Have you no shame, WELS?
Someone wrote:
So even the AP and Fox picked up on Rob Bell
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/24/whos-hell-michigan-pastors-book-sparks-debate-eternal-torment/#
I had the misfortune to be at a “College Night” (date omitted - but known) at Grace in downtown Milwaukee. Food, music and a message once a week for the college kids of MSOE/Marquette. For the message part, they played some Rob Bell video about how God is a symphony of life all around us and just a whole pile of ooey gooey crap. Have to say I was pretty embarrassed that they would stoop so low as to ever present that in a WELS church. Sad.
6 comments:
Apparently they only listened to the 1st half of their own sermon entitled "So What If They're Not WELS?" and not the second half.
"Will I assume God would not and could do great things through them? ... Jesus wants to tell us: Accept all who promote my cause. Thank God for them, pray for them, encourage them, praise them and, better yet: imitate them!"
Rob Bell must have been leaning toward Jesus and not toward wrong teaching in that video- so it must be OK and worthy of imitation. Right?
http://www.gracedowntown.org/sermons/so-what-if-theyre-not-wels
By the way, this related article was on msn.com:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42248810/ns/us_news-life/?gt1=43001
Well isn't that the best way to get new members? After all that pesky law part of the Bible just gets in the way now doesn't it? I mean who wants to hear that they are a sinner and sins have consequences? How does that message get membership up?
Of course I always thought that the law and gospel were equal in scriptural importance. I think Christ was pretty clear about sin's consequences and the existence of hell as well. But then again what do I know? I just read the Bible and that's what it says. I guess that's too radical for some pastors in other denominations and published "Christian" authors.
Perhaps this topic has already been discussed...and maybe it just shows how out of touch I am sometimes...
I just found out today Michele Bachmann is a member of the WELS. I also heard today that she is forming a committee to consider a run for the presidency.
My question is: will this help or hurt the WELS ?
Just to list a few issues I would wonder about:
#1) How will America react to having a presidential candidate that believes the Pope is the anti-Christ? The papacy does have diplomatic relationships with the United States...not to mention a fairly large Catholic population (getting large with Hispanic immigration)
#2) How would people react to a woman President whose church does not allow women to vote, let alone hold offices on church council.
#3) What about all the inter-faith activities a US President participates in, joint prayers, etc.?
Could Michele Bachmann remain WELS if she was elected President? Would her pastor "Need to have a talk with her" if he saw her meeting with other Christian leaders at a dinner and joining in a group prayer?
Just like WELS to appeal to emotions rather than intellect.
Correction Grumpy - the (W)ELS believes the pope is the Christian Antichrist.
Most people in the (W)ELS confess that the Roman Catholic Church is Christian even though if someone makes a confession in complete harmony with the official Catholic doctrines they are guilty of works righteousness and turn the Pope into their christ and, dying in that confession, will be condemned to Hell.
Other people in the (W)ELS confess that no one is to judge the official confession of any denomination and thus they do not know what God's judgement will be on those who make a faithful confession in harmony with the Catholic Church.
Therefore, the Pope is in the (W)ELS estimation - Christian even though he holds the position of Antichrist.
There was an amusing post on Luther Qwest a few years ago where they were arguing whether or not the Antichrist was capable of being saved. Funny that no one admitted that based on the Lutheran Synod's confession of Universal Justification the Antichrist was forgiven of all sin, justified in the blood of Christ and righteous in God's sight - he just doesn't believe it.
Grumpy, I, too have been wondering how the Mother Synod will address all these questions. How would such a synod respond to a woman who, ostensibly, would know the rules of her church and who, apparently, is behaving in a way contrary to its edicts? Would excommunication be its only option?
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