bored has left a new comment on your post "WELS Is an Un-Appealing Sect: Those Kicked Out Can...":
After seeing this thing play out with Joe and his family I just have to make a comment:
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
What I think is particularly interesting is how James 2 plays into all this, and it makes me wonder how the UOJ storm troopers might react. Here they are, saying that ALL people are justified apart from faith and apart from works--so much so that they withhold Grace from someone for saying different. Yet the book of James is a cell-group favorite. UOJers use the book of James to prod people towards legalism, even though James, in an aside, destroys UOJ in verse 2:24. They interpret James incorrectly, but then forget that incorrect interpretation when they move into the book of Romans. It sorta shows the schizophrenic nature of the WELS theological premise. On one hand they are antinomialists and on the other they are legalists. Liberally legalistic and legalistically permissive? One week they withhold grace from someone who says justification comes from faith, but the next week plant seeds of doubt by making people wonder if their works reflect real faith? EEEEEVIL.
I think Joe, you'll get the same schizophrenia from the WELS chain of command--no matter how high you go. It's inherent in their doctrine. I think at this point you should only try to make the biggest waves as possible. You ain't gunna change the WELS muckidy mucks--no sir--but the bigger the waves, the more laymen will study. The WELS (and the LCMS too) is a nasty little sect--a kidnapper of souls, like their father Walther, the child kidnapper. It's a doomed organization. I hate to say it, but the House always wins. Unless the remaining good pastors throw down their cards and leave the table the dealer will clean 'em out. (That metaphor could use some work...)
GJ - Part II in this saga is also important. That begins when WELS starts to insist that Joe and Lisa return to the same nest of vipers that expelled them without cause. Here is a new approach to pastoral visitation. Patterson, who deftly avoided dealing with any issue--except to excommunicate--has sent Gurgle, the ex-SP, to visit with the prodigals. First there was a rush to expel them. Now they want to embrace the prodigals?
If someone suffers from a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome, he will like the person who kept him captive and abused him over a period of time. WELS takes advantage of this. They call it "playing mind games."
Wikipedia
In psychology, Stockholm syndrome is a term used to describe a real paradoxical psychologicalphenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them. These feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their captors for an act of kindness.[1][2] The FBI’s Hostage Barricade Database System shows that roughly 27% of victims show evidence of Stockholm syndrome.[3] The syndrome is named after the Norrmalmstorg robbery of Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm, in which bank employees were held hostage from August 23 to August 28, 1973. In this case, the victims became emotionally attached to their captors, and even defended them after they were freed from their six-day ordeal.
It all starts with GA, the secret initiation rite at Mequon based upon earlier abusive ceremonies.
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Bored Is Correct - Says California:
Bored is correct in his remarks re: the Krohn's appeal of their termination. If a congregation terminates individual congregation members who protest what is recognized by synod and/or synod leaders, appealing to have the termination reversed is an exercise in futility. For unless the congregation itself is in agreement with the contention of the "terminated" (whatever it may be), the appeal process only kicks the issue up the ladder of organizational entity. With WELS doctrine of church and ministry, synod is "church", with congregations comprising the aggregate church. Even if an individual were to prevail in appeal, and have membership reinstated, then the congregation which terminated the membership, would necessity have to be excised from the synod in the name of synodical fellowship. That won't happen if the pastor and congregation leaders maintain the positions (synod's positions) re: the issue of contention. Should the jurisdiction hearing the appeal, demure about the Krohn's objections, the Krohn's reinstatement would automatically result in the congregations being at odds with the synod, and be subject to suspension itself.
All of the above is why I didn't appeal my termination from the membership in a WELS congregation in 1977 (with different issues) Prior to that, one of the couples with similar issues, protested the Wisconsin Lutheran High School's taking government grants which made headlines in Milwaukee and elsewhere. That couple, Bill and Jane Kerner appealed their termination to no avail as synod representatives closed ranks even more tightly.
Even if an appeal restored memberships of recently expelled members of a WELS congregation, all the other issues re: WELS remain, including the most important one of all. It would mean being restored to a synod in which the NIV was the "official" unofficial source of their reason to exist, with potential for replacing that with with the even worse, NNEW.
