Right. It's just history, so...
"...What difference does it make?"
Posted on 07/13/2013 12:19:30 PM PDT by rhema
Since shortly after its formation in 1988 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has been fixated on deviant sexual behavior, culminating in the endorsement of homosexual pastors in 2009, homosexual “marriage” in 2011, and the election last month of their first homosexual bishop. Dr. James Nestingen, a highly respected scholar and retired ELCA seminary professor, recently concluded that promoting acceptance of deviant sexual behavior has actually replaced the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the primary mission and message of the ELCA.
Those within the ELCA demanding these radical changes asserted it is necessary for the ELCA’s very survival. Supposedly, they simply must move into the 21st century on these issues, or otherwise they will be so out-of-step with modern society that it would mean the demise of their denomination. By the way, this is the same deceptive reasoning behind similar disturbing changes recently in the Boy Scouts of America.
However, the ELCA has now released some startling statistics that show the exact opposite has actually happened:
** When the ELCA was formed in 1988 they had 5.2 million members, but they are now down to only 4 million members–a staggering loss of over 1.2 million members, or 23% of their membership. They have also lost 1,500, or 13%, of their congregations, from approximately 11,000 to 9,500. As they “celebrate” this year the 25th anniversary of the ELCA, the fact is that during that time they have lost more members and congregations than make up many entire denominations!
** Of these losses, over 500,000 members and 1,000 congregations have left the ELCA in just the last four years, triggered by their endorsement of homosexuality beginning in 2009. This is actually the biggest denominational split in American church history, and is directly attributable to that decision.
** Another measure of the ELCA’s decline is that in 1988, 2.1% of all Americans were members of the ELCA, but by 2011 that figure had fallen to 1.3%. The National Council of Churches reports that the ELCA has “the sharpest rate of membership decline” among all mainline Protestant denominations. Like Avis car rental which used to advertise “We’re Number 2–But We Try Harder!” the LCMS has historically always been the second-largest American Lutheran church body. However, at the ELCA’s current rate of losing members–nearly 6% in 2010–in just a decade the LCMS will surpass the ELCA as the largest American Lutheran church body, and a few decades after that the ELCA will cease to exist.
** Even among those congregations remaining in the ELCA average weekly worship attendance from 2003 to 2011 dropped 26%. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod has 2.3 million members and the similarly conservative Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod has 300,000 members, yet even with our smaller combined membership of 2.6 million the LCMS and WELS have more people actually sitting in the pews each Sunday than the ELCA with 4 million members.
** Donations to the ELCA on the national level were $88 million in 2008 but plunged to only $40 million in 2011.
** Luther Seminary, the ELCA’s largest seminary, located in St. Paul, Minnesota, announced that last year they had a $6 million operating deficit on a budget of $27 million. This was due largely to a recent sharp decline in donations to the seminary, reportedlyincluding a couple that for many years had given $1 million a year to the seminary but stopped their donations after the ELCA’s endorsement of homosexuality. The seminary was forced to cancel many of its programs and lay off a third of the faculty and staff.
** Since the ELCA’s endorsement of homosexuality, many other Lutheran church bodies around the world have severed their historic ties with the ELCA, and are instead seeking new relationships with the LCMS. This includes many of the largest and fastest-growing Lutheran church bodies in the world, such as the Lutherans in Ethiopia with over 6 million members–nearly as many as all American Lutheran church bodies combined. The center of world Lutheranism is shifting from Europe and America to Africa, Asia, and South America, and the LCMS is becoming the theological leader of these growing Lutheran church bodies. While the ELCA is becoming increasingly isolated in world Lutheranism, at our national convention this month the LCMS will enter into formal fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia, Siberian Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the Lutheran Church of Togo.
The Lord warns:
“There will be false teachers among you, who will surreptitiously introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful, licentious ways.” (2 Peter 2:1-2)
“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you formerly had when you lived in ignorance. Instead, just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:14-15)
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)
These passages show how misdirected and sinful it is to accommodate the church’s doctrine and practice to the world’s wicked ways. It is also foolish and futile.
On the one hand, the world will never be satisfied–until Christians completely renounce their faith. More importantly, the Lord will never bless such unfaithfulness to Him and His Word.
We see from the sad example of what’s happened to the ELCA–the biggest split in American church history–that whatever churches and other organizations such as the Boy Scouts imagine they will gain by giving in to the world is dwarfed by what they will surely lose.
[I was unaware that LCMS doctrine had “On The Jews and Their Lies” in it,]
Neither does its curriculum.
I am an American by birth, my grandparents German immigrants, they have no guilt for the actions of Nazi Germany, and the Germans born since the war don't either. Americans as a rule don't buy the idea that a race is guilty of the sins of a member of that race. Some do, they are Progressive/Democrats they usually aren't on this board.
As far as “The Jews and Their Lies” not being in Lutheran curricula, why should it be. It isn't taught or professed. Unless you are the Highlander you weren't around when it was written, but you are choosing to be offended by it. Your right as a citizen at least for the present, but put away your tar brush.
