Hide Your Kids From This WELS Youth Rally

"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, why Appleton?
I forgot - the fix is in.
That's why."

One Eponymous Archon (https://me.yahoo.com/oneeponymousarchon) has left a new comment on your post "Missouri Synod's Rock N Roll Youth Rally - And Hig...":

Rev. GJ,

Found out a few days ago that the Minnesota - repeat, Minnesota - District (WELS) Youth Rally will be held in Appleton, WI. No doubt that the fake "rev." Ski person and Soul-killer Glende will be main attractions. Maybe they will even get their Bible boobs (opps, excuse me, babes) to attend.

WELS is so dead its (sic) really beginning to stink like last month's baloney!

One Eponymous Archon

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GJ - Don't fail to miss this one. Entertainment:
1. Doug the Unready will send a letter to be read, explaining that the low attendance is the fault of Ichabod and its eeevul author, Greg Jackson.
2. John Parlow will give Hybels' latest sermon and channel Willow Creek emotions most effectively.
3. Paul Calvin Kelm will explain that his Fuel Bible study failed at The CORE because of Ichabod and the eevul Greg Jackson.
4. Tim Glende will warn the youth about the dangers of reading Ichabod, urging them instead to read the fake Ichabod, wink wink.
5. Bishop Katie will have a cameo appearance so no one finds out why she quit at The CORE, even though she did all Ski's work for him.
6. Ski will deliver an original message - gasp - on celebrities he has known and hugged. Later, he will narrate a tour of his office and explain each celebrity photo for the drooling teens.

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St. Peter's features Schwaermer-Vision:

Mission/Vision

Mission

At St. Peter Lutheran Church our mission is to love God, love one another, and share God’s love with whole world

Vision
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was he replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” He continued, “And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-29 NIV) Jesus made our mission as Christians pretty simple: love. First God, then others.

Jesus Christ is the leader of our church at St. Peter. He guides the lives of his people through the Gospel and the Holy Spirit. In addition to loving God and others Jesus commands us to reach out with the Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus to those who do not know the Lord and to nurture our members with God’s Word. We want to be faithful to God’s mission here at St. Peter and so we strive to first Love God and our fellow Christians and then share that love with the entire world who (sic) has not yet heard of the wonderful story of Salvation.

GJ - For examples of Pastor Tim's love of God's Word, see his cloning of Craig Groeschel sermons and materials. For examples of his love for others, read the fake Ichabod blog and the late, unlamented Anonymouse Shrinker blog.

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Pastor Tim Glende a.k.a. Pastor Tim

5 ways to describe you: Blessed by God. Loves his family. Passionate about sharing Jesus in the Valley. Hard worker. Obsessive about Ohio State Football – “Go Bucks!”.

What you do at St. Peter: Lead pastor and main preacher for weekly worship, with main ministry responsibilities being administration, worship, and working with our school board, staff, and students.

Before St. Peter: Attended High School at Michigan Lutheran Seminary (Saginaw, MI) - Class of 1990; Attended Northwestern College (Watertown, WI) - Class of 1994, Graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (Mequon, WI) with a Masters in Divinity – Class of 1998; 1998-2006 - pastor of Star of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Urbana & Savoy, IL.

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GJ - I can imagine the sweat breaking out as Pastor Tim copies Groeschel. That is so much harder than writing a sermon.

It is hard work to deceive people all the time. Deception requires a great memory, remembering all the lies and keeping them sorted out.

Defending The CORE is not so difficult. Money talks, doctrine walks - in WELS. Patmos is not an island of suffering and persecution in Appleton, but Tim and Ski know that already.

Missouri Synod's Rock N Roll Youth Rally - And Higher Things

It is funny, the good guys picked a good hymn with a pagan background. I believe Freddy Finkelstein had the details about it. The official LCMS Youth Rally is just one step away from what ELCA is doing - having a big Gay Lesbian group grope.

Missouri voted overwhelmingly to remain bedmates with ELCA.

Church Growth Methods, Because They Care about Your Miserable Soul

Bible Babes

Ski and Glende's Bible Babes

WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "Slaughter of the Lambs":

Hi Brett! Strange, I viewed Pastor Ben's Blog just yesterday. I was also going to post some things, but you BEAT me to it! Did you see the name of the ladies bible class? It is called, "Bible Babes." Now my pastor would NEVER allow anything like that.

In Christ,
from WELS church lady

Asking about the Murderers

Dr. Pangloss has left a new comment on your post "Happy Birthday, Bethany and Erin Joy":

Where can we find more information about the Just and Tabor murders?

