Hissy Fits, False Accusations, and Some Normal People Respond to WELS Documented

Anonymous complainers excuse themselves by blaming
a blog they claim no one reads, no one respects, no one follows.
They always have their nappies in a knot,
because they do not have any faith.

http://welsdocument.blogspot.com/2015/02/back-on-wednesday.html?showComment=1423182895131

1. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2015 at 4:21 PM

   Anyone else notice how comments and whole articles seem to disappear from this blog. Almost as if Joe Jewell and Lidtke are hiding something....

   Reply
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   Dr. Joseph JewellFebruary 4, 2015 at 7:44 PM
   While I'm a regular reader, I am not the proprietor of this blog, nor have I ever contributed anything to it.
   
   When I write, I use my name. One of the reasons that I am outspoken is because I have that luxury as one who does not depend upon the synod for my family's continued earthly security. I wish more pastors and teachers were outspoken, too, but I recognize that they are much, MUCH more constrained--after all, an anonymous detractor might call out names and append vague-sounding accusations (hiding WHAT, exactly?), as Pastor Lidtke found out tonight. I expect that the authors of this blog are one or more called workers who are anonymous because they do not want targets on their backs. I am saddened that it is so, but I can't say that I blame them.
   
   I am one of four administrators at the "WELS Discussions" Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1649010391990081/), which I encourage all to visit and participate in, but we are not affiliated with this blog.
   Reply
2. 
   Pastor Paul LidtkeFebruary 4, 2015 at 4:41 PM

   So, a friend emails to tell me that I've been outed as an author of the WELS Documented blog. Wrong guess. My son is involved at WELS Discussions on Facebook, and I do comment on there on occasion, but I'm not hiding a thing. I've let Joe Jewell know that he's been outed as well. I'm sure he'll respond soon. What disappeared?

   Reply
3. 
   AnonymousFebruary 4, 2015 at 6:42 PM

   This blog should go the way of all the rest. Gone.

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   AnonymousFebruary 5, 2015 at 10:30 AM
   I disagree with your blanket statement. Some of the blogs may have been objectionable but others served a noble purpose. I for one mourn the passing of Intrepid Lutheran's as an active blog. It was insightful, well moderated and informative. A beacon of light and a call of reason to a synod that is deliberately steering a course from sound practice and inevitably from sound doctrine. It appears though that those steering the ship prefer the siren call of Evangelicalism to sound Lutheran practices.
   
   Eine arme Schaf
   Reply
4. 
   AnonymousFebruary 4, 2015 at 8:00 PM

   Well, I'm not going to say a blog should go away. Dialogue is good. But I do think that as soon as the blog descends into the same rut as the others, with exactly the same voices, it no longer adds value. Look at the WELS Discussions page. Good idea, some posts contain some good conversation. I enjoy much of it. But as soon as the same ultra-confessional, academically-minded moderators enter the conversation, there is no room for other voices. If you're going to moderate an online conversation that encourages multiple viewpoints and is mutually beneficial for all, you need to maintain neutrality and respect all participants. Earn trust, in other words. There isn't a forum online right now that has succeeded in this regard.
   
   Why am I anonymous? Because these forums haven't earned my trust. Ichabod is a big reason for this. His approach is not to edify, enrich, and build up. (i.e. It is not a Christian approach.) He is not trusted or respected, and he prevents forward progress.

   Reply
5. 
   AnonymousFebruary 4, 2015 at 8:10 PM

   Why was the subject of alcohol in the WELS colleges and prep schools considered so "dangerous" that the page disappeared? Can the WELS never admit that it has failings? I wonder how bad that poor woman who authored "Shattered Pulpits" was "beat up" before she called it quits? As far as pastors bearing burdens confidentially, unfortunately I have known some who, because the congregation is fairly small, and they give examples of sins without naming names, it is still extraordinarily simple to identify the person they are referring to. And often the 8th commandment applies to everyone but them...

   Reply
6. 
   AnonymousFebruary 4, 2015 at 8:31 PM

   I was the one who shared the comments about it being a sensational blog title. The comment at 8:00pm on this thread was also me. Let's make this easier. I will always sign my posts with "Your brother".
   
