While I do believe that racism is evil, I'm more concerned that it took one of those white nationalists to point out the problems in the new Large Catechism with annotations, & that 23 pastors and professors signed off on everything being ok in it. More concerning is the reaction and outright lies made by the upper brass of the LCMS & CPH when this problems were pointed out. And it wasn't just 1 or 2 racists that pointed it out. There are LCMS pastors voicing the same concern. I bought a copy myself to see it with my own eyes & some of the issues that were pointed out, I have the same concerns (but not all of them).
I am also concerned why the LCMS /CPH (claiming to be conservative) would bring in ELCA & NACL people for this project, especially one of them who says "Jesus committed sin"! Do we not have enough of our own pastors & seminary professors for this job? If not, why didn't we contact WELS or ELS pastors & professors? We have more in common with them than ELCA & NALC.
Also, I am very concerned why Pres. Harrison gives this big announcement about rooting out white nationalists from the LCMS, of which to date, 1 person has been excommunicated from his church. Yet Pres. Harrison does absolutely nothing about an LCMS pastor being publicly pro-choice who said that with Roe v Wade being rescinded it was "a step backwards for our country". How is this pastor still being allowed to be an LCMS pastor?
Or how about the LCMS pastor in Colorado who shielded a man who worked at that church & church school after he raped a young girl that attended both?!? Instead of protecting one of his flock from a wolf amongst them, this pastor actually attacked the child and her family! Saying that she was lying and making it up. He ostersized the girl and her family! It wasn't until the police investigated it and arrested the guy that the church finally fired him. Oh, and the monster fled to TX but was arrested & extradited back to CO for trial. How is this pastor still there?
These are much bigger concerns to me than a couple white guys who unfortunately have a bad understanding of race and being a Christian. As it says in Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus".
I think the white nationalist comes from folks being persecuted or exempted from our current government, business, and societal groups. Being put down and marginalized as a group, in a country and religion that tried its best to see everyone as a citizen or brother. The pagans are taking control. I see myself wanting descendants of European heritage to man up and push back so as to avoid the situation from getting worse. However, I leave most of the how up to the Lord.
I haven’t fully read it, and I’m not sure the author has all the right answers, but it’s something I’m currently chewing on. It’s a summary and critique of critical race theory from within the legal profession it originally came from. And there’s some really interesting stuff in here, especially the idea that CRT views all of reality (and therefore race) as a social construct.
Applying it to the current conversation --- If I say I am “white” – is that merely a social construct? In some ways, yes because sons of both Japheth and Shem are today considered “white” – but in other ways no, because it is related to my ethnos – and who I am in my body is a reality. Still working on this thought…
Here's a thought for you --- I think we must remember to consider how this conversation about race applies to biological sex/gender.
This is why: I do not like it when I see people say that this whole question can be easily solved by noting that “in Christ there is no Jew or Greek.” That’s not the issue – the issue is whether there are relevant first article distinctions. After all, it’s true that in Christ there is no “male or female” either. But even now there are relevant first article distinctions between them – women can’t be pastors, men are the head of the household, etc. Being one in Christ does not eliminate distinctions, to the extent that they exist. The white nationalists claim that there are distinctions between races (most obviously in things like skin color) – this claim can’t be dismissed by saying that we are all one in Christ. Whatever we say about race must apply to gender as well.
I’m not sure that the white nationalist Lutherans are taking pride in their race any more than a woman might take pride in being a woman when faced with the transgender movement that wants to make her into a man. I could be wrong on this. But either way, I really think this debate needs to be framed as a first article debate, not a second article debate.
Likewise, I appreciate the article on Ethnic Conceit, but I think the tweet he’s responding to is just trying to be inflammatory. What the tweeter means is “My ethnic non-believing brother will always be more of a brother <<in an earthly sense>> to me than a brother in Christ of a different ethnicity.” He’s being inflammatory to the point of sin, but I have to imagine that that’s what he means.
I’m not trying to excuse the tweet. My point is that these are first article issues. The tweeter is arguing that social customs and family connections are significant things – that someone of a different social custom or family connection can’t fully understand/be a part of. And I agree that someone can’t pick up another language or social customs all at once. I agree that can’t make myself a Mexican. So I think there’s some truth in his argument, but I’m still working through it. And I don't want to pretend it can be refuted by just saying that we are all one in Christ.
