Lunchroom Lutherans: The die has been cast.

(Dr. Matthew Becker)

In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Omnipotent,

the Omnipresent, and the only Redeemer of the world.

To Him do we cling for truth, love, and mercy. Amen.

This is the third and final (?) post about the renegade "pastor" who has been teaching things that contradict Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, mocking our President, Pastor Matt Harrison, and refusing to recant. Because he and his supporters have been quite open with his identity, it is now no longer necessary to keep his identity private. The person I have been referring to in this series of blog posts is Dr. Matthew Becker, a professor at Valparaiso University. Lately, he has been accused of failing to defend the LCMS position, that the first three books of Genesis are a  "historical record."

Because Dr. Becker just can't seem to keep his hands out of the cookie jar, after the latest accusation by the district president of the Montana District, his very own district president of the Northwestern District, Pastor Paul Linnemann, finally worked up the courage to approach Dr. Becker. Because of his refusal to recant his teachings, according to the accusation, Pastor Linnemann asked Dr. Becker to resign as pastor of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Dr. Becker refused because he believes that resigning is an admission of guilt. Because of his insistence on heresy and almost downright blasphemy, as well as openly contradicting the teachings of the LCMS, thereby defiling the beliefs and the faith of many of its members, Pastor Linnemann finally had to force his hand in the name of the of the Synod and of the Christian faith as we teach it. He told Dr. Becker that he was suspended as pastor of the LCMS. This suspension was the proscribed procedure when the leaders of the Synod are in the process of expelling a pastor who has strayed and refuses to repent. He was given 15 days to respond to his suspension, starting 1 July 2015.

These 15 days were a final opportunity for him to recant his heresies and blasphemies, before he is officially expelled from the Synod as a pastor. In response to his suspension and the July 15 deadline, Dr. Becker decided  instead, according to his blog, that he would rather take his family and join a local church within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, a.k.a. ELCA. In doing this, as ELCA is only not in fellowship with LCMS and teaches doctrine contrary to that of LCMS and Scripture, Dr. Becker has in fact excluded himself from the LCMS. In other words, if he indeed joins a church within ELCA, he is automatically expelled as a pastor and but also excommunicated as a member of LCMS by "self-exclusion."

While Dr. Becker's choice to be removed from the LCMS as a pastor and a member is sad and disappointing, it is not at all surprising. I have noticed that so many people contradict LCMS teachings in belief and in practice, only to leave the LCMS for ELCA or ELCA-supported churches. These individuals often are educated and very worldly, with strong beliefs in individualism. While having a fine mind is great and can be a benefit to one's church, one's community, and one's Lord, it becomes a problem when one's brain or one's desire to assimilate into the godless American culture leads them astray from the truth – – the truth that most of them had been taught since childhood by parents, relative, pastors, and teachers. This is exactly what has happened with Dr. Becker. While he is very gifted and educated, he allowed his own scholarship and kowtowing to decadent society to abandon the principles and beliefs that he swore when he was ordained to not only respect but to teach and practice.

Some may say that the LCMS has been losing people. On the one hand, because many people within the LCMS has become very comfortable with their lives, they often neglect their stewardship with their neighbors. This is not just a problem with the LCMS, but with most church denominations lately. Because Christianity has been such a stronghold in American society, we stopped working hard, and we instead try to condemn people to hell or focus on music and mere social activism. Stewardship, fellowship, and charity have taken back seats. This is why Christianity and the morals within our beautiful faith have lost so much ground in this country. While Christians are finally starting to wake up after the latest Supreme Court decision, they need to start getting up and getting back to work. When we are too busy worrying about football games and brunches and so forth, we are basically allowing people like Dr. Becker, to believe that while God does everything, he knows everything better.