   The topic is important. If there are those who believe there is an institutional problem, let's talk about it. But the blog title and the picture of a guy pounding a beer were highly sensational. That approach prevents dialogue. We were actually making strides to bring the conversation around to beneficial dialogue, but then it was removed. Perhaps it was because the post was not written in the Spirit of Christian love, and the author knew it. I do not know.
   
   For what it's worth, I do not believe there is a cultural problem with drinking at MLC. I do think the COS parties and Northwestern holdover traditions are unhealthy and rarely encourage Christian behavior. If the conversation is to abolish those, great. Let's have that conversation.
   
   Your brother
   

   Reply
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   1. 
      WELS DocumentedFebruary 5, 2015 at 9:24 AM

      Thanks for you feedback Anonymous 8:31, we took the post down, because we didn't want to even give the appearance that we were after sensationalism. The original intention of the post was, as you stated in your last paragraph, to discuss groups like COS but I didn't want to specifically target them in the title because that seemed wrong also so I was trying to go generic.
      
      You said, "Let's have that conversation". Do you have any ideas/suggestions on a better way of bringing up topics like that for real discussion without coming across as sensationalism? Was it mainly the title and graphic that gave that appearance?
      -WD1

   

   Boycott the Emmaus Conference
   

Suspended Blogs Are Like Abandoned Houses - I Always Wonder, "Who lived there and why did they leave?"

Norma Boeckler's illustration comes from the key Gospel passage
of the Old Testament - Isaiah 53, almost completely reproduced in the New Testament.

I gathered the suspended blogs in one area on the left and added Bad Vestments, a non-Lutheran yet revealing blog about worship insanity and inanity.

Whenever I walk past an abandoned house, I wonder about who built it and who lived there. Why did they leave? Plenty of them can be found in the quaint town of Jerome, Arizona, built on top of a mountain of copper, funding a fortune that built Las Vegas as a train depot and financed an entire quartet of Stradivarius strings. Read Empty Mansions for details.

Denominations are like those empty mansions ordinary houses. We live in an age where the tradition of liturgical worship and historic texts has been abandoned. The evidence remains here and there. People are turning old churches into theaters and homes. Emergent church morons are ripping out pipe organs and installing pit bands.

Here and there, the neo-gothic spires continue reaching to the sky.

Instead of leaders, we have tele-tubbies using baby-talk
to part us from our doctrine, our worship, our Means of Grace, and our money.

WELS Pastor Steve Spencer Answers the Knee-Jerk Hysterical Response To the Truth about the Sect. WELS Documented Blog and the Erased Post

His Holiness, Pope Otten, told Team Ichabod
that WELS was exceptionally thin-skinned.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Avoiding Blog Sensationalism

Blog Sensationalism

As many of you know, we removed our last post because several found it to be crossing the line into sensationalism. We do not want to give that impression in any way, so we removed it.

That being said, we are now looking for feedback on how to share not only the positive that is happening in the Synod, but also allowing discussion of important issues and "hot topics" without crossing the line into sensationalism.

One of our readers has been making some great points with his comments, that can be seen below, on how to accomplish this, but we would like to hear from others also with suggestions.

---

---

From the comments: 

Anonymous February 4, 2015 at 8:31 PM

I was the one who shared the comments about it being a sensational blog title. The comment at 8:00pm on this thread was also me. Let's make this easier. I will always sign my posts with "Your brother".

The topic is important. If there are those who believe there is an institutional problem, let's talk about it. But the blog title and the picture of a guy pounding a beer were highly sensational. That approach prevents dialogue. We were actually making strides to bring the conversation around to beneficial dialogue, but then it was removed. Perhaps it was because the post was not written in the Spirit of Christian love, and the author knew it. I do not know.

For what it's worth, I do not believe there is a cultural problem with drinking at MLC. I do think the COS parties and Northwestern holdover traditions are unhealthy and rarely encourage Christian behavior. If the conversation is to abolish those, great. Let's have that conversation.

Your brother

*****

  

WELS Documented February 5, 2015 at 9:24 AM

Thanks for you feedback Anonymous 8:31, we took the post down, because we didn't want to even give the appearance that we were after sensationalism. The original intention of the post was, as you stated in your last paragraph, to discuss groups like COS but I didn't want to specifically target them in the title because that seemed wrong also so I was trying to go generic.

