marbren wrote:
“My life experience includes antisemitism because my Father was antisemitic, and my church taught me about, how the church took over Israel in God’s plan. I was very proud of this. I am no longer antisemitic because of God’s grace. I no longer am an alcoholic because of God’s grace.”
If you were anti-semitic, there may be some extenuating circumstances for that, but in the end the fault lies squarely on you. The sins of the fathers may indeed be passed to their children, but they remain sins, sins of whomever it is who commits them. In the same way, if you were an alcoholic, it may be that the pattern of alcoholism was one into which you were born. It may even be that alcoholism (this, it seems to me, is the awful truth of the matter) is an inclination into which a person is born. But if you fall victim to it and become the drunkard, the sin is yours. This is the awful, even frightening, consequence of original sin and the fallenness of humanity. This is why also sin cannot be escaped by the will of man, it is wholly inbred, permeating our very being. It required and requires a power outside of ourselves to overcome. It requires an out-of-this-world Savior.
If you were anti-semitic and an alcoholic, blame no one but yourself. Do not blame your father. Do not blame the LC-MS. Man up, and blame yourself. Which is another way of saying, repent. You are speaking in a way that is so typical of the psycho-therapeutic deism that has come to shape and define American Christianity.
As for the rest, I am not a member of the LC-MS, nor ever have I been. I don’t know what they have to say about such things, although I could guess pretty accurately. Nevertheless guesses are not the same as knowledgeable and true answers. You should go to work yourself and find out the facts from reputable and official sources.
Finally, you keep referring to “Lutheran rules.” I don’t recognize this kind of language. Lutherans don’t discuss right and wrong, sin and righteousness in the category of “rules.” That smacks of another perspective, one far closer to Geneva than to Wittenberg.
I think you need to become familiar with your own church body’s realities. That is my advice to you.
Much wisdom in your post. It is very true that we need to be responsible for our actions. For me this exercise has been backward looking at what was. Is it a good idea? I do like to live in the Now where we can find God. The problem is this book I am thinking about it is based on my past experience. I am not sure I am blaming as much as describing where I came from. That sound defensive and I hate that but Oh well. You may be right there may still be some bitterness. If I have not forgiven that is an issue. I ask Our Heavenly Father to forgive me like I forgive others in the Lord's prayer.
P#4 has taught me a lot about loving people as they are. My Dad is a good example. I am finally starting to understand why I can never gain his approval and that is OK. My Dad was traumatized and a refugee in WW2. He had to be on his own at a very young age. His life was very successful but focused on himself. That is OK! It has freed me from the need for approval. The only approval I need comes from my Lord Jesus Christ. I certainly am free from approval needs on FR! LOL