This would be a great song for WELS retreats.
bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Ichaslang Lexicon: Important Additions Threaten t...":
A real important point about these letters that they ask critics to write. If the letter deals with the practice or the philosophy of the synod rather than doctrine, i.e., supposed adiaphora, they will ask whether the letter writer thinks that the synod or group within the synod has sinned. If the person answers "yes," they proceed to excommunication. If the person answers "no," they dismiss the letter as just being the writer's own opinion, and they just happen to be of a different opinion. Thus, they do whatever they want, and dismiss the concerns of many, or get rid of alleged errorists who disagree. This is how they handled the Protes'tants who disagreed with their philosophy of interpreting scripture and the confessions. They alleged that the Protes'tants were saying they were doing something wrong, i.e., sinned, and disfellowshipped them. The Protes'tants were forced out after writing a letter, they didn't leave on their own.
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GJ - I was comparing notes with some WELS people. One topic is excessive drinking in WELS, far beyond anything I have witnessed or heard about in other groups. Crude, loutish, obscene behavior is another topic. One observer said he hated for a member to attend a big WELS or ELS event, because the individual would invariably be shaken by the behavior at those official functions. Imagine that - send a delegate to a WELS convention, watch him turn Mormon or Babtist as a result of the scandalous behavior there.
We had congregational retreats in the LCA, but I never imagined the members having a drinking party, calling it a retreat, or engaging in obscene behavior. Mutual blackmail is commonly discussed in WELS and the ELS. "If you do this, I will remind you of that."
The real issue is teaching universal forgiveness without faith, which justifies the lying and obnoxious behavior. As one person noted, "The more pious in public are often the wildest in private, as you have noticed."
Calling them on their deception only makes them angry and vindictive. The original response to the MLC gay video was a denial. The boys did not know they were copying a gay video! Later, SP Schroeder angrily told Herman Otten that the boys were deliberately mocking gay behavior.
When a sect is that anxious to cover up the facts, the truth must be scary indeed. Expect no better until they teacj the need for genuine repentance and justification by faith.
