McCain and Benke - Still Pals

McCain Invites Benke To Write Book For CPH

Rev. Paul McCain, who had long been interim President and CEO of Concordia Publishing House and is now a top editor of CPH, is inviting Dr. David Benke to write another book for CPH to publish.

(Christian News Website - http://christiannewsmo.com/frontpage.html

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GJ - My understanding is that McCain was interim president for a long time and is now officially the publisher. Someone else is CEO and president. Exactly what that means is difficult to discern.

LCMS Damage Control Responds to Chicago ELCA Confab

LC-MS President reacts to ELCA convention resolution

"On the final day of its 2007 Churchwide Assembly in Chicago (Saturday, August 11), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) adopted a resolution which “prays, urges, and encourages [ELCA geographical] synods, synodical bishops, and the presiding bishop to refrain from or demonstrate restraint in disciplining those rostered leaders in a mutual, chaste, and faithful committed same-gender relationship who have been called and rostered in this church.” "News of this action troubles me greatly and is causing serious concern and consternation among the members and leaders of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). We in the LCMS hold firmly to the conviction that, according to the Holy Bible, homosexual behavior is “intrinsically sinful.” We are deeply disappointed that the ELCA, by its decision, has failed to act in keeping with the historic and universal understanding of the Christian church regarding what Holy Scripture teaches about homosexual behavior as contrary to God’s will and about the biblical qualifications for holding the pastoral office. "The LCMS firmly believes that the sin of homosexual behavior, like every sin that fallen human beings commit, has been paid for in full by the life, suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The LCMS also believes that we must continue to reach out in love to all people on the basis of what God’s Word alone teaches about human sinfulness, God’s grace in Christ, and the new life empowered by God’s Holy Spirit."

Dean Wenthe Switches Positions

I was not surprised to find Dean Wenthe, the president of Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne, distancing himself from the results of the ELCA Chicago convention.

http://www.ctsfw.edu/cts/response/elca.php

The scramble to condemn ELCA for the Big Three's (ELCA-WELS-LCMS) joint agenda is sadly predictable. The four-letter synods march along together, ELCA in the lead, while the other two cluck their tongues about how evil and liberal ELCA is. They are just as polite to each other as they are rude to the conservatives in their own synods. See the Ichabod comments for voluminous confirmation of this style.

Some years ago, Dean Wenthe and other signed a study about homosexuality, posted on the LCMS website. The great thing about studies is that everyone can deny knowledge or responsibility. Nevertheless, it had some official status, linked on the official site. Al Barry may still have been the Synodical President.

This study was everything the activists in ELCA desired. Homosexuals were more talented than heterosexuals. They were more sensitive and had much better people skills. No one dare talk to them about the Law, because all they ever heard was the Law. I told some LCMS clergy about it, but they were in shock and denial, as usual.

Later, this older study was no longer linked on the website.

WordAlone Wins Award for Unintentional Humor

ELCA assembly slips practicing gays in back door to pulpit (Chicago)

While the churchwide assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America shut the front door for now on allowing ministers in same-sex relationships to serve the denomination, they essentially told them to go to the back door and come in.

http://wordalone.org/nr/back-door.shtml


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GJ - Insensitive, too.

Christians Should Call God Allah?

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57178

TESTING THE FAITHBishop urges Christians to call God 'Allah'Catholic leader believes it would help ease tensions between religions
Posted: August 15, 20073:28 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Bishop Tiny Muskens (Courtesy Radio Netherlands Worldwide) Catholic churches in the Netherlands should use the name Allah for God to ease tensions between Muslims and Christians, says a Dutch bishop.
Tiny Muskens, the bishop of Breda, told the Dutch TV program "Network" Monday night he believes God doesn't mind what he is called, Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported.

The Almighty is above such "discussion and bickering," he insisted.
Muskens points to Indonesia, where he served 30 years ago, as an example for Dutch churches. Christians in the Middle East also use the term Allah for God.

"Someone like me has prayed to Allah yang maha kuasa (Almighty God) for eight years in Indonesia and other priests for 20 or 30 years," Muskens said. "In the heart of the Eucharist, God is called Allah over there, so why can't we start doing that together?"

Muskens thinks it could take another 100 years, but eventually the name Allah will be used by Dutch churches, promoting rapprochement between the two religions, he said, according to Radio Netherlands.

Favorite Liberal Lutheran Posting Place

The favorite place for liberal Lutherans to post is the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau's website

http://www.alpb.org/forum/index.php.