Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Succumbs to Heresy

By Deacon Keith Fournier
8/23/2009
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America abandons orthodox Christian faith and practice by a 'majority vote.'

The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is elected to a six-year term by the Churchwide Assembly.In August 2001, the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) elected Mark S. Hanson to serve as presiding bishop.

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CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - The media is filled with reports concerning the slide of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ECLA) into heresy. Yes, that is exactly what occurred when the leadership of that community "voted" to abandon Christian orthodoxy. The Associated Press in an article entitled "Lutherans' gay clergy vote hints at major shift", led with these loaded words "In breaking down barriers restricting gays and lesbians from the pulpit, the nation's largest Lutheran denomination has laid down a new marker.. The ELCA - the nation's seventh-largest Christian church - reached its conclusion after eight years of study and deliberation. That culminated Friday when the church's national assembly in Minneapolis struck down a policy that required any gay and lesbian clergy to remain celibate."

What really happened is that representatives of the ECLA succumbed to heresy. Oh, I can hear it now, "how dare he say such a thing?" Because. it is true, and there is nothing compassionate about failing to help fellow Christians to reject error. Christians abandoning the clear teaching of the Sacred Scriptures and the unbroken Christian Tradition is not a new phenomenon in the 2000 year history of the Christian Church. What is new is the massive support that such a sad turn of events receives from this kind of media report. There is a "fifth column" at work, determined to present the matter as a battle between orthodox Christians (who are disparaged with labels such as "right" or "conservative" or "fundamentalist".) and those who this kind of media report favors, the promoters of heresy and advocates of a new paganism.

All one has to do is look to the first few centuries of the Christian Church to see that this is not new. The same issues and struggles existed very early on. Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lyon, France, was born in Asia Minor in the year 125. His efforts are one example of the many early Church Fathers who contended for the truth and pulled no punches. His seminal work was entitled "Against Heresies" precisely because so much of his work was spent exposing and opposing false teaching in order to protect the Christians of that day from their poison. His treatise is a refutation of the teachings of certain "Christian" Gnostics whose followers fell for similar heresies as those which were voted upon by the ELCA this past week. Irenaeus' goal was stated in the Fifth Book of the treatise, to ".reclaim the wanderers and convert them to the Church of God" and to "confirm at the same time the minds of the neophytes" (Preface, Book V).This is still the truly proper response of the Church in our age. Irenaeus loved the heretical Christians enough to speak the truth precisely to try and lead them back to the faith. We must follow his example.

The AP report continued ".The ELCA - the nation's seventh-largest Christian church - reached its conclusion after eight years of study and deliberation. That culminated Friday when the church's national assembly in Minneapolis struck down a policy that required any gay and lesbian clergy to remain celibate." The length of time it took for this group to reject Christian orthodoxy and embrace this heresy has no bearing upon the matter. Truth is not subject to change based upon a vote! All "orthodox" Christians (Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical or Protestant) need to see this sad vote in the ELCA in the light of two thousand years of Christian history. The struggle we are in today still involves a clash of worldviews, Christian and pagan. The positions being espoused by the "majority" who voted this way are heretical. The lifestyles being affirmed as "progressive" are anything but. They are an example of the regressive effort to turn the clock back to pre-Christian paganism.

It was the Christian vision of faithful, monogamous marriage, family, authentic human freedom, the dignity of every human person and the existence of objective truth from which we derive a common morality which has guided true social progress. In fact, it was these very insights which have helped to free people from the bondage of disordered appetites and unshackle them from the tyrannies - personal and social - rooted in sin and the structures which it fosters. It has been the Christian vision of the human person, the family, the just society and the true common good that has helped to overcome the slaveries which arose from flawed pagan ideologies and superstitions. From its birth, the Christian Church has been sent into cultures and societies filled with people who thought they were "progressive", when they were anything but. Many of those cultures, like the contemporary western culture, practiced primitive forms of abortion and even "exposure", a practice of leaving unwanted children on rocks to be eaten by birds of prey or picked up by slave traders.

Ancient Christian manuscripts such as the Didache (the Teaching of the Twelve), the accounts of Justin ...

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1 - 10 of 56 Comments

Brother Andrew
3 years ago
As a born again, spirit filled Christian I am appalled at the direction that the Lutheran Church seems to be heading, however it is completely Scriptural, our Lord says that many will be turned away to the Doctrines of Demons, and there will be mant false prophets in the end times. Why a Druid is heading up the Church of England. The United Methodist Churches have for some time ordained men and women of homosexual tendency. It does seem that the compromise to appease the congregation is becoming the norm. Please as a Body of Christ here on Earth stay fast to your Faith. I am one of the few that have overcome the flesh and the devil, even though I have many errors. Bless you.
John Green
3 years ago
Every church besides the One Holy Roman Apostolic Church IS a heresy. You can't just take a passage of the bible, and rip it out if you don't like it. Thats creating your own god. Saint Augustine said, "One who does not have the church as a mother, can not have God as a father." I am saying, they DID succumb to heresy, about 1600, when the Protestants first split off from the Roman Catholic Church. A branch that is split of from the tree can not bear fruit.

Yes, we should pray for those lost, but not for the church to find the light, and not so they can ONCE AGAIN become the children of God, but so they can BECOME children of God through the Catholic Church.

