Bethany Rap Video:More Proof That Straight White Guys Cannot Dance

"It's by rapper Taio Cruz  warning a girl that he will break her heart. When that happens, it is not his fault since he warned her. It's been up on youtube for awhile..."

Wikipedia article on this profound song.

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Narrow-minded Lutheran has left a new comment on your post "Bethany Rap Video:More Proof That Straight White G...":

Thanks for posting the lyrics above, since I'm an old, grumpy Lutheran who can't understand this new "music." I would be so proud as a parent to see my kid portraying such a healthy message about relationships for my $27,580 per year. "Karma" must come from the NIV translation.

When are girls going to learn that this culture portrays them as "ho's" and cheap pieces of meat? Since the "Lutheran" synods want to be so relevant about applying the Bible to our daily lives and relationships, how 'bout a study of Ephesians 5?

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Bethany Rap Video:More Proof That Straight White G...":

Narrow-Minded makes a good point.

The Bethany Values listed above, "Pursuit of knowledge, critical thinking...comprise the essence of your Bethany experience and what we will strive to establish and bolster within you", is similar to the WELS MLC statements.

Yet, exactly who is watching over and taking care of these kids when they are hundreds if not thousands of miles away from their parents?

The words of the song used by Bethany are predatory. The video published by MLC was homoerotic.

All from the "Most conservative Lutheran Synods in the world" reaching the lost for Jesus even if they have to sin to do it.

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GJ -
Original linked here.

I am sure the Bethany Lutheran College (ELS) students asked for written permission to borrow the entire soundtrack.

Or did they follow the example of Martin Luther College (WELS)?

Long ago, I cloned the lavender cross logo WELS was using and put it on my website. I immediately got a ferocious email (with Lutheran misspelled) from The Love Shack. The email stated that the lavender cross was the WELS trademark. I could not use it without permission. Since I did not have permission, I had to remove it.

I sought legal counsel from Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe on the trademark issue. My attorney said, "They have to identify the trademark with a tm in a circle or with the words trade mark. That is how a trade mark is protected. If they do not use one indication or another, they have no claim." I am sure The Love Shack knew this. Yet they put forward a spurious claim about their rights, which they gave up. Let's face it. A cross with a trade mark sign is rather tacky, even for WELS.

WELS/ELS - very stuffy about doing things correctly. They insist on a gentle, sit-down Come to Jesus meeting when they are publishing false doctrine all over the world, but they never correct their errors. They retaliate by trashing pastors and members behind their backs.

If someone takes the time to write a letter, which they urge constantly, the letter is not answered or even acknowledged.

The next time they write a letter, asking for money to "reach out with the Gospel," (trans - pay salaries and settle meritorious lawsuits), ask them why their colleges are engaged in stealing music to make bad videos of dubious value.

Doesn't this Bethany video send a nifty message to young people everywhere - a message of unrepentant hedonism with the young woman playing a willing victim? I am dabbing my eyes right now.

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[Ludadris intro]
Now I might not be the worst of the best but you gotta respect my honesty so let me break your heart but I dont think theres anybody as bomb as me so you can take this chance and everybodys gonna be wonderin how you feel you might say this is Ludacris but Taio Cruz tell her how you feel.

Now listen to me baby
Before I love and leave ya
They call me heart breaker
I don't wanna deceive ya

If you fall for me
I'm not easy to please
Imma tear you apart
Told you from the start,
Baby from the start.

I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart. (x4)

Woah Woah

Theres no point tryin to hide it
No point trying to evade it
I know I gotta problem
By doin misbehaving

If you fall for me
I'm not easy to please

Imma tear you apart
Told you from the start,
Baby from the start.

I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart.
I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart.
I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart.
I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart. )

Woah woah

Ha
And I know karmas gonna get
Me back for being so cold.
Like a big bad wolf im born
To be bad an bad to the bone.
If you fall for me
Imma gonna tear you apart
Told you from the start

I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart.
I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart.
I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart.
I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart.

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Ask students and alumni why they chose Bethany Lutheran College, and you’ll hear them mention two features again and again: small size and Christian atmosphere. Together, these features create significant benefits for students — close, personal attention from faculty and staff, numerous opportunities for participation and leadership, and an environment in which faith is integrated with learning.

At Bethany, every student is regarded as a valued, unique member of the community. Our small size allows for that. Our Christian mission inspires it. We have excellent instructors at Bethany who are committed to your success. Our graduates find jobs at great companies and enroll in top graduate schools.