While I do believe that racism is evil, I'm more concerned that it took one of those white nationalists to point out the problems in the new Large Catechism with annotations, & that 23 pastors and professors signed off on everything being ok in it. More concerning is the reaction and outright lies made by the upper brass of the LCMS & CPH when this problems were pointed out. And it wasn't just 1 or 2 racists that pointed it out. There are LCMS pastors voicing the same concern. I bought a copy myself to see it with my own eyes & some of the issues that were pointed out, I have the same concerns (but not all of them).
I am also concerned why the LCMS /CPH (claiming to be conservative) would bring in ELCA & NACL people for this project, especially one of them who says "Jesus committed sin"! Do we not have enough of our own pastors & seminary professors for this job? If not, why didn't we contact WELS or ELS pastors & professors? We have more in common with them than ELCA & NALC.
Also, I am very concerned why Pres. Harrison gives this big announcement about rooting out white nationalists from the LCMS, of which to date, 1 person has been excommunicated from his church. Yet Pres. Harrison does absolutely nothing about an LCMS pastor being publicly pro-choice who said that with Roe v Wade being rescinded it was "a step backwards for our country". How is this pastor still being allowed to be an LCMS pastor?
Or how about the LCMS pastor in Colorado who shielded a man who worked at that church & church school after he raped a young girl that attended both?!? Instead of protecting one of his flock from a wolf amongst them, this pastor actually attacked the child and her family! Saying that she was lying and making it up. He ostersized the girl and her family! It wasn't until the police investigated it and arrested the guy that the church finally fired him. Oh, and the monster fled to TX but was arrested & extradited back to CO for trial. How is this pastor still there?
These are much bigger concerns to me than a couple white guys who unfortunately have a bad understanding of race and being a Christian. As it says in Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus".
AMEN! 🙏🏻
I think the white nationalist comes from folks being persecuted or exempted from our current government, business, and societal groups. Being put down and marginalized as a group, in a country and religion that tried its best to see everyone as a citizen or brother. The pagans are taking control. I see myself wanting descendants of European heritage to man up and push back so as to avoid the situation from getting worse. However, I leave most of the how up to the Lord.
I think your critical questions about race are exactly what we need to be thinking about. Like I said, I am working on it as well.
I’ll put this article out there for your consideration: https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3473&context=penn_law_review.
I haven’t fully read it, and I’m not sure the author has all the right answers, but it’s something I’m currently chewing on. It’s a summary and critique of critical race theory from within the legal profession it originally came from. And there’s some really interesting stuff in here, especially the idea that CRT views all of reality (and therefore race) as a social construct.
Applying it to the current conversation --- If I say I am “white” – is that merely a social construct? In some ways, yes because sons of both Japheth and Shem are today considered “white” – but in other ways no, because it is related to my ethnos – and who I am in my body is a reality. Still working on this thought…
Here's a thought for you --- I think we must remember to consider how this conversation about race applies to biological sex/gender.
This is why: I do not like it when I see people say that this whole question can be easily solved by noting that “in Christ there is no Jew or Greek.” That’s not the issue – the issue is whether there are relevant first article distinctions. After all, it’s true that in Christ there is no “male or female” either. But even now there are relevant first article distinctions between them – women can’t be pastors, men are the head of the household, etc. Being one in Christ does not eliminate distinctions, to the extent that they exist. The white nationalists claim that there are distinctions between races (most obviously in things like skin color) – this claim can’t be dismissed by saying that we are all one in Christ. Whatever we say about race must apply to gender as well.
I’m not sure that the white nationalist Lutherans are taking pride in their race any more than a woman might take pride in being a woman when faced with the transgender movement that wants to make her into a man. I could be wrong on this. But either way, I really think this debate needs to be framed as a first article debate, not a second article debate.
Likewise, I appreciate the article on Ethnic Conceit, but I think the tweet he’s responding to is just trying to be inflammatory. What the tweeter means is “My ethnic non-believing brother will always be more of a brother <<in an earthly sense>> to me than a brother in Christ of a different ethnicity.” He’s being inflammatory to the point of sin, but I have to imagine that that’s what he means.
I’m not trying to excuse the tweet. My point is that these are first article issues. The tweeter is arguing that social customs and family connections are significant things – that someone of a different social custom or family connection can’t fully understand/be a part of. And I agree that someone can’t pick up another language or social customs all at once. I agree that can’t make myself a Mexican. So I think there’s some truth in his argument, but I’m still working through it. And I don't want to pretend it can be refuted by just saying that we are all one in Christ.
Huge content here. Thank you for dragging us forward.
Maybe the Holy Spirit is conveying that one is more important than the other. Neither Jew nor Greek nor Barbarian...all are included.
He is alive!