There Must Be Divisions

The UOJ Enthusiasts adore the Church Growth Movement,
and they love every denomination except their own.

The Moment of Desecration is one of the many myths of the Synodical Conference - that turning point when the three sects began to go liberal. Most would put the date around 1930, which is also when the rest of the Lutherans began to lose interest in being faithful. All of the Lutheran groups joined the mainline denominational turn toward universal absolution. Barth, Rahner, and the Lutherans sank their own boats.

The SynCons imagine that their turning point came from Francis Pieper dying, but it was really  his ascendancy--as the Great Prophet of C. F. W. Walther--that killed Missouri, WELS, and the ELS. Dying in 1931 was a great career move for Pieper, because he went from synodical to a near-divine status. His last words, appropriately, were "Puto ut fio deus." (I think I am become a god.)

The Brief Statement of 1932, one of many synodical statements, was elevated to canonical status. The consecrated and consecrating hands of Pieper touched it - so it was inspired. And Walther hand-picked Pieper to repeat the Walther-Stephan dogma of Pietism.

"Too bad he had to die at that point." I agree with that. No one can argue with a dead saint, so it was that much easier to turn UOJ into the New Gospel. Gausewitz did not teach it. The synodical catechisms did not enshrine it. The European catechisms lacked Walther's Huberian Easter absolution.

I realize that the Stephanite movement considered itself quite hard-headed about the Confessions, and they probably were for the times. But they never got there, because Stephan and Walther were not Lutheran - but only poorly educated Pietists. Stephan never finished school, after starting at Halle University, and Walther only had a college degree in rationalism. Pieper was trained by Walther, who demanded the same submission to his authority that Stephan insisted upon. Sadly, that is all that Walther knew as spiritual leadership - first one Pietistic overlord, then Stephan.

The Stephanites claimed they were the only true Christians in Germany. All others were to be shunned. Does that sound like Missouri, WELS, and the ELS today? In fact, ELCA has the same hoity-toity attitude, as the far Left example of holier than thou Pietism. You don't believe in gay marriage? Shun the unbeliever. Shun. Shun.

Why are Missouri and WELS so comfortable in the bosom of ELCA? They have the same confession of unfaith. Everyone is absolved, forgiven, saved.

When people discover the Confessions and Luther, there must be divisions. There is no bridge to connect UOJ with Biblical theology. UOJ is the opposite of the Gospel, using all the New Testament words (except faith). Never say faith. Never mention it - that is the UOJ mantra.

UOJ, after achieving dominance in all denominations, screams, "You are creating divisions. You must be silenced and shunned!" That is what happens from ignoring pests.

Some people were discussing the creatures that invade food supplies. Some are called pantry or flour moths. Bakers and grocers look for them all the time. The eggs are often in flour. They hatch into worms, pupate, mate and lay up to 300 eggs. One solution is common - every contaminated food source has to be removed from the building. Sex lures take care of the rest. As long as they are fed, they will multiply.

I have seen a 30 year war to promote UOJ and the Church Growth Movement. The worms are feeding from the congregations and money from Lutherdom.