholic, Christian, Lutheran
. . .To say that the ELCA is “Christian” is a stretch — you would have to define Christianity as a religion that teaches that we should simply be “loving” – as our human-only founder was loving. (I think this could be called a type of Buddhism.). . .
House of Cards
. . .It would be much easier to simply base His word on solid, scientific ground. Think about it for a minute. God created the universe by simply speaking it into existence and did it in 6 days no less. The “Big Bang” and following that, evolution, or that life sprang into existence by random comingling of certain molecules, is considered settled science. Well, actually there is no proof that the universe began with a big bang, nor that life simply created itself. . .
Who is Teaching ELCA Leadership? - Witness Stone Blog
. . .The ELCA's Northeastern Iowa Synod announced that this week Bishop Steven Ullestad would be "Learning from Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber about outreach to the generations." . .
The Future
. . .The ELCA does not firmly teach Christian Doctrine. As we have seen at Christmas, it questions the Virgin Birth. The ELCA does not strongly condemn Abortion. The ELCA endorses homosexual clergy and gay marriage. All this is very serious. Now, it appears that Bishop Rinehart is inching toward endorsing a One-World Religion. . .
Six False Teachings in the Church Today, Part 2 - Rev. Tom Brock (PastorsStudy.org)
Bad Theology
. . .The fallacy is that theological correctness and moral rightness are somehow mutually exclusive. Bonhoeffer’s actions were correct. His theology was not. Luther would have been appalled at Bonhoeffer’s lack of understanding of the two kingdoms principle. Bad theology leads to bad practices. . .
Identity Crisis
. . .I think this is part of the larger issue in the ELCA, the denomination of which I am a part. If you read through our social statements; if you read through many of our decisions as a church; if you peruse the dialogue held by people; you will NOT get a sense of a shared identity. You will NOT get a sense of this denomination knowing with any kind of certainty what we believe and profess. . .
Video - Pastor Tom Brock of PastorsStudy
Six False Teachings in the Church Today, Part 1
By any Other Name
. . .As the ELCA tramples upon the solid foundation of Lutheranism and replaces it with what is more pleasing to the world, it drifts further away from God and into the deep end of the pool of heresy. The bishop of the ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod, meeting with our church council after our first vote to leave passed, said that “sometimes it is appropriate to dive into the deep end of the pool of heresy.”. .
ELCA Synod Encourages Participation in Rally Calling For the Closing of Guantanamo
. . . For several years, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) and other human rights and faith groups have used the anniversary of the opening to call for its closure. On Saturday January 11, consider joining in (1) prayer and (2) a rally moving from the White House to Mall from noon to 2:30 p.m. . .
A Thrivent Christmas Comparison
A Faithful Pro-Life Witness in a “Pro-Choice” Denomination (1999)
. . .Oldline Protestant denominations have prided themselves on their generous openness and pluralism. Therefore, in the midst of a culture where abortion is performed frequently and debated unreservedly, the alert observer would think that abortion would be regularly discussed in the sanctuaries, fellowship halls, and classrooms of the oldline denominations. However, the unseen pressures described above create a moratorium on such open, honest explorations. . .
Franklin Graham: 'Duck Dynasty' and the Ducking Church
. . .If we Christians banded together and took a stand, perhaps we wouldn’t be losing so much ground in what the media is calling the “cultural war.” However, it is not a cultural war—it is a religious war against Christians and the biblical truths we stand for. Some churches have fallen into the trap of being politically correct, under the disguise of tolerance. . .
Sticks and Stones
. . .Is God’s kingdom advanced when the leaders of the ELCA continually support the terrorist regime, Hamas, and Palestine, while casting stones at Israel? Is God’s kingdom advanced when the leaders of the ELCA support a women’s choice to end her pregnancy, or what is in reality, complicity in the murder of her unborn child? . .
Parishes leaving ELCA find an unexpected price to pay (2010)
. . .“For the members, it is a shame to be named ‘Lutheran”' because of the denomination’s homosexuality policy, Panzo said. “The (One in Christ) Mission never participates in any ELCA event. . .
Dear Thrivent,
. . .Abortion isn’t controversial; it is evil. Abortion is intrinsically immoral, essentially and immutably wrong.
When your investors complained about Choice Dollars potentially funding abortion, you corrected the problem. But you didn’t stop there. You suspended the eligibility of Pro-Life groups from your Choice Dollars program too. Why? Because you think abortion is merely controversial, not evil. . .
When your investors complained about Choice Dollars potentially funding abortion, you corrected the problem. But you didn’t stop there. You suspended the eligibility of Pro-Life groups from your Choice Dollars program too. Why? Because you think abortion is merely controversial, not evil. . .