You said, "Let's have that conversation". Do you have any ideas/suggestions on a better way of bringing up topics like that for real discussion without coming across as sensationalism? Was it mainly the title and graphic that gave that appearance?
-WD1

*****

Anonymous February 5, 2015 at 10:39 AM

I guess the main reason it seemed like sensationalism to me is that the numbers you shared already answered your question: no, according to these statistics, drinking is not a "growing problem" at these institutions. But people hear what they want to hear. Guys like Ben Wink and Greg Jackson are eternally bitter (for who knows what reason, but they are deeply personal). But the more important people are those who don't have inside knowledge or preconceived notions. How does an article like that help them? How does it benefit the institutions that have provided us countless, faithful called workers?

However, I do think there are certain problems that need to be addressed. Maybe this forum is a good place to ask, is there anyone out there who has experienced COS, grassers, whatever, and now in hindsight sees any redeeming quality? If you're under 25, you're too close to the situation. I mean those who have matured through a service to people and now can look at the situation with a degree of separation. My experience was that they were drinking events, period. The dancing that accompanies it is heavily influenced by the drinking, which leads people to behavior that would bring shame to them in the light. In my experience, the majority of the drinking was done by those who were of legal drinking age, but it was done in excess. (And even if not in excess, the act of drinking was glorified through the event.) So can we raise enough of a public concern to have MLC administration notice? Might someone bring our collective thought (if there is consensus) to the MLC leaders in person? That could be a positive outcome of this forum.

But don't let me be the only voice here. Some may feel there is an institutional problem. Some may feel that the cultural norm is drinking, and that it is a routine practice on and off campus. But that is not the campus I experienced. There were certainly people who would fall into this category, but they were marginalized. The campus "culture" was much healthier than the behavior of the deviants. Of course we can share stories of those who erred. But most are repentant, and by grace they are forgiven. 

Thank you for your willingness to engage in this conversation. I appreciate your openness and your desire to be a light in this world.

Your brother

*****

WELS Documented February 5, 2015 at 11:25 AM

Wow Anonymous 10:39 those are some excellent points! I really appreciate your insight on how to improve the way things are presented in blogs. I will definitely be putting more thought into things like choosing titles, etc. I also like your method of how to present a topic initially.

Do you think there are also specific "topics" that blogs like this should refrain from because there can be "no good" that come of it? Part of what I was trying to do with some of the posts was to help separate fact from Internet rumor and I think your points above will help do that better. Maybe I need to use your method and just ask, "Is this fact or rumor" and let people weigh in? Would that help avoid the sensationalism, but yet still have a meaningful discussion? Thanks again.
-WD1

*****

 Anonymous February 5, 2015 at 11:45 AM

I'll only share a brief thought, since I think it's important for others to weigh in. Sure, there are topics that I wouldn't touch, out of respect for the individuals affected. But I also think that some of the "hot-button" topics can be productive conversations if moderated effectively. Tone matters, thorough research matters, respect for brothers and sisters matters.

An example: your post about a sermon clearinghouse was a great topic. A few more details were added in the comments to show that, in fact, each of these pastors are writing their own sermons but they are doing sermon study together and sharing promotional materials. This practice is also common in many more "conservative" circles, but probably without the public marketing component. But then WELS Discussions splashed it out there without the added details and allowed the conversation to proceed as though none of these pastors were writing their own sermons. "How dare they! I would never allow this. Rah, rah, rah." Do you see the difference in approach? Same topic, two approaches. One mutually edifying, one not. 

I'll take a break. :) God bless.

Your brother

*****

From a different person:

Anonymous February 5, 2015 at 1:54 PM

A slightly different take on the 11:45 AM comment by Your Brother. On some of the more controversial topics - perhaps a moderated debate between Pastor's willing to discuss an issue in depth and respond scripturally to points raised. On those issues disallow comments from the general public. Just a thought.

Eine arme Schaf

Once Again - Tradition Is the Jumping Off Point

Michigan Lutheran Seminary, WELS,
has supplanted tradition with radicalism.

"Tradition is the democracy of the dead." When past saints are denied the vote, a tiny minority takes over in the name of improving the Church.