This is very cryptic.

Love your blog, Greg!

Paul

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GJ - WELS Pastor William Tabor was at Salem in Milwaukee when his mistress murdered his wife in their home. Most people assume he was directly involved, either pulling the strings or finishing the job. Tabor received a call to Escanaba, Michigan. I am not sure if it was before or after the murder. He went to Escanaba and served there for a year or two, messing up another group of people. The chief of police in Milwaukee retired, sorry that he never put Tabor away. The editor of the Northwestern Lutheran (Mischke's buddy) told me that Tabor's file was empty when the police came asking for it. I know from several sources, including Bischoff (Trinity, Bridgeton, Missouri) that people wrote WELS warning letters about his adultery in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. WELS took him in and set him up in a mission church in Cape, knowing he was unfaithful and fathered a child in his own parish.

Al Just was a WELS teacher at Arizona Lutheran Academy (Phoenix), where CrossWalk channels Andy Stanley. Just claimed his wife rolled over and over a steak knife in bed. The father of the First VP in WELS organized a busload of Just fans from New Ulm to back up poor Al at his trial. Huebner's father, president of DMLC, testified FOR Just. The jury voted to convict Just, who married his children's baby-sitter while in prison.

Just insisted he was innocent, and many WELS church workers still believe that lie. Just also confessed his guilt to someone. A staffer at MLS wrote me an angry email, telling me that his Uncle Al was an innocent man. I was slandering him. The murderer served only a few years in the clink.

WELS has an obligation to report major crimes within their synod. Covering them up with silence or denials is a new crime.

WELS District President Ed Werner went to state prison for molesting girls in his own congregation. All the pastors knew he was doing it, but they kept re-electing him. Finally, the previously molested mothers of the girls he was currently molesting called a stop to it.

In Michigan, WELS Vicar Scott Zerbe went to state prison for having an affair with a minor girl during his vicarage. Pastor Fred Adrian, who was chairman of the District Mission Board, wrote two versions of Scott's vicarage report - one knowing about the affair, the other not knowing. The girl's family sued WELS in court and won an initial amount of $400,000. Adrian wrote his congregation a letter, saying in effect, "Don't worry. Insurance will pay for it." The WELS lawyers immediately appealed the verdict.

In court WELS denied knowing about any other scandals involving their church workers. I supplied the girl's attorney with names, dates, places. When she gave that to the judge, the court ordered WELS to tell the truth. That is what broke the case open. The criminal element in WELS has been trying to get even with me ever since, not that they were very nice before.

Fred Adrian resigned from the ministry for another reason, but he is back in a call in Michigan. The Good Ol' Boy Network never fails one of their own.

The Werner and Zerbe stories should have been in FICL too.

The CLC (sic) is just as bad.

McCain said Missouri had to get tough because it was costing them so much money in lawsuits. I will let his fanbase absorb that insight from the Purple Palace.

There are many details that only hurt the victims of these crimes.

Ex-SP Gurgle was a DP when he managed to use up the entire estate of MilCraft, which was to support the man's widow during her lifetime. She had to sue to get some money from WELS. The WELS response was "We have to be more careful about which gifts we accept from now on." Robbing widows is mentioned in the Bible.

Gurgle was so good at managing money that WELS elected him SP to stop amalgamation, which he immediately pushed forward.

Now Gurgle is doing the same for Texas.

Someone could do a crime series on WELS.

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Scott E. Jungen has left a new comment on your post "Asking about the Murderers":

I was a DMLC student during the time of the Al Just murder trial. Somebody used the school's mailing list to ask for funds for his defense. My father received one of these letters. I tried to explain to him what happened after he asked.

About a year ago I had a WELS teacher tell me how he knew of someone else who accidentally rolled over on a steak knive in bed. See, it could happen! Therefore Al Just was not guilty.

Even after thirty years people still have a hard time believing that a called worker could do such a thing. Sad!

Time Is Running Out and Pastors Do Not Do Their Jobs

Meanwhile, future ELCA pastors are blessing their compost tumblers in the chapel
at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.


Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Bored Advice":

I agree with Brett Meyer and Bored in this respect - if the synod cannot face its doctrinal apostasy, there is no hope. That may happen in time, but many laity will have to force the issue.

A note about time. Many currently think they have time and will address the apostasy and blatant errors later, when time permits or the situation becomes such that they won't stand out as much as if they nipped the issue in the bud alone and at great cost now.