Getting More Clarity
. . .In my recent reading, I have come to see just how much of an influence such scholars as Rudolf Bultmann, Marcus Borg, and John Dominic Crossan have had in my own denomination. I believe each of these scholars' work was/is driven by a particular practice leading to bad theology. That theology, in turn, has become very influential in its teaching which has led to bad practice. . .
Thrivent Would Facilitate Donations from Lutherans to Planned Parenthood
. . .Why is Thrivent providing a way for Planned Parenthood – an abortion business that commits atrocities every day that are completely contrary to the will of God – to receive charitable contributions from them? . .
Pure Evil - Witness Stone Blog
. . .How anyone who is pro-life, who believes children in the womb should not be burned to death and ripped apart limb from limb by abortionists remains in this denomination is beyond me.
Who speaks for you?
. . .There are many people who still don’t know what has happened, not only about the ELCA’s 2009 decision and all that has come about since then, but so much more. They don’t know how “this church” has functionally changed its mind and view of Scripture and thousands of years of history. . .
Jesus wants you to judge
. . .Apparently, the rest of the Book is outdated, outmoded, antiquated and fabricated, but the verses about judging — that stuff is gold, man. . .
Surveying the waves of denominational reformation (2011)
. . .When historically mainline denominations accommodate themselves to the culture, what emerges in every case is a remnant faithful to the foundations. They find one another and build together a new expression of the faith once delivered. . .
Alive to sin and dead to Grace by “Bound Conscience” – the ELCA
. . .If we are free to determine on our own what is sin and what is not based on personal experience – God help us all! . . .
Righting Wrongs
. . .The leaders of the ELCA deceive those searching for God and craving forgiveness by reaching out with their imperfect love and affirming behavior that is prohibited by God. Instead of reaching out and leading them to Christ, they direct them to the wide road that leads to destruction. Repent is not a word that has any meaning with this heretical church. . .
Walking alongside East Africa
. . .February 2013, the EECMY officially severed its relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Church of Sweden over the issue of homosexuality. But the Ethiopians’ faithfulness to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions came with a cost. Because of the EECMY’s decision to stand firm on God’s Word, the ELCA discontinued its support — including funding — for Ethiopian students at their seminaries. . .
Why is No One Talking About This?
. . . During this twenty year period, the number of children enrolled in our Sunday School ministries decreased from 1,007,774 to 400,375. That is roughly 61%.
61% fewer young people were enrolled in Sunday School in ELCA congregations in 2010 than were in 1990. . .
61% fewer young people were enrolled in Sunday School in ELCA congregations in 2010 than were in 1990. . .
ELCA Seminary Prof Claims Ancient Fertility Idol is the Holy Spirit
. . .I wonder, did any bishop or seminary president ask to speak with the prof about this? Or is false teaching simply accepted as part of being a big post-modern church?
Sinister Minister
. . .I think something even more sinister than fear and intimidation are going on. Many people I know who were vocally critical of the 2009 CWA votes are quiet now -- and serving new, larger, more prosperous parishes and/or have plum positions on committees and boards. Anyone trained in enhanced interrogation techniques knows that bribery works better than torture. . .
John Piper on Homosexuality
. . .One of the things that makes matters unusual today is the effort on the part of some people to defend the legitimacy of homosexual behavior from the Bible. . .
The Devil is in the Details
. . .Apparently, no longer does the ELCA proclaim that the Bible was inspired by God's Spirit and that God spoke through their authors, who recorded and announced God's revelation centered in Jesus Christ. . .
Reclaiming the Joy of Lutheran Theological Education (pages 4 and 5)
. . .we would not recommend our pastors, congregations or lay members financially support these seminaries of the former American Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church in America, and Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, for to do so would be to support and encourage Biblical revisionism, universalism, Gospel reductionism, and rampant political correctness that runs contrary to Holy Scripture. . .
The Prophecy of John Paul
. . .The Professor replied, “Oh yes, you see all the figures have long hair. This means the artist believed the Trinity is made up of women.” Well, my jaw hit the floor. . .
Lutherans Consecrate Roland Gustafsson As Mission Bishop for Sweden and Finland
. . .Archbishop Obare rebuked liberal, Western churches, saying, “We are living at a time of new-paganism, even in the churches of Christ. All the old pagan lifestyle has been re-introduced. For example, homosexual (Baal worship) behavior is back in the church … Let’s note what it is in the Episcopal Church of America, the Church of Sweden, the largest Lutheran Church in Canada, the Anglican Church, etc. ELCA [The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America] is even dropping one of the Lutheran ‘Solas’: ‘Scripture alone’ from their doctrinal position.”. .