I. J. Reilly has left a new comment on your post "Fruit of the Stealth Mission":
First off, I would like to apologize. I never explored blogs before I happened onto yours by accident because I was convinced that the tone of most blogs was way too nasty and that everyone who got involved in them was destined to become nasty whether he or shee (sic) wanted to or not. I'm afraid that I became what I did not want to become. I became too nasty. I became blog-level nasty. I became GJ level nasty (oops, that was nasty). I think the situation was made worse this weekend because I was experiencing a particularly dreary weekend with relatives this weekend.
That is why I have made a New Year's resolution of sorts. I have resolved never to come back here ever again (except to check whether you post this). I mean, I'm really not this snide or nasty in real life. The atmosphere of this blog brought out all of my snarkiest comments that usually remain unspoken.
I really wish you no harm, Greg. I just wish that you could see the positive that I see in most people in the WELS. I'm not saying that the WELS is perfect. Goodness knows that I've had my issues with some of the things that go on -- mostly in the arena of politics. However, most of the clergy and laity I've known have had the best of intnentions (sic) and genuinely strive to promote the truth of God's Word to the world. This includes the traditionalists and the "shrinkers" (as you call them). I guess that my point is that if you look for the bad in people and institutions, you will find it in spades. If you look for the good, you will be amazed at how much work for the Lord all of these people with their various approaches of ministry are doing.
Part Deux
I. J. Reilly has left a new comment on your post "Fruit of the Stealth Mission":
Oh, and here's one going away present. I'm going to let you in on the little joke that is present in my pen name. "I. J. Reilly" really gives no hint to my identity. In truth, I'm nobody really. I'm a WELS pastor in the Fox Valley area, but that's it. I'm not a muckity muck in the Synod. I've never had a by-line in "Forward in Christ" or even composed a weeks worth of "Meditations" (I must be about the only WELS pastor who hasn't). I'm just a guy who likes to assume the best about his fellow pastors and hates it when people look for the worst, which is why I've been so hard on you.
My name is also not a reference to Bill O'Reilly. I like watching his show from time to time, but I didn't choose it because I'memulating his bull-dog tactics.
"I. J. Reilly" is actually a reference to the main character of one of my favorite American novels of the 20th Century, "A Confederacy of Dunces." If you read the book, you might understand why I chose to pay homage to Ignatius J. Reilly. Here was a man in Twentieth Century New Orleans who wishes to be a citizen of the Middle Ages. Instead of emulating Luther, he loved Boethius. He believed that by latching on to this philosopher, he was making himself superior to all the small minded people around him. Instead of doing that, he made himself and those around him miserable. Kind of reminds me of a certain 21st Century resident of Arkansas. The good news for Ignatius is that he finally finds escape when he is forced to leave New Orleans. His pyloric valve opens (a closed pyloric valve tortures him throughout the book) and he finds himself at peace with the world.
I sincerely hope that your spiritual pyloric valve opens some day and you find the peace that Reilly (and Luther, for that matter) eventually found and the great truths of the Bible--of which you imagine yourself to be a defender amidst a church of dunces--can actually bring you some measure of peace.
The Lord's blessings. It's been kind of fun jousting with you, but I've had enough.
Your Friend,
Officer Mancuso
***
GJ - Dabbing my eyes - This is a guy who quits and comes back again. Like the smell of napalm in the morning, the daily nasty smells like victory. The Shrinkers do not believe in the efficacy of the Word, but they fill the world with their words. His maladroit literary allusions have been put on display, and we gasp in wonder. Too bad he cannot spell or spell-check.
I am glad this particular anonymous parson calls attention to the rot in Fox Valley. Now anyone in WELS can focus on why that part of the synod is especially bad. Is it a coincidence that the fake Ichabod blog appeared once again? Readers may remember it as an anonymous attempt to attack me personally by going after my two daughters who died. That gambit began with WELS Shrinker leaders, who thought anyone speaking against clergy adultery and false doctrine was unbalanced. Here is the "repentant" parson encouraging the aping blogger:
I. J. Reilly said...
Great to have you back!
This blog supports those faithful Lutherans in Fox Valley who are disgusted with the vile, malodorous Shrinkers who dominate most of the congregations. Local pastors are also furious over what has happened under the winking eye of Doctrinal Pussycat Engelbrecht.
I know people have tried to address the problems, starting with the deceptive cover-up at St. Peter, Freedom. They are batted away with "Nothing to see, move on." Pastor Tim Glende grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where that technique was used by DP Mueller and VP Kuske - to perfection.
Anyone who questioned Floyd Luther Stolzenburg being promoted as a legitimate pastor was "negative." The leaders did not tell the truth about Stolzenburg being forced out of the LCMS ministry "for cause." They did not tell the truth about his divorce papers, the lawsuit filed against him. The WELS leadership (including the Love Shack) supported Floyd's constant promotion of Church Shrinkage.
Floyd never was a member of WELS, but Kuske and Bob Schumann supported Stolzenburg in writing in his effort to land a pastoral position at Emmanuel in Columbus, and he is still there.
The Columbus Shrinker crew (including Roger Zehms, now at St. Marcus, Milwaukee) got Pilgrim Community Church going. That too "never happened," I was told by a WELS pastor screaming on the phone. I was there and spoke against it, wrote against it. That proto-CORE effort flopped, with total attendance at three (3), in spite of the money misspent.
Too bad Tim Glende got such a poor start in his Lutheran education. WELS should stop transplanting cancer.
