Dan at Necessary Roughness has an interesting post on some Lutheran practices today.
The desire to copy the worst of Roman Catholicism is a theme of LCMS-ELCA worship. Sometimes this is cloaked by Eastern Orthodoxy, the Lite Beer of Romanism. Someone can get just as drunk on Lite Beeer, but it takes a few more cans, I imagine.
I know the secret formula for Bud Lite. A chemist at A-Bush told me: "Brew Bud, add water." Later he tried to deny this. I said, "I remember when you admitted it to me."
Lutheran pastors are sinuflecting to Rome, or else moonwalking to Fuller. Either way, they justify themselves by calling everything adiaphora, matters of indifference.
The article on adiaphora in the Formula of Concord. Many practices are not commanded or forbidden by the Word of God. However, when false teachers engage in these practices, it is wrong to copy them.
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5] Namely, when under the title and pretext of external adiaphora such things are proposed as are in principle contrary to God's Word (although painted another color), these are not to be regarded as adiaphora, in which one is free to act as he will, but must be avoided as things prohibited by God. In like manner, too, such ceremonies should not be reckoned among the genuine free adiaphora, or matters of indifference, as make a show or feign the appearance, as though our religion and that of the Papists were not far apart, thus to avoid persecution, or as though the latter were not at least highly offensive to us; or when such ceremonies are designed for the purpose, and required and received in this sense, as though by and through them both contrary religions were reconciled and became one body; or when a reentering into the Papacy and a departure from the pure doctrine of the Gospel and true religion should occur or gradually follow therefrom [when there is danger lest we seem to have reentered the Papacy, and to have departed, or to be on the point of departing gradually, from the pure doctrine of the Gospel].
6] For in this case what Paul writes, 2 Cor. 6:14-17, shall and must obtain: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what communion hath light with darkness?Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord.
7] Likewise, when there are useless, foolish displays, that are profitable neither for good order nor Christian discipline, nor evangelical propriety in the Church, these also are not genuine adiaphora, or matters of indifference.
8] But as regards genuine adiaphora, or matters of indifference (as explained before), we believe, teach, and confess that such ceremonies, in and of themselves, are no worship of God, nor any part of it, but must be properly distinguished from such as are, as it is written: In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, Matt. 15:9.
9] Therefore we believe, teach, and confess that the congregation of God of every place and every time has, according to its circumstances, the good right, power, and authority [in matters truly adiaphora] to change, to diminish, and to increase them, without thoughtlessness and offense, in an orderly and becoming way, as at any time it may be regarded most profitable, most beneficial, and best for [preserving] good order, [maintaining] Christian discipline [and for eujtaxiva worthy of the profession of the Gospel], and the edification of the Church. Moreover, how we can yield and give way with a good conscience to the weak in faith in such external adiaphora, Paul teaches Rom. 14, and proves it by his example, Acts 16:3; 21:26; 1 Cor. 9:19.
10] We believe, teach, and confess also that at the time of confession [when a confession of the heavenly truth is required], when the enemies of God's Word desire to suppress the pure doctrine of the holy Gospel, the entire congregation of God, yea, every Christian, but especially the ministers of the Word, as the leaders of the congregation of God [as those whom God has appointed to rule His Church], are bound by God's Word to confess freely and openly the [godly] doctrine, and what belongs to the whole of [pure] religion, not only in words, but also in works and with deeds; and that then, in this case, even in such [things truly and of themselves] adiaphora, they must not yield to the adversaries, or permit these [adiaphora] to be forced upon them by their enemies, whether by violence or cunning, to the detriment of the true worship of God and the introduction and sanction of idolatry. 11] For it is written, Gal. 5:1: Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not again entangled in the yoke of bondage. Also Gal. 2:4f : And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage; to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour, that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you. 12] [Now it is manifest that in that place Paul speaks concerning circumcision, which at that time had become an adiaphoron (1 Cor. 7:18f.), and which at other occasions was observed by Paul (however, with Christian and spiritual freedom, Acts 16:3). But when the false apostles urged circumcision for establishing their false doctrine, (that the works of the Law were necessary for righteousness and salvation,) and misused it for confirming their error in the minds of men, Paul says that he would not yield even for an hour, in order that the truth of the Gospel might continue unimpaired.]
Book of Concord, Formula of Concord, Adiaphora, Solid Declaration
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The conflict came from the same kind of justifications when the Emperor forced the Lutherans to accept some aspects of Roman Catholicism, after Luther's death. Why did he do that? The obvious reason - he wanted to get Lutherans back into the fold. Melanchthon, who had many great qualities but not a lot of courage, decided to compromise by saying many of these things were adiaphora. That was a case of using a correct term to justify error.
For example, during the 1980s, the Shrinkers in WELS were always saying, "We cannot read someone's mind and identify motives." The same Shrinkers knew exactly why pastors and laity did not like their Fuller doctrine: "They are lazy. They do not care about the lost. They are threatened. They see a false teacher under every rock. They are jealous." The Shrinkers had an astonishing capacity to read minds and find nothing but evil among Book of Concord Lutherans.
When I laboriously listed the doctrinal errors of WELS leaders and contrasted them to orthodox Lutheran statements in a paper I gave, District VP Schroer phoned me and screamed, "You are judging hearts, and that is a sin!" I said, "No, I am quoting your leaders and comparing their statements to Lutheran doctrine."
Someone is using Bailing Water to promote his CLC (sic) sect. I remember Paul Tiefel using every possible excuse to justify following false teachers, just like his cousin James Tiefel at The Sausage Factory. Yes, people in other denominations are Christians too, but that does not commend their doctrine. Yes, there are questionable hymns in The Lutheran Hymnal, but that does not excuse false doctrine. Some prayers among the Collects might be taken the wrong way, but that is not a reason to promote Reformed or Roman Catholic doctrine.
The sign of the cross is an ancient Christian tradition, a good tradition encouraged by the Book of Concord. Many other practices are being introduced to make it easier to de-sensitize people to Romanism. Some pastors are so bewitched that their friends can leave Lutherdom for Rome or Constantinople, denounce Lutheran doctrine, and still be objects of adoration. Many Missouri pastors are still genuflecting before their Fenton icon.
