Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Brett Meyer Offers If Then Quotations - Rationalis...":
While gleaning these rational tidbits from the UOJists I ran across a self condemnation.
(W)ELS CA/AZ District President Jon Buchholz wrote the landmark 2005 WELS Convention essay promoting the false gospel of Objective Justification.
Here's his definition of heresy and what follows is his fulfillment of it.
"In each example, the mark of heresy is to go as far as Scripture goes—and then to go one step further."
Page 7
"God has forgiven the whole world. God has forgiven everyone his sins." This statement is absolutely true! This is the heart of the gospel, and it must be preached and taught as the foundation of our faith.
But here’s where the caveat comes in: In Scripture, the word "forgive" is used almost exclusively in a personal, not a universal sense. The Bible doesn’t make the statement, "God has forgiven the world."
"God has forgiven all sins, but the unbeliever rejects God’s forgiveness." Again, this statement is true—and Luther employed similar terminology to press the point of Christ’s completed work of salvation.16
But we must also recognize that Scripture doesn’t speak this way."
"God has declared the entire world righteous." This statement is true, as we understand it to mean that God has rendered a verdict of "not-guilty" toward the entire world. It is also true—and must be taught—that the righteousness of Christ now stands in place of the world’s sin; this is the whole point of what Jesus did for us at Calvary.
However, once again we’re wresting a term out of its usual context. In Scripture the term "righteous" usually refers to believers."
http://www.wlsessays.net/files/BuchholzJustification.pdf
The glory of the (W)ELS.
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GJ - I used to think that Paul Calvin Kelm was the main person saying one thing (Lutheran) and saying the opposite (rationalism) the next. However, going through their tedious essays and books has revealed how common this is in WELS.
I give a lot of credit to GA, the secret initiation hazing ritual that continues with a select group, even though the school and the students deny it. Six students participated this year. When someone is badly injured, WELS will say during the lawsuit, "But we banned it!"
There are many examples of this double-talk, from the Synod President on up. Not a typo. Mark Schroeder is not in charge of the synod - Mark Jeske is. Various people get paid lots of money to pretend, but Jeske calls the shots.
All the Shrinkers are double-talkers. Like Kelm, they say one thing and negate it in the same paragraph. VP Huebner said "We all know that the Word is efficacious, but..."
The most nuanced lie came from Wayne Mueller, when he denied any Church Growth in WELS. But if there is, it is done according to Scriptures. I would get out the quotation, but Megatron is asleep for the night.
WELS was very angry that I kept publishing their own words.
Their UOJ essays are posted in the left column and easily available from the Holy of Holies, the WELS Essay files. Here are seven of them.
As Luther said, Jesus warned everyone against false doctrine, so it is everyone's duty to battle against it.
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| Wherever UOJ is taught, expect felony arrests and plea-bargains among the synod staff. |
rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Double-Speak in WELS. The Buchholz Supremacy":
There is something about nuanced lies that gives them staying power. Wayne Mueller spoke that whopper 20 years ago and I still remember reading it in the old NWL.
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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Double-Speak in WELS. The Buchholz Supremacy":
Pastor Jackson -
You stated at the end of your comment:
"As Luther said, Jesus warned everyone against false doctrine, so it is everyone's duty to battle against it." [Your, correct perception]
However, that principle, (I believe) is not a (recognized) option for some in their perspective synodical network. When someone, in the heat of well intentioned (Scriptural) fervor, does his thing to battle against false teaching, - that battle is often (wrongly) perceived as giving offense and sinning against the 8th Commandment.
Hence, synodical leadership, tenaciously grasps its controlling and defrauding tight leash on “its” pastors, who (many) I believe, are not only glued to church hierarchy by professional and also, personal (emotional) ties, but also, for the desire to ride out their years of employment without (traumatic upheaval stress) with their perspective synodical affiliation employer. I rather think that some of these pastors are very concerned for their future (financial) pensions. They simply will not speak out, for fear of losing or jeopardizing that full pension of which they are so long invested. Other pastors, perhaps, don’t care to lose their congregations, as they genuinely care for their flock and don’t want to put them through the stress of going independent.
Nathan M. Bickel
www.thechristianmessage.org
www.moralmatters.org
