[Ladytotheright]

I have belonged to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for the last 35 years---it really upsets me when they group us with the other so-called Lutherans (ELCA). First of all they are not Evangelical, they are not Lutheran. I aggree they are a church , but they are not American. three of the four initials are false at least argumentative. We are probably the most CONSERVATIVE church in America.

[MattGarrett]

with apologies to C.S. Lewis:

My Dear Wormwood,

Words cannot convey the joy we are experiencing in learning today’s news that a division of the Enemy’s forces have voted to embrace great Vice in their clergy. By electing as bishop one who is so firmly entrapped in our favorite Vice, we cannot help but be effective in rendering this branch of the Enemy’s forces as completely fruitless as they bite at one another over the results.

In fact, once established, the effort we must exert is minimal, for the Vice is a true one. One that entraps the army of the Enemy no matter what tack it takes. If they embrace it, our forces can gain in-roads into the very heart of its membership. And if they speak out against it, we can use public pressure to show just how heartless and hateful their Master and they truly are. And if they ignore the Vice, it shall grow like a weed with which we are entangling the very fabric of society. And it has truly done that regardless.

You can see just how many different avenues we have to assault. For now, we can attack both from within and without. We can inflict doubt, hatred, indifference, and even the Vice itself. We can confuse and ensnare its youth, devastate families, tempt and destroy it’s clergy (which our forces assigned to the Holy See are enjoying great success).

At the very least, we can divide the forces of our Enemy by leading them towards the only avenue they can take ... into schism. And in dividing, we can conquer.

But we must keep their focus on the Vice. Always the Vice. Never on how the Enemy suggests they deal with the Vice. For the only effective method with which the enemy has to defend in this theater of operations … and I am loath to even utter it … is to love those with which we have afflicted with it ... unconditionally.

This is a hard road for the Enemy’s forces to take. One, because as you know they are woefully undisciplined and judgemental to commit to such an activity and two, because the male members of their numbers will begin to question their own sexuality should they accept and love those who are indeed afflicted – especially if they are progeny.

And that presents opportunities of it’s own.

Your uncle,

Screwtape.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

I have belonged to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for the last 35 years---it really upsets me when they group us with the other so-called Lutherans (ELCA). First of all they are not Evangelical, they are not Lutheran. I aggree they are a church , but they are not American. three of the four initials are false at least argumentative. We are probably the most CONSERVATIVE church in America.

Good post. I agree with most of it. I'm not sure we're the Most conservative but we're conservative and that's why I left the liberal ELCA.

The liberal ELCA is having problems of their own. There are still conservative people in that church and they're leading whole congregations away from the ELCA. There's a new splinter group called Word Alone being formed by those leaving the ELCA.

[RussianConservative]

Highly doubt it...America has Orthodox, Orthodox is most conservative. Last I read there are 7 million Orthodox America.

[cpprfld]

I have belonged to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for the last 35 years---it really upsets me when they group us with the other so-called Lutherans (ELCA). First of all they are not Evangelical, they are not Lutheran. I aggree they are a church , but they are not American. three of the four initials are false at least argumentative. We are probably the most CONSERVATIVE church in America.

I agree, the Missouri Synod and the Wisconsin Synod are two of the most conservative churchs in the country. There are a few Wisconsin Synod congerations in northern Wisconsin who still runs their services in German. I used to be a member of ELCA, but they are going to have problems.