Time. There is very little of it left. A realistic view of what the current and future government(s) intend to allow as far as open confession and practice concerning Scriptural doctrine and how long they will allow the internet to be open and free will show that there is very little time left to benefit from such an expansive and informative resource. It's a reminder of the Biblical account of the bride grooms and the oil in their lamps. Many are putting off today what they will not be allowed to do tomorrow. If they will not promote and defend right doctrine and practice today (in alignment with Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions) for the price of a few skinned knuckles, what will they do tomorrow when the price is your life of the lives of those they love.

Time. There's very little of it left. And by the grace and mercy of God this continues to be more and more true as the glorious day of Christ approaches. May the Lord grant His Church an abundant harvest while it is still day and His Word continues to be taught in it's truth and purity.

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viewpoint (http://viewpoint.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Rebuke False Doctrine":

Yes, reprove, rebuke, exhort false teachers and pastors with all longsuffering and doctrine wherever and whenever you find them. Failure to do so has led to the current state of apostasy. Truth be known such pastors and teachers do NOT know best. They do NOT even care about the truth.

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GJ - The vast majority of clergy will do nothing.

Rebuke False Doctrine

Patmos
bored has left a new comment on your post "Bored Advice":

Pastor Jackson

Point taken. I didn’t really want to go on record giving advice to “leave the WELS”. I guess I did, and I should be more careful.

To correct that I’ll say that we desperately need every person willing to ask the hard questions AND provide the right answers: the Word. Laymen need to encourage their pastors in this. It’s really difficult to be beholden to the WELS in the way that so many pastors are, and laymen should not abandon their pastors in this fight. That would be as bad as withholding our tithes, and requiring our pastors to live in poverty.

Let’s each encourage those men given spiritual authority in the WELS who wish to see the synod rebuke and correct it’s errant members. Let’s pray for them to have the raw guts it’ll take to accept the risk, to speak with the audacity and clarity of Martin Luther. Prayer is the next best step.

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GJ -

KJV 2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

I am not saying "Stay" or "Leave" but "Rebuke false doctrine." Everyone who is ordained pledges to obey these verses posted above. The verses do not say, "Keeping in mind the PR of the synod..." or "Deceive people so no one knows who the criminal clergy are."

WELS is especially vulnerable to protecting the synod's image first, which has led it far deeper into the Slough of False Doctrine than most people realize. One can trade on a reputation only so long. If hundreds of people see the links and the photos, month after month, they will realize that the PR is more than a smoke screen - it is a fog bank.

Someone could say as much about the Little Sect on the Prairie. They were running Thoughts of Faith as a carnival of wasted money and corruption. But the synod leaders act as if their feet never touch the ground, and the sick are healed, whenever they raise their predestined and predestinating arms in blessing.

McCain in Trouble at ALPB Online

ptmccain

ALPB Contribution Leader

Posts: 601

Quote from: Richard Johnson on July 26, 2010, 08:42:41 PM

Editor McCain,

Some of us here appreciate and wish to continue to hear Pr. Austin's reflections on the LWF assembly. This is your last chance. Here's the deal: I am asking you to STOP commenting on any of the threads related to the LWF. If you fail to do so, I will suspend your membership on the forum until after the LWF assembly is over. Are we clear?

Whatever you say, Moderator Johnson.


ALPB Online Forum

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GJ - Note that McCain has 600 posts on a forum he quit because it was harming his mental health.

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Daniel has left a new comment on your post "McCain in Trouble at ALPB Online":

This ptmccain character joined my website (it was a somewhat successful Christian forum community) after a discussion started about the new Lutheran study Bible a few months ago.

I thought it was strange at the time that he would do so, for no other reason than to support the sales of the bibles. Apparently he doesn't have better uses of his time?

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GJ - I read things from all over, which takes some time, but I only post at Extra Nos. Commenting all over would take a lot of time, so I have to conclude that blogging is his main job at CPH.

I read ALPB because it gives me a perspective on ELCA and liberal Missouri. McCain is the only person I have seen warned on that site. It may have happened to someone else, but I have not witnessed it. Generally the discussions are fairly light in tone. Perhaps McCain has been on LutherQuest (sic) too much.

Slaughter of the Lambs

Avoid WELS tattoo artists. Seriously.


Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Here Is an Idea for Those Who Follow Babtist Stanl...":

Thought people should read the blog of Pastor Ben from Victory of the Lamb, WELS. A few real, relevant and relational statements that can be read online and in context are:

"First off we’ve got Hallepalooza! coming up this Friday, July 9th, from 5-8 pm at Lions Legend Park in Franklin. In case you’re wondering, you are invited! This is our party in the park with live music, free food, kids’ events, karaoke, horseshoes, and door prizes donated by local business. Come whenever you can after work. Food will be served from 5:30-7. I’ll be leading a devotion from God’s Word at 7:00 and door prize giveaways will be after that."

"Twice a month, I regularly invite people at worship to text me whatever questions they have on my sermon. We then have a Q and A time during the service when I do my best to answer some of those questions."

"As for me…I have no hidden agenda. I just love to help people like you see what the Bible actually says so that you can make up your own mind about it on the basis of at least knowing what it says."

"So maybe the timing wasn't right even though we though it was. Maybe God wants me to spend more time develping leaders from within our church."

"So let me just share some more exciting news about our church. This week Thursday, God-willing, our church will we get a second pastor to complement me and we’ll learn who he is. I am really pumped about this. After a couple months of planning and prayer we’ve been able to request a graduate from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. I’ll be the lead pastor who’ll focus on outreach, preaching, worship, and leadership. Our second pastor will primarily be a discipleship pastor. His main roles at first will be to teach a weekly Bible study, to get to know our people and help them find a plan for individual and family spiritual growth, and to develop and oversee a plan to connect people in small groups gathered around God’s Word on a regular basis."

"Bible Quest: is our awesome ministry for kids ages 2-10 which takes place during the regular Sunday morning worship service."

http://pastorbensblog.blogspot.com/

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GJ - Church and Change? You betcha.

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Joseph Schmidt has left a new comment on your post "Slaughter of the Lambs":

"develop and oversee a plan to connect people in small groups gathered around God’s Word on a regular basis."

Yay! Cell groups. Haven't those been tried before?

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GJ - When will WELS leaders admit that cell groups are Pietism and Enthusiasm? Here is an easy way to do it - I went to John Lawrenz and said, "How could you write a book for home Bible studies when you know that is the essence of Pietism?"

He was very emotional, but he never addressed the question itself.

That is all it takes - direction questions - plus a mass exodus of members and money.

Later I learned from the Church and Change listserve that he was a contributor to the whole problem.

Apology and Correction

True contrition.

I wrote that Ichabod was averaging 1,000 page reads a day. The figure is running 1,300 to 1,500+.

I apologize for the error.

Bored Advice

Perusing Ski's photo albums is an education in itself.
"Foward (sic) this newsletter..."
Two full-time employees and they cannot run a spell-check.


bored has left a new comment on your post "Scott Makes Some Valid Points":

Scott

To answer your question about where to go: I can’t be certain there’s anything close…don’t know where you live. But http://www.lutheranliturgy.org/ is a trustworthy site for finding a congregation, in my experience. If you live in the Milwaukee area email me at boredbyyourrhetoric@gmail.com I can give your more specifics about Milwaukee churches.

Rev. Gary Gelbach, the site administrator, has done good work. I’ve used his site on several occasions to find a church. No church is perfect of course, and I couldn’t swear that every church listed is Confessional, but it seems to be true that (most often) if a church uses the historical liturgy they also teach Confessionally sound Lutheran doctrine.

I think Scott, to find a place where you can receive the benefits of the divine service without having to dance the hokey pokey, you might have to bail on the WELS, if no Confessional WELS church is close. Your allegiance lies with correct doctrine? Then go where the doctrine is good, regardless of the acronym. Both LCMS and WELS have officially sanctioned error being taught and promoted. Both have great churches. The only difference is that the good guys in the LCMS will admit to anyone their synod’s problems and the good guys in the WELS won’t. With this in mind, does it matter whose doctrine of Fellowship is right? LCMS has no standards for who stays in their synod, and the WELS has standards but doesn’t enforce them. Which is better?
(hope the bus tire marks come off your shirt.)

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GJ - I appreciate the guest bloggers today. I agree with Brett Meyer and Bored in this respect - if the synod cannot face its doctrinal apostasy, there is no hope. That may happen in time, but many laity will have to force the issue. Too many clergy have been abused to expect leadership from them.

The answer is not getting rid of Doug the Unready, but applying the Word until he cries "Quia." No one has done that. He was allowed to promise a meeting about Fox Valley, skip the meeting, leave a letter (!), and blame me (?). That was when the entire ministerium should have marched with torches and pitchforks. But I guess the meeting was a secret. Sure, keep everything a secret so no one can discuss the incompetence of the leaders.

In short, applying the Word is the solution, not going or staying or using a website. We must sow patiently.