On the other hand, I will agree with what one pastor has said about the decline in membership in today's society with churches – – especially evangelical churches. This pastor suggests that while the numbers may say that church attendance and in the percentage of people professing the Christian faith are declining, the number of true Christians has stayed the same. It is only the number of those leaving who were pretending to be Christian that is on the rise. By those who are pretending to be Christians, I mean those who only go to church to make friends, to make business contacts, because of cultural reasons, to listen to music, or because our parents or spouses expect us to. This may sound harsh to many, but if those are the only reasons you are going to church, you are not a Christian; you are a Churchian. A Churchian is someone who goes to church simply as a practice. They don't follow the beliefs of the church, they don't read Scripture, they don't pray, and they don't live out the Christian faith in their lives. Because of this country's increasing persecution of Christians and mockery of the faith and even Jesus Christ, Churchians have less of a reason to attend church. Therefore, they will certainly use Sunday as a day of rest or recreation, but when asked, they will no longer say that they are Christian but that they are "spiritual." Well, guess who is also "spiritual"? Satan! And his demons! And his demons believe in God, and they even know Scripture. But that does not mean they are Christians. All that means is they know what Christians believe in (or say they believe in), and they know ways that they can trap committed Christians. Just look in the book of Matthew chapter 4. Satan tried to tempt Jesus into throwing himself off of a high point because of what Scripture says. May be that is what happened to Dr. Becker. Maybe, Satan put doubts into Dr. Dr. Becker's head so that he could twist and turn Scripture into a way that is more popular with those who believe in cheap grace.

I have said this before, and I will say it again: a church is like a club, and a club has rules. It does not matter if you don't like the rules or disagree with them. You follow them because the rules usually define the club. In other words, remove the rules, and you destroy the club. If you do not like the rules, find another club. Those rules are clearly defined in Scripture, in the Book of Concord, and in the official statements of the LCMS. Dr. Becker was well aware of these rules before he was ordained and especially when he was ordained because he was in a pastoral position, according to his own blog, for 26 years. If he had any doubts, he should have spoken to a pastor, or gone to counseling. Instead, he decided to rebel against the very institution that ordained him and, by our own tithes and offerings, pay his salary when he preaches at a church.

Most people knew that this was going to happen with Dr. Becker. Deep down inside, he knew this was going to happen. He was given many chances to recant and to keep his contrary beliefs to himself, but he openly defied our doctrine. I will say that I am glad that Dr. Becker has the insight to join ELCA as I am certain that there are some pastors still within the LCMS, and I know at least one, that are against LCMS teachings, yet they will not leave the LCMS. On the one hand, Dr. Becker will now be given an opportunity to further lead others astray within ELCA (yet that will not be an arduous task considering that it is ELCA), but on the other hand, he will no longer be able to lead those in the LCMS astray. Truly a blessing in disguise. While we pray for Dr. Becker and for his family as they sadly find themselves departing from an institution they have known most or all of their lives, Scripture clearly demands that there be church discipline when someone openly speaks against Scripture and will not repent. Pastor Linnemann, Pastor Forke of the Montana District, and the President of the Missouri Synod, Pastor Matt Harrison, have served us and our Lord well by calling heresies and blasphemy what they are, giving Becker a chance to change his ways, and finally disciplining him. This sends a strong message: times may change, but God remains the same.

(Click here to read how all this began.)

http://www.ordainwomennow.com/lcms-expulsion-of-matthew-becker/

https://katieandmartin.wordpress.com/2015/07/08/lc-ms-removes-rev-dr-and-prof-matthew-becker-from-its-role-of-pastors/

http://matthewlbecker.blogspot.com/2015/07/less-room-in-lcms-brotherhood.html?showComment=1436413352084#c3635026597021373828

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+5&version=NKJV

Lunchroom Lutherans: The District Presidents Speak Out

In regards to my last post, Lunchroom Lutherans, the buffet line is closed..., the 41 District Presidents of the LCMS throughout the country, met for a conference in February, and they discussed, among other things, the subject of said post. Below is  their official statement, which they unanimously agreed to, with which I agree wholeheartedly. The copy came from The Reporter.  Again, the renegade "pastor" I spoke of should repent immediately of his blasphemies, or he should leave the Synod.

An Impending Holocaust: My Greatest Worry as an American.