I'll pray for them,
God Bless!
Okee Igboegbunam
3 years ago
This is yet another article I will continue to treasure. It is a write-up with the right messages. God bless Deacon Keith and many like him. Our separated brothers need just to understand that Christianity is oneness in Christ. Christ being the very appropriate definition of godliness. If God abhored SODOMY in early Christianity, sure He still abhores it now, "... even to the end of time". Jesus Christ is same forever! God in your care is the Magisterium. Guide it, furnish it and empower it to reveal YOUR worthy Truths unhindered through the ages, in Jesus' victorious name!
Pam
3 years ago
Thanks, Deacon Keith, for laying out Church History--not to mention Sacred Scripture which is always relevant to the times. It's hard to understand HOW anyone who has read the Bible could conclude that the homosexual lifestyle is okay now, but that is due to what our Holy Father calls the "dimming of the light." And it does, indeed, give us pause for "fear" of what we are coming to as a society.... May God keep and protect us and all those who belong to Him!
Jean
3 years ago
Just wanted to thank everyone here for reminding that the Lutheran heresy goes back farther.

Its not that I humbly forgot so much it just slipped my mind in the issues.

Excuse my lapse. All of you are so right about this being older than what were thinking of in the moment.

God will win the day on this one to. Never loose heart neighbors.

Thanks again for the important History lesson we need to be reminded of.

My goodness we have such smart people in the church. Keep up the good work peacefully as usual. Think is through. I see some of the best comments here.

Humbly and love in Christ.

Dont forget our brothers and sisters everywhere who suffer for us and for all of the world in these trying times.

I hope they unite it with Our Lord.

I hope that the Lord loves and protects them to during the darkness.

Rosary bigtime.
Jean
3 years ago
"Thank you Jean for your reply. Your calm and grace-full approach to these difficult issues does not go unnoticed. I catch myself looking for "Jean's comments". I, on the other hand, frequently imagine myself hearing "get thee behind me Satan", after I've posted a comment. This world just seems so increasingly upside down I just wanna....cut somebody's ear off! lol Thanks again Jean. God Bless You

Hope Im humble when I say all of this: God Bless you Carl but just for the Lord's sake and yours and mine lets keep what I call Satan--The Thing behind us just the same--besides we dont have to worry about him read the end of the book we won. As you know. The Lord for whatever mystery still has need of us here until His second coming but He didnt leave us orphans so were ok just the same. (Revelation etc.)

The problem is Carl that thing keeps looking for our weakness'.

I know it sounds strong but sometimes we have to shoo--The thing away. We have to strengthen each other just the same because without the Lord's love, grace and mercy we can do nothing without Him.

Go away Satan we dont need you here. Humbly and respectfully from the Lord of course.

Anyway I dont take Satan lightly but the Lord told us not to worry about him either because He showed us what to do and to stay close to Him (Christ).

Two commandments of course--the greatest come to mind.

Love your Lord (God) with your whole heart and Love your neighbor.

The biggies. Bigger than Satan.
Satan doesnt want you to believe this but its true. Its hard to follow but its true Carl. Keep up the good work Carl.

Also reconciliation and communion are big guns to. Partake of them as were supposed to.

God Love yah Carl we need the skeptics to.

Chuckle Chuckle.
Jean
3 years ago
Respectfully and humbly of course:

Daniel first of all we love you whether you know it or not.

"You say putting up with stuff you dont care for." It ok we've heard it and there is a lot we all have to put up with Im sure, maybe not equal to yourself and I say this respectfully.

Go over to the Courage Apostolate website and see if this is for your in the Catholic Church. If you know about it ignore what I say.

God Bless your understanding of the faith and Im glad your staying here at "home" with us.

Im glad you have love in your heart. The Son and the Mother love you to especially in the Eucharist.

I agree with you in regard to our brother priests to.

Love in Christ my brother Daniel.
God Bless.
Robert
3 years ago
Just to add: if and when I am doing something sinful, I want someone to remind me. It is a spiritual work of mercy.
Robert
3 years ago
Daniel, whether or not being actively homosexual (not to be confused with just having an inclination) is "less" sinful doesn't really matter. The destination is the same. Mortal sin is mortal sin. The Church cares about the souls of people. It looks to the grand scheme of things, rather than just that of this mortal earth. If this means some people are going to have their feelings hurt because they are told what they are doing is sinful, then so be it.
Daniel
3 years ago
I am well aware that some folks have trouble understanding gay people. But I deeply wish that when you list all of the terrible sins of our modern day, you would STOP lumping in homosexuality with abortion. I'm sorry, but even if you don't understand how someone could fall in love with someone of the same sex, no rational person could say that it's as bad as a woman paying a doctor to murder the child in her womb. That's a crazy comparison to make. I am a gay person, I am devoutly Catholic and I am a pro-life activist. To compare me loving another guy (which is my private business and harms no one) to child murder is atrociously ignorant. With that said, I strongly disagree with much of what's going on in Protestant ecclesial communities and choose to remain in the Catholic Church because we have the only valid Eucharist, we have veneration of the Blessed Mother, and so much more that makes it worth sticking around and putting up with stuff I don't care for. And by the way, I feel the clergy and religious should be celibate whether they are gay or straight. In the Protestant communities, it doesn't matter because their priests are not real priests anyway--they are not part of the Apostolic succession.

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