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The Bethany experience is more than just what goes on in the chapel, classrooms, residence halls, performing or athletic venues. It’s character, values, morals – it’s the fulfillment of each and every graduate in terms of their academic, social, physical, and spiritual development. It’s who they are and what they stand for.

Bethany is a campus community where students, faculty, and staff unite to create an atmosphere of Christian love and genuine concern for one another. Pursuit of knowledge, critical thinking, confidence, leadership, determination, and competitive spirit, trustworthy – these will comprise the essence of your Bethany experience and what we will strive to establish and bolster within you.

Time and again, we hear it from employers, business administrators, and civic leaders – “We want your graduates. We value the Bethany experience.” Hard to support with facts and figures? Yes. So we’ll let others familiar with Bethany tell their story. Looking for evidence?

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Total Direct Cost, 2010-2011

Tuition $20,650
Fees 430
Board 3,610
Room 2,890

TOTAL $27,580

Financial Crisis and Apostasy Go Together: The Anglican Version

Episcopal Bishop for Life Robinson and his partner.
"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you (Woo, woo, woo)
What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson
Joltin' Joe has left and gone away
(Hey, hey, hey...hey, hey, hey)"



VIRTUEONLINE'S Choices for Top Twelve Episcopal/Anglican Stories of the Year

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
December 29, 2010


1. Lesbian Bishop Mary Glasspool elected Bishop Suffragan in Diocese of Los Angeles. Action rocks Anglican world. ABC issues warning of consequences.

2. Continuing court rulings in VA, CA, Ft. Worth, Quincy and Colorado.

3. The flight of more parishes, clergy and laity from The Episcopal Church. ASA shows continued decline.

4. Proposed Anglican Covenant: Nobody wants it, but ABC insists it will work if everyone signs on.

5. Church of England Synod: Mitregate and issues surrounding an Ordinariate for fleeing Anglo-Catholics.

6. Fr. Dan Martins an orthodox priest's election and consents.

7. Anglican and Episcopal Blogs go viral.

8. The return of PA Bishop Charles Bennison - the bishop nobody wants.

9. Episcopal seminaries in decline. Episcopal cathedrals face uncertain future: Washington National Cathedral layoffs.

10. Haiti earthquake. Rebuilding Episcopal presence.

11. Revision of Title IV Canons. TEC more hierarchical. Sovereign rights of dioceses now in jeopardy.

12. Diocese of South Carolina stands up to National Church over property issues.

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GJ - At Yale, where the divinity school was merged with the Episcopalian seminary, the students said: "Episcopalian priests fall apart over the three B's: booze, broads, and boys in the choir."

ELCA and the Episcopal Church began living together in sin a few years ago. They did not form a legal, legitimate merger, but invented a way in which Episcopalian polity could be forced upon Lutherans. One example was the sudden necessity to have an Anglican bishop present at all confirmations and ordinations. Why not at Holy Communion too?

Both denominations fell all over each other in affirming homosexual ordination. The Episcopalians got the upper hand by enthroning a homosexual bishop, previously married, who posed with his partner for the press. That was the last straw for many congregations, and even for bishops.

ELCA and the Episcopal Church latched onto the same fad, used the same Stalinistic terror tactics, and reaped the same rewards. The Episcopal response, like ELCA's, is to be even more radical.

Both denominations illustrate the hot air balloon effect. When a hot air balloon starts rising up, out of control, the only escape is to jump. Every person who jumps will make the balloon rise even faster.

Financial Crisis and Apostasy Go Together: ELCA Version

Worst of all, ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson was featured on Bad Vestments!

From the memory banks, a story repeated via many sources, but originally from the ELCA News Service itself:

Large ELCA Congregation Votes to Leave the Denomination

Via TitusOneNine:

ELCA NEWS SERVICE
September 27, 2009


CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Community Church of Joy, Glendale, Ariz., ended its affiliation Sept. 27 with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States.

The congregation was the 10th largest in the ELCA with 6,800 baptized members. According to the 2009 ELCA Yearbook, Community Church of Joy's current operating expenses are more than $2.7 million. It gave more than $207,915 to the ELCA and other organizations in benevolence. By a unanimous vote of 129-0, Community Church of Joy terminated the relationship at a congregational meeting following worship.

"I was praying that (the vote) would be a clear direction from the congregation," said the Rev. Walter P. Kallestad, senior pastor of the congregation. Seeking to be consistent with the congregation's decision, Kallestad announced to the congregation his intention to resign from the ELCA's clergy roster.

