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| David Becker |
David Becker has left a new comment on your post "Preus Clan Still Tries to Rescue Universal Absolut...":
Hi Pastor Jackson, I found it interesting that Andrew Preus did not even reference your writings or even give your full name. You were just "Dr. Jackson" (Jackson is a very common name of course) - he could have referenced your Lulu account, where all of your writings are available by PDF file, for free. I went through these. Jesus Priceless Treasure is my favorite; I thought that one was outstanding. Others were very good too. All of them present legitimate views and are not these "beyond the pale" writings that your detractors would claim them to be. Have they read them?
If for the sake of argument you are wrong on Robert Preus and objective justification and others are right, is that something to brag about?
You mentioned Walter A. Maier Jr. I always considered you in general agreement with him. Where would you say that you agree with him or disagree with him? How well do you know him? Perhaps you could clarify that?
Walter Maier Jr. was nominated for LCMS President twice. He got the most nominations in 1981, despite the accusations and concerns on doctrine. Pastor Herman Otten's Christian News strongly supported him then. I've sometimes thought that subsequent LCMS history could have been considerably different had Maier Jr. and not Ralph Bohlmann become LCMS President in 1981. James Burkee's book did not buy that Jack Preus's opposition to Maier Jr. was actually doctrinal.
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Hi Pastor Jackson, as you may know, after not submitting items to Christian News (and not even subscribing for six years) for a long time, I have picked it up again, and am sending CN stuff for whatever the editor may choose to print. Pastor Otten does not surf the Internet (not sure how much his wife or children do), but he has expressed his appreciation for my sending him whatever I believe to be potentially CN-worthy, from whatever I may find on the Internet. I have taken note of this article. There is nothing new in it except mentioning a jury date. Once a not guilty or guilty verdict is reached, or a change in plea is made, or some other significant new development is published and documented, I will forward it to CN for their consideration. (Of course there is nothing stopping CN from citing the article apart from me if they want to.)
I will also comment generally that although I don't agree with everything you say or how you say it (though you are frequently laugh-out-loud funny), I do appreciate your standing up for what you believe and do believe your voice is important and worthy of consideration. I did go through the PDF file of your new book on Justification by Faith and do believe it is worthy of reading. I did wonder about the statement in your Foreword, "This book is dedicated to all the faithful Lutherans, often unnamed, who have encouraged research into this vital topic of justification by faith. Two of them became Roman Catholics in their frustration with the pitiful ignorance of the so-called conservative Lutheran leaders and professors." Two of them became Roman Catholics? How is that good?
One post that I agreed with that you wrote was at http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2011/08/universalism-everywhere-elca-rome-syn.html. You wrote, "Telling anyone 'You are saved' without discerning faith in Christ alone for salvation, is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit at work in the Word." God willing, I may address this issue in something I might send in the future to CN. I was concerned to read on Lutherquest, "the object of our faith is not something like; 'Jesus died for me and if I believe that, God will credit it to me as righteousness'. It sounds very pious to say that; 'Christ with his perfect righteousness and satisfaction is the object of faith', but our faith is not merely in the Atonement." I thought about arguing about that on LQ but figured it would be a waste of time and effort.
In any event, that's all for now, and hope you and yours have a blessed day.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
David Becker
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David Becker has left a new comment on your post "Interfaith community is his legacy | Tulsa World":
Does Paul McCain warn against him as a false teacher who should be marked and avoided? How about Rolf Preus for that matter?
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GJ - I was accused so often of being "a Walter Maier disciple" (LaughQuest bunch) that I never read his essay carefully. Now I will read the essay carefully and respond. The issue is not agreement with Maier but with the Word and the Confessions.
The UOJ Stormtroopers like to parse every moment of synodical history, so the real issues are obscured. When I left the LCA, the Kokomo controversy went past me because I had no idea that people believed and taught such nonsense. Laymen got me studying the sources and kept me at it.
I understand that Walter Maier Jr was immensely popular, even with the public beatings administered by Team Preus. I saw Maier at a funeral, and everyone enjoyed greeting him. Later, Jack Preus went after his brother Bob.
History would have been different with Maier, but how different is up for debate. Several factors control the destiny of the LCMS. One is its history of denying the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace. The leadership would have to come clean about that. The second is their willingness to prostitute themselves for Thrivent money ($50 million+ per year) - AAL and Lutheran Brotherhood before the big merger.
Missouri's posturing about being orthodox Lutheran moves me to tears - tears of laughter. I see varieties of Lutheran Pietism at work in North America. Lutheran Pietism degenerates into Protestant Pietism (note the love for Babtists and Methodists in the Olde Synodical Conference). Protestant Pietism denegerates into the Unitarian-Universalism of ELCA. As everyone must know by now, WELS and Missouri and the Little Sect are only too happy to work with ELCA - and lie about it.
I am glad to quote the other side (especially since they erase their own words) and link them. The weaker their argument, the more I want to quote them. If they want to call me names, so much the better. The personal attack is the lamest of all logical fallacies.
Paul McCain has become the Waldo Werning of the LCMS. Like a skunk, he stamps his feet and raises his tail to warn his thralls against questioning his orders. They see, tremble, and obey.
