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| Lightning crashed when Pope Pius IX declared himself infallible at Vatican I. Soon the LCMS, WELS, and ELS would claim the same divine perfection. "WELS has always been orthodox Lutheran, from its beginning," said SP Schroeder - and no one laughed. |
First we had sleet and freezing rain falling, laying down a heavy coating on the Ichaboat. After that, snow fell, making a perfect foil for the melting rays of the sun.
I learned in Many-snowta that early shoveling saved a lot of time, if only to open up the driveway and sidewalk somewhat to the sun's rays. We often had heavy snows followed by bright sunny days, and that was how the last Springdale storm was going to be.
Shoveling in our neighborhood falls into three categories. Our Marshalese neighbors shovel early and completely, so they have a dry driveway and walk. Most neighbors do nothing, so they have icy walks that melt very slowly. I shovel and salt early, but never with the ambition of the neighbors across the street.
In Canada, some never shoveled their walks at all, so they had to use a long-handled axe to break up the ice in mid-winter.They lived on a major public street, leading to the U. of Waterloo, so I wondered why they were so lax and inconsiderate.
False doctrine accumulates like ice and snow and does not go away on its own.
If people apply the Word of God right away, they can melt away the false doctrine with the light of the Gospel. The longer they delay, the more the falsehoods adhere to everything.
The 1932 LCMS convention that approved that particular Brief Statement made an enormous error in not laughing the statement on justification out of existence. BS 1932 says that God declared the entire world righteous and added some Biblical references, none of which apply.
This section on justification was an obvious regurgitation of Halle's rationalistic Pietism, cloned from Bishop Martin Stephan, STD, and CFW Walther BA. Neither cult leader had a genuine Lutheran education. Stephan never graduated from any university. Walther only earned a bachelor's degree from rationalistic professors, associating with various Pietistic activities - a Bible study group led by a Halle University contact, and two successive cell groups run by abusive Pietistic leaders. Walther almost died from one's influence, then joined with Stephan when the earlier leader (Johann Gottlieb Kuehn) moved away and died. Stephan saved Walther's life, and Walther did PR for Stephan, admitting "confidentially" that Mrs. Stephan was the cause of her husband's adultery. I wonder - did she give him syphilis too - or did he give it to her and her dying children? Missouri history is vague about those details.
Pastors and laity have fooling themselves into thinking that false doctrine around them would go away on its own, or with some gentle nudging and witty remarks. No one is going to do much on his own, but a start can be made. There was a time when lay leaders would dare to question false doctrine and do something about obstinacy. They would form a new congregation or new organization.
Now the doctrine of infallibility hangs over everyone with the weight of decades of abuse. It was considered radical to have Issues in WELS, Bailing Water, and Intrepid Lutherans. No one can raise such questions, except for the Coven of Presidents, when they get done with their various court cases.
I know many who consider themselves "conservative Christians" while happily endorsing the dogma closely associated with something they abhor. One Presbyterian told me of his support of women's ordination while questioning the lavender madness of his denomination. He did not see the contradiction, even though one kind of ordination led to the other.
