rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Church Mouse Trumps Anonymouse - This Is Why":
Mr. Meyer,
In a world that wants to be relevant, I can relate to your experiences that you have had with your close relatives. In fact, I used to be that way also. However, the scales have fallen from my eyes through the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word. It is almost as if WELS laity are spellbound. I have tried to explain what is going on in the WELS with some of the laity at my former congregation. I hand picked them because I thought that they may understand. They could best be described as conservative in thought and active for many years in the congregation. My explanations either went over their head or they were so frightened by what I said that they simply would not touch it. At first, I was discouraged by their response, or lack thereof. I finally realized how devastating false doctrine can be. But, our gracious Lord has promised that he will always provide for his flock. Those who are blinded believe that the Lord's provision can only be channeled through an instrument like a synod. They are sadly mistaken.
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GJ - Pietism shows its ugly head by changing the agenda, deliberately and cleverly. Faithfulness to God's Word is not even considered. In fact, when Pietism asserts itself, the mere mention of such language creates anger name-calling.
The last stage of Pietism illustrates this well. Either one accepts homosexual ordination and marriage or that person is a narrow-minded bigot, filled with hatred. The word of doom is - homophobic.
People see yoga classes promoted all over, and no one seems to object. Hinduism is yoga, and yoga is Hinduism.
Shunning is Pietism, and it is definitely not Lutheran. Martin Luther said it was good that we have family members who do not share the same faith - the conflict caused will keep us sharp about doctrine. If doctrine is not sharpened on the whetstone of conflict, our capacity to discern good from evil is diminished until it disappears.
Jehovah's Witnesses
JWs are told to minimize all contact with family members outside of their own homes. That should sound familiar to WELS, ELCA, Missouri, and ELS members. (Double down on the micro-minis.) Their Pietistic cell groups have taught them the same thing.
Re-Education
One JW bragged to me about how they re-educate members from time to time, when they change their teaching. That should also sound familiar to all Lutherans. Martin Marty was the embodiment of evil (WELS) - but now Marty is the invited speaker they defend (WELS again). "We will never ordain homosexuals" (LCA) changed to "We have been doing that for years" (LCA). That devolved into "You will not get a call if you oppose homosexual ordination" (ELCA).
Shunning for Holy Mother Synod
The key reason for shunning is not doctrine but questioning Holy Mother Synod. Closed communion may be taught, but pointing out glaring instances of open communion will get the messenger shunned. There are correct ways for dealing with such problems, and they involve Talmudic rules of such complexity that the person who dares start will only get himself blamed and shunned for violating subsection 4a of Unwritten Rule 17 under the heading Obscure Rulings For Dummies.
Shunning Works Wonders
Shunning makes people afraid to question anything. Eventually they become dull and inert about any and all questions. The masters of the game use this until they can get people defending and covering up the grossest evils imaginable. ELCA lost a $40 million lawsuit because they deliberately ordained a man known for molesting boys. WELS and Missouri have had similar costly scandals, although ELCA set a record.
This shunning cancer spreads so fast that people take over the behavior without thinking much about it. They react emotionally to anyone questioning doctrine and practice.
Members and pastors fear being cut out of the ovine flock. There is a reason God compares us to sheep, an animal that will follow his brothers into the corner of a pen and remain stuck for hours instead of asking, "Why am I wedged into this corner?" I have seen that behavior demonstrated on a sheep farm and in various synods.
Wolves Prowl, Rip, and Tear
The false teachers love shunning, because their sheep meekly conform to false doctrine and shun dissenters. To paraphrase Luther - the wolves like their sheep fat and well fed. They do not like to hear the guard dog growl at them. Therefore, the false teachers will gladly tolerate the Gospel itself but they despise antithetical statements, which identify false teaching and false prophets.
Abusive Behavior and Shunning
WELS and the Little Sect engage in abusive behavior to enhance the effect of shunning. The WELSian hazing methods make it clear that sect conformity overrules anything involving the Ten Commandments. Years later, the same mindset allows them to promote adulterous pastors, defend the grossest false doctrine, and attack anyone who says otherwise.
A lot of abusive behavior is purely emotional. People simply stop talking to someone, or they wrinkle their noses and make it clear and that the individual is suddenly unclean. The Glare is often used. I went over to talk to a professor who was known for being affable and non-threatening. He shot me The Glare.
Lutheran families are manipulated into shunning their own relatives, not for doctrinal reasons, but for questioning Holy Mother Synod.
"How can you join a synod with closed communion?"
"If you leave the synod, I am writing you out of my will."
ELCA Pietism
ELCA is in the last stage of Pietism, in which utter hatred of the Word of God is spread with the excellent and effective methods of Spener's religion. There is virtually no difference between the extreme Left in politics and ELCA.
Already ELCA pastors are complaining about their history of opposing homosexual ordination being used against them - no future calls. Other ELCA pastors are defending that by saying, "You cannot describe ELCA as apostate. You deserve shunning."
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John has left a new comment on your post "Pietism Means Shunning, Just as Hinduism Means Yog...":
"Members and pastors fear being cut out of the ovine flock. There is a reason God compares us to sheep, an animal that will follow his brothers into the corner of a pen and remain stuck for hours instead of asking, "Why am I wedged into this corner?" I have seen that behavior demonstrated on a sheep farm and in various synods."
Aren't the sheep and lambs of the flock dependant upon its called shepherd to feed them, guide them and lovingly protect them and move them along when they get wedged into a corner?
Of course, that would call for the shepherd to be thinking first of the flock, wouldn't it?