T

Scott Makes Some Valid Points

Scott E. Jungen has left a new comment on your post "Disgusted, Not Bored":

Bored,

I second Brett's "Hear, hear." My only question is this: If I would shake the dust off my feet and "blow town", to where should I go? ELCA?,LCMS?

To me, the WELS on my personal congregational level is still the place I want to be as a Lutheran, even in the Northern Wisconsin District!

I joined Intrepid Lutherans because I finally found a group who was at least willing to admit there is a problem. Would I like to see names called out and people held accountable for their false teaching? Of course I would! Will it happen right away? I doubt it.

Remember, the WELS has been in the spiritual cancer of the Church Growth Movement for over thirty years. This type of deep rooted problem does not go away in a day or a year. Keep speaking, praying, and the powerful Word will do what the Lord intends it to do on His timetable, not ours.

Crawling out from under the bus,

Scott

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GJ - Scott has made some good points. The chief one is that turning to Confessional Lutheran doctrine will take time - if it happens at all. I trace the Shrinker Movement to 1977, when the odious TELL magazine began, with the approval of SP Naumann.

For that to happen, pastors had to be working on a palace revolution before that time. Now the two colleges and the seminary are subsidiaries of Fuller, Willow Creek, and Mars Hill. The Love Shack and FICL (pronounced Fickle!) are vessels of dishonor.

From Luther's death to the Book of Concord took 24 years, from meltown to publication. Luther's approach was to apply God's Word and let His will take effect. Luther was excommunicated, so the Evangelical Lutheran Church was born.

We have the advantage of knowing Luther's doctrine - if we do - and possessing the Book of Concord - if we study it. I cannot say what the best approach is for each individual. I have confessional friends everywhere.

The foundational issue is applying the Word. Faith makes us bold.

Happy Birthday, Bethany and Erin Joy

Bethany Joan Marie at four months.

Erin Joy loved her swing.

A cluster of birthdays includes Mrs. Ichabod, Alicia Meyer, the sainted Walter Boeckler, Bethany and Erin Joy, all within a few days.

Bethany and Erin Joy are the stars of Angel Joy, the title based on their nicknames. Nurses always called Bethany "Angel" for her curly blond locks. Erin was so full of joy that the nurses called her "Joy," surprised at seeing it was her middle name. We used to say "Where's the Party?" was her middle name.

Look at my daughter's faces. I baptized both of them. The fake blogger used the death of both girls to attack me for questioning UOJ, Church Growth, and clergy adultery in WELS. I am pointing that out so the readers understand the criminal nature of WELS leadership. Nothing is too low for them.

Criminal actions have consequences. If the perps escape the noose in this life, they still have the next life to answer for their actions. Matthew 7:15ff comes to mind.

When you hear a WELS apostate talk about the Eighth Commandment, remember the helpless children they use as a smokescreen for their evil.

Remember the late Mrs. Al Just, murdered in her own bed.

Remember Mrs. William Tabor, shot to death in her own home by her husband's mistress.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Happy Birthday, Bethany and Erin Joy":

Angel Joy is a wonderful book that is a testament to the supreme efficacy of the Word and the everlasting grace, abundant mercy and loving kindness of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

The Lord's will be done,
In Christ,
Brett Meyer

Bethany Book Sale and Publishing News

Book cover by Norma Boeckler.

The book sale list will be available very soon. The sale will finance book projects. Books will include British history, literature, and children's classics. Many books are Easton leather bound. Others are Folio. There are also some Luther books and Lutheran books from before.

The new version of Thy Strong Word will be available in print through Lulu and also at Lulu for unlimited, free PDF downloads. All the books are available as free PDFs.

Additional books will be appearing:

Liberalism: Its Cause and Cure.

Jesus Priceless Treasure.

Angel Joy.

Jesus Lord of Creation.

The upcoming book on justification will be next. A lot of details are being sorted out to turn the research into a book.

Here Is an Idea for Those Who Follow Babtist Stanley and Emerging Churches

Source

Atheists Break Out New Ritual Tool: The Blow-Dryer

Nonbelievers Adopt Provocative Ceremony to Make a Point About Baptism

525 comments

By DAN HARRIS, ERIC JOHNSON and
MARY FLYNN

July 16, 2010

Atheist group uses household tool to "undo" rite of baptism.

At the annual American Atheists Convention, one of atheism's premier provocateurs, Edwin Kagin, faced the crowd and raised high a hairdryer labeled "Reason and Truth."

