Yale Law School Political Nursery

Yale Law School earned the nickname
Bowling Alley for its long interior court.


A regular reader enjoyed the Lutherans at Yale posts, so I decided to add one about Yale and politics.

For the longest time the only US president from Yale was Taft, famous for getting stuck in the White House bathtub.

Gerald Ford changed that when he became president. Hired as a Yale football coach, he earned a law degree in his spare time.

Next came George H. W. Bush, Yale College graduate, whose son W. was born at Yale-New Haven Hospital. W. became a Skull and Bones member at Yale, like his father and grandfather (Senator Prescott Bush).

W. graduated from Yale College and earned an MBA at Harvard. He is the first president to have an MBA.

John Kerry was at Yale College at almost the same time as Bush, earning worse grades and almost flunking out. He was tapped for Skull and Bones, too.

Bill and Hillary Clinton were both Yale Law students just before we got there. Many Clinton staffers were drawn from Yale friendships. Lanny Davis (Yale College and Law) is one.

Gary Hart was Gary Hartpence when he attended Yale Divinity and Yale Law. He became famous for Monkey Business in his run for president.

Senator Danforth also went to Yale Divinity and Yale Law, retiring from politics to resume duty as an Episcopalian priest. (His family created the Purina Dog Chow company in St. Louis.)

Senator Joe Lieberman graduated from Yale Law in 1967 and ran for president with Al Gore, who flunked out of Vanderbilt Divinity.

Poor Rev. Mouse

Perhaps if Rev. Mouse took up weightlifting?

Several times a day I get anonymous posts from a WELS pastor. He has convinced himself that I have hardly ever been a "real" pastor. That explains to him how I earned a few degrees here and there. From 1970 until now I have only had one (three-year) stretch where I was not serving as a student assistant, vicar, or pastor. I don't see how that is relevant from a Wisconsin sect perspective. The Wauwatosa Gospel "creates its own forms" - like life coach at St. Mark, DePere. What if that also meant a ministry of blogging?

Yet, I do conduct Holy Communion services 26 times a year for real, live people. The rest of the time I write sermons for the many people who care to read them. Needless to say, the sermons set off Rev. Mouse fiercely. He also detests quotations from orthodox Lutherans.

WELS workers murdering spouses? Old news to him! A DP in state prison for molesting his own members? So what. A vicar in another state prison? "You already mentioned that."

I mention these things to let WELS/ELS members know that this nasty undercurrent is a significant part of the WELS ministerium. Not all of them are like Mouse, but many are. They like to stay anonymous, too.

Confused by Bivens? Romans Is Clear

KJV Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be
wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

In contrast, Bivens:

In fostering fruits of faith, keep in mind that sanctification is not to be equated with marriage and heterosexual activity. Christians who lack heterosexual impulses may please God with celibate chastity that might involve a lifelong struggle against homosexual tendencies. To counsel them to “go and get attracted to the opposite sex” betrays a misunderstanding of sanctification and invites unnecessary frustration for those already burdened.

WELS apologists cannot grasp that a Sausage Factory professor is teaching against the Word of God. The Creator established marriage and blessed it with many advantages. One cannot harmonize God's Creation with something against His Creation. If someone has murderous thoughts, are they not sinful too?

Two Commandments are aimed against inward sin - coveting. The New Moses, Frosty Bivens, would say - "They may covet as long as they do nothing about it. We cannot expect people to stop coveting."

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Confused by Bivens? Romans Is Clear":

wow- and this Bivens is a seminary prof?? let me get this straight- it's okay to be gay, just don't act like you are? keep those thoughts to yourself? i'm shocked.
why aren't THESE subjects brought up at synod conventions to be hashed over? they should be squelched right there on the convention floor rather than filling the heads of young pastors with this kind of garbage that they eventually pass along to the passive WELS member sitting in the pew who doesn't know or maybe doesn't care what God's position really is. It's all about that slippery slope and WELS is rolling down the hill. a little leaven...

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GJ - All WELS leaders are appointed by the Holy Spirit, so they are incapable of error. I am not kidding. Even a circuit pastor enjoys this infallibility. One pastor said, "The Holy Spirit put him in that office, so who am I to argue with him?" Of course, the people who get appointed are totally safe synod robots, weather vanes, foxes. Therefore, no one will challenge Bivens because that means arguing with God Himself. And it is definitely a sin against the Holy Spirit to debate matters with God's chosen ones.

WELS got on the multi-cultural slippery slope a long time ago. They joined with ELCA and Missouri in a big, insurance-funded ecumenical project, which was hatched at Snowbird. Funny, I had to read about it in ELCA's The Lutheran. FIC (nee The Northwestern Lutheran) was strangely silent.

Multi-cultural does not mean Black, Mexican, East Indian, American Indian. The term means any and all sexual lifestyles.

Multi-ethnic means all ethnic groups. The terms are being merged together so that everyone is confused. An example is CORE, the Congress on Racial Equality. The old symbol was a black circle with a white equal sign. The newer logo has a pink equal sign. Human rights.

The traditional concept of natural law means that God (however defined) commands what is good. Thus some things can be against the law as a "crime against nature." The US Supreme Court upheld this concept until recently. Now they have ruled that the government has no business making decisions about morality. That could be interpreted as endorsing incest, beastiality, and everything else.

