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| From Norma Boeckler |
About 40 years ago, a chaplain at a hospital said this, "A minister better not take advantage of nurses and patients who are vulnerable because of the the crisis they are facing."
Someone came up with a new excuse, which proved useful for the Lavender Mafia. They were "consenting adults," so there must not be any laws enforced against those caught in the park. This escape hatch was quickly adopted for many different opportunities and escapades. Defense lawyers jumped at the phrase, bawling to the judge, "They were consenting adults, but now she is bitter and trying to make money off this human tragedy."
Although this is fading away from public discourse, the former idea was this - an authority figure dare not use his position to force his way on women, children, or colleagues. Someone in an inferior position of power or in a vulnerable position (age, finances, subordinate) cannot "consent."
The Olde Synodical Conference embraces the Five Freedoms, the fifth being The Freedom To Romp in the Parish. Their notorious founder--Bishop Martin Stephan--practiced this freedom with the approval, or feigned blindness, of his disciples in the CFW Walther circle.
- No clergy noticed that Stephan did not want to leave Europe until he was arrested for his promiscuity with young women and his financial shenanigans in the parish.
- No clergy noticed that Stephan installed a young woman at the parsonage, a woman who was kicked out by his wife, and put back in the parsonage by Stephan as the "lord of the house."
- No clergy noticed that Stephan took his female groupies along to America, but left his STD-laced family behind (except for his healthy son).
- No clergy noticed that St. Louis residents were deeply disturbed by their married bishop being surrounded by young women, which is why Stephan bought junk land in Perryville instead of prime property for less in the city.
- Nor did the brother-in-law attorneys who defended Stephan in court in Germany notice something wrong with the cult until they were in America.
Although various clergy pundits will cheerfully say, "Tell the officials about this," or "Write a letter," the synodical response will be vindictive, deceitful, and volcanic. No one knows, remembers, or believes anything. The very mention of such scandals "hurts the face of the church," an odd notion used by the current president of the mini-seminary at Mankato. Doubtless the Corinthians could have tossed that at St. Paul: "You are hurting the face of the church."
The Little Sect on the Prairie taught their seminarians, "Two strikes and you are out." That really means the ELS pastors are given a Get Out of Jail Free Card at ordination. They can have one adulterous affair in the parish and get a new call. But beware, that only works once. As one ex-Lutheran said of his tribe, "Yes, the synod officials read the Bible carefully - and do the opposite."
All the members are paying for this. They are paying more for congregational insurance to cover the court cases. They are paying more when money is siphoned off to pay victims out of court - even though it is not a line in the budget. When a married WELS vicar had an affair with a minor girl in Michigan, the legal system sent him to the Big House, but the district kept it a secret. No doubt, it would have "hurt the face of the church."
Otten refused to print the story, doubtless because it would have "hurt the face of the church."
We have such sensitive clergy now, so subtle and clever in their handling of the Scriptures. If the Roman Catholic clergy do this, they are condemned on the front page. If ELCA is caught, they are proof of the superiority of the Olde Synodical Conference. If the Olde Synodical Conference clergy (our guys) do this, the stories are spiked and the leakers are shunned as evil-doers.
Make sure you know the ground rules before you start any crusades.
