Reviewing His UOJ Stormtroopers
A layman interviewed some conservative Lutheran clergy and asked them about Universal Objective Justification, the notion that God absolved the world of sin the moment Christ died (or the moment He rose from the dead). UOJ standard bearers have trouble establishing the Moment of Absolution.
Several clergy replied, "UOJ is another word for the Atonement." The layman said, "Read the Brief Statement." They looked at the words or heard them repeated and said, "That's not right."
My point is that most people, hearing the plain words of Scripture, believe what is revealed - that Christ died for the sins of the world, that this forgiveness comes to them through the Word of the Gospel received in faith.
Only certain clergy cling to UOJ. They are closely associated with the Church Growth Movement in conservative circles, with a more honest Universalism in the ELCA.
Recently some clergy were organizing some kind of independent group, with some laity in attendance. They tried to foist their UOJ on the crowd, only to be clobbered by the clear, plain words of the Bible and the Book of Concord.
I think UOJ--which came recently from Pietism, via Walther--was the turning point for Lutherans in North America. Other fads contributed (evolution, imaginative text criticism, promiscuous translations appearing on a weekly basis) but UOJ has short circuited and undermined the Gospel itself.
Nota bene:
- UOJ leaders are unionists who have no trouble studying at Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek, as long as their associates help them in denying the obvious.
- UOJ favorite theologians are Waldo Werning, Kent Hunter, Leonard Sweet, Martin Marty, and David Valleskey.
- UOJ leaders show contempt for the Book of Concord.
- UOJ leaders have worked unashamedly with ELCA leaders on joint worship and evangelism programs.
- UOJ leaders defend their position with hysterical attacks against those who prefer justification by faith.
- UOJ leaders deceive the simple by calling the article on justification "the chief article..." just before attacking the central doctrine of the Book of Concord.
- Conservative Lutherans have fallen into rapid decline with the steady rise of UOJ and its favorite malady, the Church Growth Movement, aka the Purpose-Driven Church, aka Becoming Missional.