Very often when I have heard the phrase, "Those who do not understand the past are doomed to repeat it," it has been in reference to not only war but the Holocaust. In the past 100 years, we have not needed Nazi Germany as an example of how far bigotry can go. Just look at the Leo Frank Lynching, the 1919 Red Summer Riots, the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, the Rosewood Race Riot (Massacre) of 1923, the internment of Japanese and Italians in World War II, the UpStairs Lounge Massacre, and the post-9/11 hate crimes against Muslims, Arabs, and those who wear turbans. In fact, in the coming year, 2015, it will be the 100 year anniversary of the premiere of  the pro-KKK movie, "Birth of a Nation."

When we see any actions of genocide, one with a good heart will begin to talk about the importance of tolerance. However, what is truly tolerance? According to American Heritage Dictionary, tolerance means, " The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others." That means, one has the right to disagree with a person's beliefs and values, whilst following their own. Unfortunately, in a society that wants to be diverse in every way and to please those who are "minorities," tolerance is not enough. Now, we must placate such minorities, and those who cry "equal protection" are silenced and humiliated. As a result, such "minorities have the upper hand, and many use that power viciously. We see it when state Supreme Courts severely penalize Christian bakeries whose owners cannot, by conscience, sell wedding cakes to same-sex couples or when the creator of an internet browser is forced to resign because he donated money to Proposition 8 and a gay CEO of a dating site did not like it. We see it when atheist groups have students punished for praying in class, sic the ACLU on Christian towns for building a nativity scene or the Ten Commandments in public areas. We see it when some African Americans burn down their own communities as a cry for justice, yet a man who tells his mistress, in a private phone call, not to bring Blacks at his games, is socially and financially destroyed. We see it when students are suspended for wearing T-Shirts with American flags during Cinco de Mayo.

Those who justify these actions say that they are necessary because of the history of bigotry in America and to make sure everyone has a fair chance. I have noticed that some of the most committed PC liberals are White. I am probably putting words in their mouths, but I am certain that at the heart of their liberalism, there is guilt and shame for what their ancestors did. Whether they will admit it or not, I know they feel that by putting down their own culture, sexuality, and religion, they are making up for the wrongs said ancestors did. They would be very wrong. First, all of the sins that happened in the past against certain groups cannot be undone by a multitude of good intentions. They happened, and history cannot be re-written. If you burn down your wheat field, then all of your wheat will be destroyed, and all of  the profit is gone. However, after a season, the field can be re-tilled for a new crop. Second, political correctness and liberal fascism will only result in the resentment of the majority groups. When they become angry enough, they will organize and revolt, and this will only expose the minorities the liberals tried to protect to persecution, expulsion, and even genocide.  Just follow the diagram below.

Toleranceà Political Correctnessà Fascismà Revolutionà Nationalismà Persecution and/or Exterminationà Guiltà Tolerance

Surely, there are those who say that this can never happen--especially not in a country as "civilized" as America. If that is the case, then consider the following examples.

·         Since the early 20th Century, Germany was considered, especially under the Weimar Republic, to be a very sophisticated, cultured country. Liberal ideas flourished, and ethnic minorities felt very comfortable as Germans. Jews felt this way, and they were the most assimilated of the entire Diaspora. Until 1938, most Jews felt that there was no way the cultured Germans would open concentration camps or commit genocide. Obviously, they were wrong.

·         Speaking of Jews, they were, for the most part, very prized minorities in Poland since Kazimierz the Great welcomed them to the country in the 1300s. They became the mediators between the nobility and the serfdom, and only sects of the clergy disliked them. This all ended in 1795 when Russia took control, and Poland was no longer a country. Since then, there was growing intolerance towards Jews within the Polish communities, and some Poles even told their children to keep away from Jews lest they should be eaten by them. By the 20th Century, there was a newspaper published regularly called "Polska bez Zydow" or "Poland without Jews." By the 1930s, there were anti-Jewish riots in certain towns like Przytyk and Bielsko. Then, when the Nazis invaded Poland, while Poland is known for having the most people to rescue Jews, there were practically as many Poles who stood and laughed while they were being humiliated and tortured, some who denounced Jews, and even those who joined in the killing. If that were not enough, there were Poles in Sosnowiec and Kielce who killed Jews trying to return to their homes after the war.

