I asked the UOJ fanatics, again, "Why are there no UOJ hymns?"
Nevertheless, the UOJ fanatics will never give up.
The main reason is their philosophical framework. For instance, one rationalistic claim is - "I will only believe what can be reproduced in a laboratory, so there are no miracles."
Our son's godfather, with two doctorates in science from Yale, responded, "Of course they cannot be reproduced in a lab. That is the definition of a miracle." He thought the self-serving claim was funny.
Given that assumption, there are no miracles, no Incarnation, no atoning death of Christ, no resurrection.
The Synodical Conference (tm) assumption is philosophical, not Biblical. Their philosophy is the definition copied from the English translation of a Halle professor's book. The translator was a Calvinist superstar in America, and the Halle professor (Knapp) was the last of the Pietists at Halle. The subsequent professors were Rationalists who denied most or all of the Biblical truths.
When the Walther group went to school, training was rationalistic and the church was run by rationalists. The alternative was Pietism, so they associated with one abusive Pietistic leader, then with another one (Martin Stephan) who studied at Halle. The DNA of UOJ is easy to trace, from Knapp to Stephan to Walther.
A guru from India can order his disciples to do anything he pleases. There is a life-long bond with the guru that the disciples cannot break. Cell groups, which Walther and his friends joined, are quite similar. They create a morbid dependency in the disciples and a dictatorial attitude in the guru. Stephan benefited from the departure and death of the original cell group leader. They transferred their dependency to him and saw no wrong in all his manifestations of adultery and syphilis.
The deceptions of the Synodical Conference (tm) have continued this dependency. They cannot admit to the criminal behavior of Walther, but create an idol out of his life and works. Bishop Stephan's STD is not a divinity degree but a documented fact. That outbreak among the young women of Perryville and St. Louis allowed the disciples to break with the guru. Even then, the opposition was mixed. Supporters of Stephan were left behind so the Walther mob was 100% on the attack.
Walther took over. As one WELS wit recently wrote to me, "The bishop came over on the ship with the pope." Walther became the infallible pope of the Synodical Conference.
Therefore, the assumption is clear - "If Walther is wrong, then the Synodical Conference was built upon false doctrine and lies. Holy Mother Synod is infallible, so the founders must be infallible." Borrowing a line from the pope, they say--in effect--"The Holy Spirit would never allow Holy Father Walther to make a mistake."
That is why the deceiving leaders make people think of Walther as the solution to false doctrine, going so far as denying his signed, sworn obedience to bishop-for-life Stephan.
That explains why the story of the sudden confessions of two mistresses was cooked up by Walther and his very close friend - then repeated, in spite of evidence to the contrary. Today it would be the equivalence of claiming that America suddenly found out that Obama was Black, when his wife confessed the truth. Even the hagiogrpahers have to admit, "They knew all along. There was no violation of private confessions."
Attacking UOJ as false doctrine is undermining all the invented history of the Synodical Conference (tm). That also proves that the Synodical Conference (tm) elevates the claims of Pietists above the Scriptures and Confessions.
When cornered, the UOJ Enthusiasts cite Pietists like Rambach to support their arguments, and use the Synodical Conference errorists to prove UOJ is correct. The fact remains - many SC leaders used and promoted justification by faith materials that were true to the Bible and Confessions. Gausewitz is one irrefutable example, but he has been kicked under the bus and forgotten. One might as well argue that something is true because a Martian named Igg-E said so.
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Joel Lillo, Fox Valley, WELS has left
a new comment on your post "
UOJ
Fanatics Will Not Give Up Their False Doctrine...":
"A Lamb goes
uncomplaining forth, the guilt OF ALL MEN bearing; and laden with the SINS OF
EARTH, none else the burden sharing!"
Sure sounds like UOJ to me!
***
GJ - Thank you for proving my point, Joel. The UOJ Enthusiasts merge the atoning death of Christ with justification by faith. They affirm and deny that they teach the absolution of the world, apart from the Word, the Means of Grace, or faith.
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Pastor emeritus
Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "
UOJ
Fanatics Will Not Give Up Their False Doctrine...":
Ichabod
-
The reference (example) in this article to miracles (etc.) and the
linkage of rationalistic thought with those who believe and teach UOJ -
"Universal Objective Justification," reminded me of a portion of a past online
topical message of mine:
"Miracles" - "Why some people have a difficult
time accepting their reality:"
........One of the greatest of all
miracles is Creation. [Genesis 1:1f-2] If a person cannot believe the first
verse of Holy Scripture, he or she will always have problems believing in
miracles and accepting their reality. If a person cannot believe in a one
supreme eternal, all knowing and all powerful God, he or she will always be
plagued with doubt about their existence and future. People often neglect to
realize that Creator God is not confined by the natural laws that He, Himself,
put in place. For instance, God not only created the law of gravity, but, He,
Himself, is not confined by it. He has often, (as recorded in Scripture) worked
His specific miracles outside the laws of nature -- being (of course) above
nature.......
........So much for the ability of humans to deny and
dismiss their Maker. Essentially, a soul in its unregenerate state, does not
have the ability to believe, understand and appreciate and practice the
Christian Faith, or give homage to the One Triune God, who dispenses faith, to
whom He
may..........
http://www.thechristianmessage.org/2012/01/miracles-why-some-people-have-difficult.htmlEssentially,
those who claim genuine faith, but cannot readily accept the miracles of
Scripture, have no (objective) business calling themselves Christians, and even
labeling themselves, Lutherans.
As to this article's Walther
reference:
I could not help but think that synod Lutheran hierarchies
need to put things right and disavow the historical revisionism of its Walther
beginnings. Official synodical publications need to begin to accurately reflect
the stark reality, rather than to continually sugar coat Walther. I doubt very
much if rank-in-file Lutherans can explain who Stephan was, and the connection
he and Walther had - plus all that transpired with the European migration of
Lutherans to America.
Finally, I can't help but think of one of the
major reasons that Pastor (missionary) Loehe, withdrew his active presence from
American Lutheranism (apart from his Saginaw Valley - Michigan influence). Even
back then, he could see no point in investing his energies and the Lord’s work,
knowing that headstrong erring Christian Lutherans, were already headed in
untoward (cockroach type) directions.
Nathan M.
Bickel
www.thechristianmessage.orgww.moralmatters.org
