Objectively, I know none of this kerfuffle makes a damn bit of difference. The "conservative" looterans in this story are just as much in schism as the "liberal" ones.
But it saddens me more to see anyone moving even farther from salvation. And taking their children with them.
From Agape Press:
A conservative minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America says he and other ELCA pastors are disturbed by the denomination's approval of a new, more gender-neutral hymnal.
The word is "sex", you morons.
DO NOT use the word "gender", kiddies.
Ever.
You do not know what it means.
At its Churchwide Assembly in early August, the ELCA okayed a plan to update the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship by eliminating the "Father" terminology and male pronouns used in reference to God. The hymnal overhaul will include other gender-neutralizing and diversity-affirming changes to traditional Lutheran worship lyrics and liturgies as well. For example, in the Lutheran Creed, God and Jesus will now be referred to as "Holy Eternal Majesty" and "Holy Incarnate Word" instead of "Father" and "Son."
May God have mercy on their souls.
Dr. Roy Harrisville is executive director of Solid Rock Lutherans, a conservative group whose mission is to call the ELCA to "remain faithful to the Word of God according to the Lutheran Confessions." Harrisville says those who favor the revisions to the Lutheran Book of Worship want to change fundamental Christian beliefs.
"At base, what needs to be asked is not can we be somehow inclusive in our language, but rather, when we do alter our language, are we altering our theology and our basic values -- and I think that is what's happening," he says.
Come on home, Dr. Roy, you and all your friends. All the Way home. To Rome.
We'll leave the Light on for you.
Harrisville says it is tragic that a number of Lutheran Church leaders desire to be what they regard as more "culturally relevant" in hopes of attracting more people to their church.
"Relevance is a huge issue for many of them," he shares, "and they think that if they acquiesce to a particular ideology that is regnant in society, that therefore they will be relevant and thus influential and thus, of course, attract more folks to their churches. I don't think it works that way."
The ELCA's worship director, Rev. Michael Burk, has said the new hymnal will reflect the fact that the denomination is a "global church."
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...What? He's serious?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...
While the poor souls that use the new ELCA hymnal will need God's mercy if it is as neutered as the current proposal indicates, the Agape Press article is simply wrong in asserting that "'Father' teminology and male pronouns used in reference to God" have been eliminated or that "Father" and "Son" are being eliminated from the Creed. My letter to the Agape Press editor demonstrating how his reporter breaks the 8th Commandment is posted on the Tischreden blog.
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