The previous post quotes J. P. Meyer and Lenski on using craftiness and huckstering in peddling the Gospel.
Those approaches remain the dominant themes in the Lutheran synods today. Craftiness (panourgia) is Satanic. Instead of being honest about issues, events, and doctrine, the ministers say:
The craftiest parsons end up as DPs and SPs. Voting is a political process, and people like craftiness. As a DP, Jerry Kieschnick altered the will of an elderly lady, robbing her estate. His defense in court was "I am just a poor dumb pastor." The LCMS elevated him to Synod President, in honor of his craftiness.
Gurgle pretended to be against amalgamation, until he was elected WELS SP. WELS pretended to ask everyone's opinion, then reversed the final vote. Next Gurgle, who already deceived everyone on amalgamation, told the district conventions that the plan would halt if it went overbudget. Once burned, twice shy? No, they loved it and approved what the national convention had actually voted down by a narrow margin. Craftiness works.
Soon there will be no Lutheran schools left. They are all Christian academies now. Instead of training members in the liberal arts and Lutheran doctrine, they are selling private education to the masses, so the right people can have jobs and extra money.
In doctrine, Syn Conf pastors will say the Reformation was based upon justification by faith. However, when challenged, they advocate Universalism as pure and untrammeled as Karl Barth's - everyone is absolved. Rather than welcome doctrinal clarification, they refuse to discuss the central article of the Christian faith. They also threaten and intimidate those laity who clearly profess the Book of Concord's confession of truth.
The WELS Church and Changers pretend to go out of business (a lie told by Gurgle, now by Schroeder) and carry on merrily. Their counterparts in the LCMS, Little Sect, and abhorrent CLC (sic) follow the same path. But they all openly support one another.
Meanwhile, the Book of Concord pastors and laity hide their names and communicate in secret, because of the enemies of sound doctrine will retaliate against them. One obvious example, already published, is Tim Glende's bullying of a member who brought up legitimate concerns about deceit, craftiness, and plagiarism.