Said one woman who travelled from Cincinnati to undergo the de-baptism, "I was baptized Catholic. I don't remember any of it at all." The woman, Cambridge Boxterman, 24, added, "According to my mother I screamed like a banshee, and those are her words, so you can see that even as a young child I didn't want to be baptized. It's not fair. I was born atheist and they were forcing me to become Catholic."
Kagin, who is American Atheists' national legal director, firmly believes that regardless of one's religious beliefs, each person has the right to say or do what he or she wants, provided it is within the law. In the past, he has reportedly called out parents who subject their children to strict fundamentalist religious education, referring to it as child abuse. 

Pope Gets an Update

Clarity

Why Do I Get Another Vibe?

Paul McCain and his lapdog have found a new URL to bark for a time, but I get another message behind their self-defeating words.

Every time there is a major effort to yell and scream, saying, "Morons - do not listen to him - he does not matter!" I get the opposite message.

For example, I never read their blogs because they are so predictable and tedious. I do not need to post on their blogs because they really do not matter.

I also detect fear. What worked under Kieschnick may not be so popular under Harrison. The trouble with a plush life and blogging for pay is that others want the same position. Or it may disappear.

I believe they need some fun in their lives. Or a daily regimen of sun and prunes. Usually people who act that way are sitting on porches with a 22 rifle across their laps, muttering incoherently at anyone who comes near.

I can understand McCain being touchy about being spanked in public by his own synod. One of his fellow seminarians posted the link. I am a clearing house for all kinds of information. For every UOJ Stormtrooper like McCain, there is a Federation soldier ready to fire back.

McCain and his Sancho Panza excrete more false doctrine than a Shrinker seminar at Fuller.

For example, they are scornful of my small church. But -

KJV Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Was their education so poor that they never read this verse? Do they scorn the Savior, too? The Means of Grace? Both of them advocate God's grace coming to the entire world, without the Means of Grace. Their Enthusiastic UOJ can find no basis in the entire canon, so they rave.

Their scorn about numbers may come from this fact. My congregation averages 1,000+ each day, so I imagine the real figure bothers them more than their feigned arrogance allows. Our Bethany video files have been viewed thousands of times. Very few congregations offer a live, free service and saved files of liturgical services and adult studies.

As stated before, a group of people came together in 1998, called me, formed a congregation named Bethany, and created an ecclesiastic corporation in the People's Republic of Minnesota. That was the beginning. This may grieve the yipping pair, but members have traveled thousands of miles to attend the services and to participate in our tiny conferences.

Left unsaid is the absolute intolerance of doctrinal rebuke in the ELS, WELS, LCMS, or micro-mini sects. The Enthusiasts have set up shop (as McCain and the papist knows) in every corner of Lutherdom. They cannot abide the efficacious Word of God. They may parade around with the Confessions, holding them like Torah scrolls or the True Cross of church legend, but they really despise the Book of Concord, sound doctrine, and anyone who stands up to them.

Now they are so desperate that they have to do their bullying in public, attacking people by name instead of dealing with doctrinal issues. The end is near.

Disgusted, Not Bored

bored has left a new comment on your post "Ferry Fight - Barney Frank Knows Fire Island Pines...":

WELS church lady. I think you oughta change your moniker to "Lutheran Church Lady". think it'd be more accurate and therefore, more flattering.

I think "disgusting" is the perfect word to describe the systemically flawed net (genetic and doctrinal) that is the WELS hierarchy-- because it disgusts me. I do not think the WELS is worth fighting for because there would need to be such a major upheaval for a real change to take place and it would destroy many churches. The culture of power in the synod will just stomp on the face of anyone (especially pastors) who criticizes Mother WELS. Even people of confessional like-mindedness will throw you under the bus for your "disunity", because "That's just not how it's done". The fellows at Intrepid are a perfect example. They are faint hearted. The strongest language they use (indicating a problem in the WELS) is "...and, where necessary, encourage a restoration of confessional Lutheranism within the WELS..." The problem with weak and indirect language is that it allows the enemies of true doctrine enemies wiggle room. ALL of the corrupt clergy in the WELS know enough to agree publicly with everything written on "Intrepid Lutherans."

You can't tip toe around the BLARING FACT the the WELS is nearly 50% Enthusiastic and expect the problem to correct itself.

What "Intrepid" should've written:

"and, where necessary, root out and expose those pastors and churches in our fellowship who are, by their words and actions, actively implementing the machinations of secular American society--usurping the Efficacy of the Word."

A bit wordy perhaps, but at least their mission statement would have teeth!