·         When the British colonized Uganda, they brought laborers from India to work and to serve as a buffer between the British and the native Ugandans. Many of these Indians put the Ugandans in a cast below them because of their skin color and subjugation, and some became wealthy by exploiting the natives. When the British finally left, Idi Amin, the President of Uganda gained the support of the masses by taking property away from the Indians and expelling them from the country.

·         When the Belgians colonized Rwanda, they placed the Tutsi minority in a position higher than that of the Hutus because the Belgians liked that their skin was lighter than that of the Hutus, and their facial profile did not look as African. When the Belgians left, the Tutsis gained wealth and positions of power and influence. This angered the Hutus so much that they orchestrated one of the most instant and successful genocide attempts ever known.

Those who are still not convinced that violence against minorities is possible in "civilized nations" should be aware of the growing violence and increased conservative extremism in European countries. In Sweden, a country where "hate speech" is punishable by prison, the streets are not safe for a visible minority at night. I was once told that, should I choose to visit a major Swedish city, I should never walk the streets after dusk without an auxiliary police escort, or I might be attacked by a Neo-Nazi. If there were laws against violence and the people were given free speech, perhaps these hate crimes would be less of a problem. 

Also, let's not forget that violent acts excused by a great bulk of the majority are already occurring. So are hate crimes against African Americans. A few years ago in Jackson, MS decided to kill Blacks to relieve their boredom--even if their targets did nothing wrong. This year in Texas, an African American man was kidnapped and murdered without cause, and the local police called it a "drug overdose." George Zimmerman, the man accused of killing Trayvon Martin, is acquitted by a jury; he was not even convicted of manslaughter--which is what he was truly guilty of.  And then, all over the country this year, African American men are being killed by police--brazenly, in front of witnesses--only to not face charges. Worst of these cases was the killing of Eric Garner, who was suffocated to death by a choke hold that was no longer even allowed. Even though he surrendered and kept telling the officers that he could not breathe, the officers still would not release him from the hold. Except for the Jackson case, nearly all of the culprits received moral and financial support from the masses. It is like they believed that Zimmerman and the police officers were automatically right and Martin and the other men had gotten what they deserved. This is what we have come to. Now that the police force throughout the country, which has traditionally been the most effective tool of racism in this country, is being attacked by Blacks who are tired of the injustice, the bigots and even those who are on the fence are now being energized and justified in committing violence against Blacks. This is how the pogroms and genocides have begun--with "random" acts of violence.

If God forbid, a holocaust does return to America, I fear that many people who watch the news will feel justified in persecuting my people, as well as other groups.  After all, part of the reason why some people are clapping their hands when cops kill Black men is the fact that, when we are attacking waitresses at restaurants because we are unhappy because of the bill, when we are destroying our communities because the world is unfair, and when we give everyone in the world a front seat to our violent tendencies at Navy Pier, we are giving people the impression that we are unruly savages who have become a cancer to this nation. While the corrupt "leaders" and godless individuals will have brought this oppression on us, the greatest contributor will be the liberal White person. No offense, but it is true, particularly because this group will excuse and ignore the behavior of minorities just to prove a point. When African Americans were rioting in Ferguson, MO, some White liberals called these destructive cowards freedom fighters and called the riot and uprising. The more negative behavior they excuse, the more will come.  Just like in Nazi Germany, all it takes is three things for organized discrimination and genocide to occur--no matter how civilized they are: desperate and angry people, a charismatic leader, and a conflictual occurrence to exploit.

No matter how hateful things have become in America, there is still amply time to turn the tide. The best way to do this is to practice, on a national level, rule of the majority and protection of the minority. By this, I mean that it is time for the straight, White, Christian, citizen to put away all of his or her guilt. You cannot control what your ancestors did, and you cannot help being born in a country where you have certain "privilege," so it is unfair to be punished for what you cannot control.

On the other hand, refrain from condemning others for a "privilege" you may think someone else has because you just might have a privilege over them as well. For instance, a White feminist may be tempted to tell a Black man that he has "male privilege," but this idea is not only ludicrous; it is insulting.  The simple fact is, White privilege trumps male privilege any day of the week. Hence, if you must accuse anyone of having "privilege" over you, make absolutely certain you do not have privilege over them.