WELS is not on the cutting edge of this, but following behind, wagging its little tail. "Please, ELCA! Accept us as being sophisticated and metropolitan and metrosexual, just like you."

All Divorced WELS Pastors Have "Scriptural" Divorces

I love how Holy Mother WELS partisans immediately assume that all divorced WELS pastors have "Scriptural" divorces, which must be on par with "Scriptural" murders.

And if they engaged in sordid crimes, like murder or obstruction of justice, they are all repentant. Why, it's a violation of the Eighth Commandment to think otherwise.

In the bad, old forerunners of ELCA--the ALC and LCA--divorced pastors left the ministry. They were not allowed to play the game now served up so adroitly by WELS pastors.

I heard District Pope Robert Mueller claim that "husband of one wife" means "one wife at a time."

There is only one sin in WELS - telling the truth about Holy Mother WELS. That is indeed the unforgiveable sin against the Holy Ghost.

Amen? (Speak up, ELS)

Amen! cries the ELS chorus.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "All Divorced WELS Pastors Have "Scriptural" Divorc...":

Had our synod leaders had more of a backbone while these crimes were being committed around them, maybe an example would have been set for the now spineless laity who are passively sitting in the amen corner today. Stand up and be heard...

On a separate note, was Robert Mueller numbered among the divorced pastors and is that why he spins scripture into a tortured knot to be able to come up with THAT kooky interpretation? I believe that there are pastors who sadly have suffered thru 'scriptural' divorces. They are human too and I would think for Satan to work a divorce in a pastor's marriage would be a pretty arrow in his quiver. But surely even the good Rev. can't even believe that himself. Maybe he was drunk on power when he said it.

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GJ - DP Mueller was not divorced. When his buddy was caught in adultery, the pastor was allowed to lie to his congregation and wife, getting a plush job in a WELS agency. In the Michigan District, adultery, divorce, and remarriage looked good on the resume.

I heard a Concordia Seminary (Ft. Wayne) say the same thing as Mueller - one wife at a time. The fad at the moment was saying the Biblical passage was against polygamy.

Marvin Schwan, I was told with great seriousness, also had a "Scriptural" divorce. When he married the wife of one of his managers, she became a Lutheran. When Marvin reached room temperature, she became a Roman Catholic again. And yet, some deny the efficacy of money. I have no doubts after that transformation.

Yes, there are pastors done in by their wives, but I believe the number is tiny compared to the entire number of clergy divorces.

F. Bivens Should Counsel Him

Which Teletubby Does Pastor Ted Watch?

Ted Haggard's journey of "spiritual restoration" came to a halt this week at the request of the ousted New Life Church pastor.


Ted Haggard's Plea for Money Reproved

New Life Church Overwhelmingly Approves Ted Haggard's Successor

A year after Haggard agreed to enter counseling with four ministers after his sex scandal, he asked to end the team's oversight of his recovery program. But New Life Church officials believe the termination of the relationship is premature, according to a statement on Tuesday.

Early last year, just months into his recovery program, the overseers had indicated that the restoration process could take years.

"New Life recognizes the process of restoring Ted Haggard is incomplete and maintains its original stance that he should not return to vocational ministry," read the statement.

Haggard, founder of New Life in Colorado Springs, resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals in November 2006 and was fired from New Life Church after a former male prostitute alleged a three-year cash-for-sex relationship. Haggard confessed to undisclosed "sexual immorality" and to buying methamphetamine.

The former megachurch pastor now lives in Phoenix and is a member of Phoenix First Assembly of God. Pastor Tommy Barnett, one of the overseers in the restoration team, said he will maintain an "accountability relationship" with Haggard.

Barnett runs the Phoenix Dream Center, helping the homeless, recovering alcoholics, drug addicts and prostitutes. In August, Haggard had reportedly said he would move in to the Dream Center, saying he could identify with the people there. But Haggard's counseling team denied the report and said he will not be doing any ministry work.

Since early in the recovery process, the overseers have strongly urged Haggard to seek secular employment.

New Life's statement said Haggard's leadership of the church had been extraordinary "for many years" and wished him and his family success in the future."

The church would not make further comment about Haggard's "spiritual restoration," the statement further said.

Haggard was replaced in August by Brady Boyd, former associate senior pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. Despite a drop in attendance since the sex scandal, the now 10,000-member New Life congregation has been recovering under new leadership.

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GJ - According to WELS seminary professor F. Bivens, Haggard should not be advised to go straight. Biven's guidance would doubtless confuse Ted's wife and five children.

Romans 1 is quite clear about this topic, but the Apostle Paul did not teach at The Sausage Factory, so he and the Holy Spirit must be wrong.

From Foward in Christ (WELS official magazine without the word Lutheran in it)

In fostering fruits of faith, keep in mind that sanctification is not to be equated with marriage and heterosexual activity. Christians who lack heterosexual impulses may please God with celibate chastity that might involve a lifelong struggle against homosexual tendencies. To counsel them to “go and get attracted to the opposite sex” betrays a misunderstanding of sanctification and invites unnecessary frustration for those already burdened.

Contributing editor Forrest Bivens, a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wisconsin, is a member at Calvary, Thiensville.

Why We All Miss President Reagan

“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we’ve been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. Well, if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?”

Ronald Reagan