Nothing displays the GA personality of WELS better than the MLC video being defended.
I. Anyone who questions the video is a Pharisee, someone who needs to "get a life," and spend time on more important things.
II. The video was fun, an homage to another video , and a whole year has passed since the last obnoxious MLC video (statues fighting, cursing).
GA is the lowpoint of the WELS hazing tradition, which begins at the prep level. GA is secretive, promoting thuggish behavior in the name of creating unity. GA is based on deception, lying about it from the beginning. I hear two stories about GA:
1. GA is banished.
2. GA is still going on, secretly.
Yes, that sounds like GA. The old ritual was to call it off in public, debate having it, fooling the incoming class. Isn't lying fun?
Another essential characteristic of GA is arrested emotional development. I do not need to describe that, since the video is posted. Needless to say, many solemn WELS leaders turn into Max and Moritz the moment they relax. They are just joking. See, they are laughing. Ha ha. That was fun.
They like to yell Pharisee and legalist, but what better display of Pharisaical piety can one imagine than this video? They will develop into WELS leaders, always looking around as if someone just opened a pound of Limburger cheese. But in private! - whoopee!
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "MLC Video Comment - But Wait - Does Everyone Know ...":
In response to DK, my sentiments! I too shook my head and did not leave a comment on the earlier post. Copying gay and lesbian videos are we. I just viewed the FIP video one minute ago. If GJ is not going to discuss information that he found, then it can't be real good. I did not attend MLC. I got into the WELS back in 2001.(husband is a life long WELS) I teach children in Sunday School who will someday attend that school. I can be found in the company of MLC graduates on a daily basis. Could toss around some sir names, but I won't. What was their interest in FIP video to begin with?(probably something I would not want to discuss)The marriage bed is to be kept pure. God put Eve with Adam, not Steve. "New Ulm, We Have A Problem"!
from WELS church lady
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS GA Personality":
I think DK may have something here. I did not go to DMLC, but I knew plenty of classmates who did. Many of them went simply because they were pressured into going by the Lutheran high school, the DMLC recruiters, or their partents (or all three). Some went because they honestly had nowhere else to go and thought, "well, I guess I'll just be a teacher by default." Most of the people I knew who went to MLC under those pretenses have since droppd the teaching ministry.
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Kenneth Schmidt has left a new comment on your post "WELS GA Personality":
No problem, DK. Apology unnecessary, but accepted. Its not always easy to know how academic authorities should handle undergrad excesses.
You are onto something about a Stockholm Syndrome-like issue at work here. I have also been thinking about the fact that most Lutheran pastors marry straight out of Seminary. These guys go from being under the thumb of their parents, to college life and then, usually, right into married life. There are some good things about this, but also costs. That very short time of freedom between living with one's parents and the onerous responsibilities of being married might tempt these fellows to perhaps over-romanticize their college days. This might be the cause of these odd tribal customs and folkways.
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Michael Schottey has left a new comment on your post "WELS GA Personality":
After eight years in the prep/MLC system I don't remember GA. Perhaps I was brainwashed and can't remember it.
And perhaps all of my family and friends who have gone through the Seminary are just really good at lying to me.
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GJ - GA is reserved exclusively for incoming students at The Sausage Factory. A reliable source says it is officially banned but secretly kept, apparently for a limited number of lucky victims.