Additionally, no matter how oppressed a group of people may have been, don't sell out your rights or excuse any behavior of theirs. In the TV series Little Men from the 1990s, a schoolmistress continued to excuse the behavior of a Black student because his parents had suffered slavery. Because she felt sorry for him and would not discipline him, his behavior became worse and worse until it could no longer be ignored. The caretaker was able to knock some sense into her by warning her that not treating him like all the other boys, for whatever reason, is just as racist. If you want proof of the reality of this, just turn on the television. Blacks with no scruples have thanked these White liberals by robbing them, raping them, destroying their property, and doing many other things to make themselves the gangrene of society and forcing the rest of the country to view all African Americans as a barbaric threat. Who let the dogs out? The I-pray-the-world-will-forgive-me-for-being-born-White liberals! Furthermore, these same senseless Blacks will take anything and play the race card against it. They have nothing better to do with their time than to cry wolf when there is no wolf.  Unless things change very soon, the wolf will come, and no one will come running to rescue us.

With this in mind, I turn to those who consider themselves minorities, whether they are Black, Asian, Jewish, Muslim, agnostic, atheist, Satanist, immigrant, gay, bisexual, or transgendered. No matter how much you or your people have suffered, do not go around with the attitude that society owes you something. This means, do not trample on the freedoms and customs of others so that you can be recognized. The fact is, the majority of Americans are Christian, straight, citizens, and of European descent, and they have the de facto right to influence this country according to their values. Accept it. Be the acceptance you hope to receive from others. Be true to your own values and customs, as long as they are moral, and fight for your rights, but do not force the majority to kowtow to your way of life. If you do not want to assimilate or conform, fine, but leave people alone. Pick your battles and stop provoking people. On the other hand, take responsibility for your own group's problems. Don't waste your time being sour when an outsider points out your problems and when others "air dirty laundry" in public. You are not doing your people any favors by protecting the clowns within it. You are just making yourself another negative representative.

Also,  if you feel that you are getting the best of services at certain businesses, organize and start your own businesses. This is more noble and productive than destroying people who will not cater to your preferences. Before affirmative action, the African American community was very productive, owning a great chunk of businesses in their community. Their personal success and organization were so astounding that others envied us and tried to take away what we made for ourselves. We did not ask for special treatment and we did not ask lobby groups to force businesses to serve us. Instead, we took care of ourselves, and we eventually earned the respect of other people--people who marched with us in Washington and risked their own lives to join us on freedom buses. In the current state of African-American affairs, who would help us if Jim Crow came back tomorrow? Definitely not enough people to make a difference.

Finally, O dear perceived minorities, never force people to accept you; it will eventually have an adverse effect. People may fear you at first, because of your upper hand, but eventually they will resent you. There have been cases in which Christian bakers refused to make wedding cakes for same-sex couples but have offered other products to them. The offended parties sicced the ACLU and Right Wing Watch on them, and they suffered legal penalties, humiliation, and heavy harassment and persecution. They even received death threats. Instead of gaining acceptance, the LGBT community only gained resentment, fear, and hatred. If this country has another Matthew Sheppard incident, people will remember the ludicrous lawsuits against the bakers, as well as other incidents before they can feel the slightest twinge of sympathy for the victim and what he or she represents. What the gay couples could have done, instead of being vengeful, was draw up plans to open their own bakeries. If  there ever is a holocaust in this country, then my heart goes out to the gay community specifically because, with the legalization of same-sex marriage, all gay marriages under the law will be recorded in official records, making these individuals easy targets.

Surely what I have written is bound to make people angry. Of all the groups I mentioned, I have nothing against them personally. I have known people in each group who have been good to me. Still, one spoiled apple eventually ruins the others in the bushel if allowed to fester amongst them. If 2014 has taught me anything, it is that too many people are playing the victicrat in this country, and they are not taking responsibility over their own behavior. There are those in the mainstream, sadly, who do not put these victicrats in check because they feel sorry for them. All of this will backfire if not remedied. As this situation is getting worse, with the victicrats behaving like animals or spoiled children and the less tolerant factor in the mainstream becoming angrier at their communities being corrupted and their rights being taken away, my worry is that a holocaust is indeed coming within a generation's time. There is still time for us to do something about it, but will we?