"Splinter"? The ELCA votes that homosexual sex is no longer a sin, and it ordains unrepentant, practicing homosexuals and lesbians. The ELCA preaches universalism: its presiding bishop writes in an open letter that Muslims, Christians, and Jews all worship one God. The ELCA pays in its self-funded healthcare plan for abortions for any reason whatsoever up to 20 weeks. The ELCA’s new hymnal gives options to avoid “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” in the liturgy and changes Psalms, prayers and hymns to avoid “Father” and masculine pronouns for God and Jesus Christ.
The LCMS may have lost members, but it has not relegated the Bible to the trash heap as the ELCA has done.
When talking about Baalism do not forget how often the Hebrews themselves wallowed in it.
As for calling Jesus and His implementation of God’s love “Baal”... well if that’s the eternal attitude you want, ask and you will receive. It won’t be because you were not warned. Isaiah 53 tells the story in a nutshell... and it warns you that you, as a Jew, will have a hard time believing it. By the way you will not find anything in the New Testament about Christian governments so please try to keep yourself free from straw men. I am not here to advocate for anything but evangelization of individual souls.
By the way, also please note that there aren’t any Christianized governments in the western world that will “try to force Christianity on you.” The Protestant revolution is a large reason why; the Roman Catholics’ aspiration to meld with governments met a competitive worship option they could not withstand.
Friend, you seem to be wallowing in a lot of hatred and rage. Faced with glasses that are more and more full, you continue to curse the empty part.
Also... as if popularity was supposed to be a measure of trueness?
The arrow-shooter does have a small point to make. The Bible is an extremely candid book. When people from Abraham forward (the line of faith from which Judaism and Christianity both sprang) screwed up... there it is. In black and white. The glory is clearly going to God, who is persisting in every effort to bless a stubborn mankind. And teaching the truth that Luther also made bad mistakes would be in that very tradition. One doesn’t have to wallow in those sordid works to acknowledge that it was there. The truth of Christian worship as understood by Lutherans doesn’t depend on Martin Luther having been some kind of perfect angel, any more than the faith of Abraham depends on Abraham not having lain with Hagar (we can thank that for today’s rabid Islamic Arabs, which do far more damage than Christendom ever did in its worst hours).
Oh yeah. There are no homos in the Catholic Church. #captainobviouspleasereport
Individual Roman Catholic congregations can be pretty bad in areas that pretty much all small-o orthodox Christendom agrees upon. Some even show their badness on their web sites, which the Vatican can bring up as easily as any Joe Schmoe on the internet, so it’s not like they can claim ignorance. “Religions of men” springing up in Christendom are a widespread problem and I will not name names.
Assume dominion? Like you cannot walk out? When they shackle you or send guns after you, then tell me about their assumption of dominion. I guess I’m not grokking your point and if I thought you were Jewish but weren’t, I recant my mistake. But please don’t spend so much time damning the mistakes of Luther or the mistakes (real or perceived) of LCMS or other fundamentalist Lutheran denominations that you can’t get your mind off of them. That’s getting wrapped up in the devil’s web of hate and believe it or not, if you are a Christian you can transcend that. Being a Christian does not mean being chained to a Lutheran denomination. Read the New Testament; does it say anything about Luther? I didn’t think so!
It looks like someone’s shot a flaming arrow at Archer, and he doesn’t realize he has the authority to put it out. The devil will mock at your shield of faith until you actually do use it... his biggest weapon is lies and misrepresntations....
[When talking about Baalism do not forget how often the Hebrews themselves wallowed in it.]
Of course. For which they were sent into captivity multiple times.
The same place what’s left of America is presently headed.
“and because of this, God gave them over”
—Romans 1:25++
Well it’s not because of an overenthusiasm for the Christianization of America. What’s your beef exactly? You seem to be mad about a bunch of things. Did a Lutheran with rabies bite you in the ankle?
>>Assume dominion? Like you cannot walk out?
How many folks just walk out of Islam after state-established Sharia is imposed over their lives?
NO SALE
And for what it’s worth, I am an “honorary” Baptist... but I profess myself to be a small-c catholic Christian. Catholic as in universal. I don’t buy all doctrines of all denominations, no, but I can clearly identify the Christian practice in those who actually do put personal trust in Jesus to receive eternal salvation no matter what other wacky things they claim. I do not see my mission as one of cursing darkness but as one of lighting candles.
>>the Christianization of America.
Don’t you mean the prostitution of the Bride of Christ?
I remember more now... you were really exercised over those young earth creationist Lutheran rednecks.
Like you thought they really would overtake America.
Well let’s assume worst case. That they actually did, which is a laughable proposition. But assume that they did.
If you are a genuine Christian, then you will have a struggle on your hands, but you will also remember your faith is not in country, it is in the Lord. I think you way misunderestimate the power of Jesus!
No, the country isn’t in danger of being overtaken by young earth creationist Lutheran rednecks. If anything it is going to be overtaken by libertines. Sodom and Gomorrah were not known for being devout if you get my drift.
Well of course that wouldn’t be blessed, but what ever leads you to believe that it is a danger?
It would be better, however, if everyone in America were a young earth creationist Lutheran redneck... than if everyone in America were a godless libertine. You cannot deny that.
What were Christ’s instructions regarding tax exempt status?
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