Two votes were taken as part of a process to end the affiliation. An initial vote took place June 28, when 185 members voted 174-11 in favor of ending the relationship. Also in June, voting members chose to join Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ -- an association of 197 congregations in the United States "rooted in the Lutheran Confessions."

Community Church of Joy's vision, values and mission are no longer aligned with the ELCA, according to Kallestad. "There is such a different direction that the ELCA has chosen, a path they're traveling on, and we really believe that it just was not consistent to where God has called us. And so we're parting," he told the ELCA News Service.

On its Web site, Community Church of Joy cited three documents to help make clear the reasons for the congregation's actions. One document is about Israel and another is about Holy Scripture. A third document references the actions of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly on the topic of human sexuality.
The assembly approved a series of proposals to change ministry policies, including a change to allow Lutherans in lifelong, publicly accountable, monogamous same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, clergy, deaconesses and diaconal ministers. The assembly also approved "Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust" -- the denomination's 10th social statement, which addresses a spectrum of topics relevant to human sexuality from a Lutheran perspective.

The Rev. Stephen S. Talmage, bishop of the ELCA Grand Canyon Synod, Phoenix, spoke to members of Community Church of Joy in early September. He said about 40 people were present, and about 20 of them were members of Community Church of Joy. Kallestad was not present.

"In the meeting I affirmed the ministry of Community Church of Joy," Talmage told the ELCA News Service. "I lifted up that Pastor Kallestad and the congregation have had a historical reputation of trying novel and creative things. They also, without a doubt, clearly have a heart for reaching the unchurched. They've pushed the envelope for the ELCA, having us look at how we do worship, how we evangelize and how we reach out."

Talmage said he also listed the ways in which Lutherans engage in mission and ministry across the country and overseas. "That will be lost, and that's sad," he said. "My hope is that, although they're leaving, we can still discover ways we can cooperate in ministry and celebrate our common commitment to growing disciples."

Talmage was not present for the Sept. 27 vote at Community Church of Joy. The Rev. John Q. Cockram, Shepherd of the Desert, Sun City, Ariz., represented the synod.

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Information about Community Church of Joy is at http://www.joyonline.org on the Web.

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GJ - I hesitate to remind readers - "I have been there too, and I heard Kallestad preach." Community of Joy is in our former suburb of Glendale, Arizona, so Mrs. Ichabod and I went there for a service. The pastor has a DMin from Fuller Seminary and the congregation never features its Lutheran identity - if it has one at all. Kallestad became famous for Entertainment Evangelism, a method used with WELS/ELS approval at The CORE, Latte Lutheran Church, Rock N Roll, and many other Church and Change franchises.

This 2009 news story mentions about 200 congregations in the LCMC.  I believe they have 500-700 congregations now. The situation is so fluid that the facts are evasive. Congregations are in a constant state of looking at the issues, affiliating with dissenting organizations, and voting to join either LCMC or NALC. Some have started re-voting after the initial effort failed. Additional alternative Lutheran groups are also receiving new congregations.

ELCA decided to scare congregations into staying, with harsher rules. That should accelerate the exodus. Supposedly, former executives Crumley (LCA) and David Preus (ALC) think the merger they midwifed was a big mistake. How do you like that, Ichabodians? I have two former denominational executives who agree with me.

They are saying I was right, 23 years ago, and they were wrong. But - do SP Harrison, SP Schroeder, and Pope John the Malefactor listen up?

I wrote previously that Stan Olson was once a divisional head of ELCA (one out of four divisions). The four divisions were dropped and he was demoted to head of an office, the very office used to expedite the blessed reconciliation of ministers previously ousted from ELCA. The office he served so efficiently was liquidated in the latest melt-down of finances. Olson is old enough to retire, but he took on the presidency of Wartburg Seminary, an ELCA seminary in financial meltdown. Eventually, God will look at his resume and say, "Stan, you have been everywhere - professor, pastor, district bishop, senior executive, junior executive, seminary president."

Publishing Plans

Artwork by Norma Boeckler

Jesus, Lord of Creation should be available in print today.

Luther versus the UOJ Pietists, Justification by Faith is almost ready as a proof copy. I am working on a section about the Means of Grace.

Thy Strong Word is available, but needs some cosmetic work. Several people are reading it over.

A children's book is planned, with art by Norma Boeckler.

All this remains under the rubric of "God willing."