ELDONA has been busy accusing me of "violating the Eighth Commandment," so someone asked me to clarify a few things.
Here is the Small Catechsim on the topic -
The Eighth Commandment.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.
One important aspect of this commandment is judging one's intentions, thoughts, and motivations. The genius of malicious gossip is telling everyone about those inclinations, as if the speaker had the god-like ability to read minds and judge hearts.
ELDONUT Eric Stefanski said a layman asked questions "with evil intentions." How exactly does someone know those intentions and have the brazen buffoonery to condemn what he cannot know? That is a violation of the Eighth Commandment.
ELDONUT Douglas Handrich claimed I wrote about ELDONA to increase page-views and make more money from the blog. That little snarl is a two-fer. First of all, ELDONA is not good for many page-views. I have no idea which post will be most popular. The sect is little known and not destined to be long remembered. Secondly, I make no money from blogging - there are no ads. The congregation supports itself through contributions and my tent-making work.
How does someone call himself a pastor when he passes off such fables as the truth? Like others, Handrick asked for my phone number but never called. Not one of the attack Yorkies has phoned but they cannot stop yipping.
Clearly, Bishop-for-Life Jim Heiser is leading the chorus, from the back. He reminds me of our pet Shelty who barked away every truck near our home, but only after she ran behind the pool fence for protection. With Stefanski unlimbering all his false information, they should have plenty to growl about in the next decade.
How did this infallible sect manage to stay in fellowship with the Rolf Synod, which was clearly organized around Universal Objective Justification and non-episcopal government? That arrangement went on for years until Paul Rydecki joined ELDONA and the diocese began refuting UOJ.
Luther's Large Catechism
284] All this has been said regarding secret sins. But where the sin is quite public so that the judge and everybody know it, you can without any sin avoid him and let him go, because he has brought himself into disgrace, and you may also publicly testify concerning him. For when a matter is public in the light of day, there can be no slandering or false judging or testifying; as, when we now reprove the Pope with his doctrine, which is publicly set forth in books and proclaimed in all the world. For where the sin is public, the reproof also must be public, that every one may learn to guard against it.
Anytime someone discusses the distorted, corrupted, false doctrine of a Lutheran synod - the issue published, of course - the guard dogs of those synods growl "Eighth Commandment." I heard that so often in WELS that our family joke was identifying any truthful statement as a violation of the Eighth Commandment.
Red Section
I highlighted the red part to emphasize identifying convicted criminals as criminals, those protecting sex offenders as enablers, etc. However, to label a pastor (not me) as "preaching though a convicted felon" is the most malicious kind of violation of this commandment. This example, from the Maxima Cloaca of ELDONA - from Stefanski via Handrick - is stated with absolute certainty though the claim is an utter falsehood. I could list more examples from Stefanski but one is enough to impeach his credibility.
Do they want to describe in their ELDONA history about Heiser starting his work in the Lutheran Confessional Synod with Pastor Randy DeJaynes? WELS and the ELS were in fellowship with the LCS. That is where Heiser's Repristination Press started, the Lutheran Confessional Synod, where Bishop-for-Life DeJaynes had his wife preach for him.
Court account.
Blue Highlighted Sentences
I once kept an Eighth Commandment folder, with letters from WELS leaders. They called my critiques of Church Growth "violations of the Eighth Commandment." Paul Kelm, Joel Gerlach, and the head of missions sent me letters.
When someone publishes false doctrine, it is not slander to label it as such. In fact, discussion of doctrinal matters is highly commended by St. Paul himself - a writer seldom consulted when pastors cite the Eighth Commandment.
1 Corinthians 11:19King James Version (KJV)
19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
Luther also commended public discussion of doctrine, which he promoted by example. Chemnitz examined the Council of Trent and converted one prominent Roman Catholic leader who read his magnificent - and sometimes humorous - critique. ELDONA has my Latin copy of Chemnitz' Examen, which I donated, but I do not expect they mention that to anyone.
The Book of Concord confesses the truth but also rejects specific false doctrine in opposition to those truths. There is really no confession without a parallel set of rejections.
Any Lutheran who claims a quia subscription to the Book of Concord but teaches UOJ is a sadly conflicted, ill-informed, false teacher.
The ELDONUTS hate their nickname, but they have earned it with their behavior. I apologize for telling several laymen to consider ELDONA. That was a grave mistake.
Several asked - Has anyone from ELDONA contacted you in 8 years about their grievances, which just erupted?
Answer - No one has, even though Hadrich asked for my phone number. My email addresses are published at the top of the blog.
Several asked - Has anyone from ELDONA contacted you in 8 years about their grievances, which just erupted?
Answer - No one has, even though Hadrich asked for my phone number. My email addresses are published at the top of the blog.
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| The enthronement of Bishop James Heiser, STM. Rome is not the answer to Fuller Seminary - it is just another form of entertainment evangelism. |