We can tell when a denomination is dead or dying when tradition no longer matters. Church and Change means, "We despise Christian tradition and adore our own opinions."

Change or Die means - "Traditional Christian faith and worship will kill our beloved pan-Lutheran identity."

Missouri began dying, without knowing it, by embracing a counter-Christian dogma: Universal Objective Justification. The bishop's spread of syphilis, his young female groupies with the clap - those were just were the obvious signs of something gone wrong. For CFW Walther, tradition was his Bishop Stephan - anything else was anathema sit!. As 29A said, "The got rid of a bishop and ended up with a pope, CFW Walther."

The Christian Church has traditionally taught justification by faith, which began with Abraham in the Old Testament, Genesis 15, and continued (sometimes undercover) ever since.

When we find church leaders who scoff at tradition and treat tradition as the enemy, then that group has become apostate.

The death spiral is marked by church leaders punishing and expelling traditional clergy.

Are they offended by young men doing girly-girl videos or by those who question this aberration?

Do they argue that only one person objects, that he is the cause of all their conflicts? 'Tis funny how many people they count as the "only person who feels that way."

Going to Miss Miss Schori - The Episcopalian Presiding Bishop Who Consecrated Her Drunken Sister Bishop

Katie? My best recruiter.

WELS is only a few conferences away from women District Presidents.

Nothing rocks shades like a purple cassock and ID lanyard.

"But I have the heart of a king and the stomach of a king."
Queen Elizabeth the First she is not.

Funny Drunk Stories

Ski and Glende promoted The CORE as a coffee house ministry,
but they turned it into a bar ministry. 

I am not against social drinking, but I question the necessity of lubricating ecclesiastical meetings with cash bars, as WELS and Roman Catholic clergy do. Both are notorious for their alcoholic clergy.

I met with a Holy Cross priest at Notre Dame, part of my requirements for one course. His nose glowed red all the time. Over-indulgence causes gin blossoms or ruptured blood vessels.

Notre Dame theology conferences always began with a cash bar, just like the WELS worship conferences. One theologian showed up drunk and gave his talk, which might have been a comedy sketch on TV, it was so bad.

At one WELS district meeting, the nurse-missionary was obviously intoxicated when she was speaking to everyone.

I waited on alcoholics when I worked at my father's bakery. Sometimes they thought they were quite eloquent. They might not have thought so if they listened to tapes of themselves. They were nasty drunks. WELS pastors, protecting Holy Mother Sect, sound like nasty drunks - full of themselves, irrational, hyper-irritated know-it-alls.

If you want to hear another version of WELS talking points, endlessly repeated, then listen to drunks talk. WELS clergy say, "If you can find a perfect synod, join it, and then it will not be perfect, because you just joined it, and you are imperfect." (That excuses all false doctrine and every form of abuse.) Drunks say, "Let go and let God." And - "I'm sick and I'm tired. And I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." That must be clever, too, the first 100 times.

At one convention, an LCA pastor got so drunk afterwards, when we all went out together, that a younger woman offered to drive him back. He could hardly walk, so he must have been many drinks ahead of us when he arrived.

At another event, an LCA pastor was so desperate to keep drinking that he offered to buy drinks for anyone who stayed with him. Everyone left him, and he was fairly young, already deep into his addiction.

One WELS pastor was so addicted that he gathered all the apples from a member's apple orchard, the leftovers, so he could brew apple jack for himself.

I know a WELS member who was in charge of dragging the pastor out of bars. I guess that was a bar ministry.

One WELS pastor drove his car up a utility pole in a DUI. He became a WELS missionary.

One WELS DP was arrested on a DUI, so the synod moved him to another district, so everyone could forget it happened.

Does anyone think an alcoholic father is a good example to his children, wife and congregation? But WELS and the other sectarians will not admit to their addictions.

WELS really needs more bar ministries, so drunken clergy can drink while pretending to take the Gospel to their fellow drunks. And the WELS Gospel is so appropriate for that ministry - Every sin---past, present, and future--is already forgiven. UOJ.

WELS bought this bankrupt bar for Ski and Glende,
then loaned the congregation enough money to
clean up the vomit smells and make a fakey church out of it.