No Christian advocates bullying, intimidation, illegal discrimination, or murder. But ELCA Presiding Bishop Hanson’s heresy against the Most Holy and Triune God, that God is the author of sin by creating teens to have same-sex impulses and, by logical extension, to act upon them, is beyond the pale of Christianity.

That’s how Hanson’s video, part of the “It Gets Better” video project on YouTube, is being reported by the Associated Press. Note well that Hanson does not mention sin, does not call for repentance, and does not present the Gospel of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. He doesn’t even bring up the comfort all forgiven, reborn, and Spirit-indwelt sinners have in the sweet assurances of Holy Baptism.

In short, false teacher Hanson leads gay teens (and all who do not repent of their sins and trust in Christ alone for salvation) to hell. Here’s Hanson’s transcript:

Transcript
Bishop Mark Hanson
It Gets Better video

My name is Mark Hanson, and I am presiding bishop of the largest Lutheran church in North America — the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

I am a father of six and a grandfather of four.

I’ve listened with pain and shock to reports of young people taking their lives because they’ve been bullied and tormented for being different, for being gay or perceived to be
gay, for being the people God created them to be.

I can only imagine what it’s like to be bullied for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

But I do know how bullying can destroy someone.

One day, I came home and found our daughter curled up in the fetal position on the floor weeping uncontrollably. She was struggling to know who she was as a bi-racial young
woman.

She felt bruised by words people had spoken about her, words that ate away at her sense of identity and self-worth. I sat down by her on the floor holding her in my arms.

Words have the power to harm and the power to heal.

Sometimes the words of my Christian brothers and sisters have hurt you. And I also know that our silence causes you pain.

Today, I want to speak honestly with you and offer you the hope I have in Christ: You are a beloved child of God. Your life carries the dignity and the beauty of God’s creation. God has called you by name and claimed you forever. There’s a place for you in this world and in this church.

As a Christian I trust that God is working in this world for justice and peace through you and through me.

It gets better.

“For I’m convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

May it be so. Amen.

May God our heavenly Father, the author and fount of all mercy, call Bishop Hanson to genuine repentance and restore him by His Word and Spirit to true faith through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

I call out the Rev. Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, for false teaching. A respected colleague in the ELCA made me aware of the latest evidence of this fact by pointing me to Bishop Hanson’s December 6 videotaped, virtual “Town Hall” meeting, which you may view here. Another colleague provided me a portion of the transcript:

Question: Ron Huber, Akeny, Iowa: Where is there anything other than rejection of homosexual behavior in the Bible? Where is there specific acceptance of this behavior in the Bible?

Hanson: “My fear is that the we are missing a marvelous moment we have to bear witness to one another and others are watching, expecting division, because this is how these things are being defined. We have a moment to say, “Let us tell you how we understand the Word of God.” It is God’s address first incarnate in Jesus, as Gospel, Law/Gospel, and the Word recorded in Scripture. How then do we read the Scriptures? Are we falling into a differentiation of ‘some love it and some don’t love the Scripture.’

“The question is not do some love the Scripture or not, but how do we read the Scripture? We read them evangelically as Lutherans, we read it open to the Spirit bringing us to saving faith in Christ. We understand Scripture through Jesus.

“When we come to the question of how we read the Bible, in response to homo or place of gay/lesbian in life and ministry. Let’s bring the question to the text, but to the text others turn to, that leads them to say, ‘The questions of homosexual orientation that I hear asked and the understanding we have of homosexuality that we have today does not seem to be reflected at all in the context of the Biblical writers, so let us bring our understanding of sexual orientation that has been opened up to humankind over the years to this conversation.’

“My plea is that we not move into conversation with like minded people. Let’s not let this moment be a moment when Bible divides us, but an invitation to conversation with one another. To bear witness to what it means to hear Word as Law and Gospel. God is still speaking to us, and through us.”

Bishop Hanson gives evidence of his Law-Gospel reductionism. Lutheranism, for Him, does not find the proper distinction of Law and Gospel to be the interpretive key of Scripture, but the Gospel only. But Jesus Christ is the God of the Gospel and the God of the Law. In short, Hanson’s Gospel not only fulfills and supplants the Law, it destroys it.

Hanson’s response regarding homosexuality is carefully nuanced. He is correct in asserting that the Bible writers knew nothing of what we call “homosexuality,” because that is a relatively new sociological invention based on how one “feels” about sex. The word “homosexual” is only about 200 years old. Bible writers were certainly familiar with same-sex activity, however, as were the ancients. And, of course, the Bible in every instance condemns same-sex behavior without reservation. Why? Because same-sex behavior militates against God’s creation of male and female and His desire to enlarge His human family.

What Hanson is suggesting, and what this summer’s ELCA General Assembly confirmed, is that contemporary human sexuality, sociology, psychology, and the gay rights movement are the authorities to which Bishop Hanson and the ELCA submit when it comes to this sin, for which Christ also died and now freely offers His rich forgiveness through the waters of Holy Baptism.

Threatening an already fragile worldwide Anglican Communion, on December 5 the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles elected Canon Mary Glasspool, a lesbian, as suffragan bishop for the diocese. Canon Glasspool becomes the second openly gay bishop in the PECUSA after V. Gene Robinson, who was consecrated bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.

Canon Glasspool is the second lesbian to be elected bishop in a major Protestant Church, after Eva Brunne, who was consecrated in the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden.

Glasspool’s election will need to be confirmed by other American Episcopal dioceses prior to her consecration.

To wit, at its August, 2009 meeting in Seoul, the International Lutheran Council, to which my church body, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, belongs, approved a statement affirming traditional marriage and condemning homosexual acts as sinful. Fine, well and good, right? Well, yes, but what was the basis? Let’s look at part of the statement as reported in the October 1, 2009 ILC News:

In evaluating the question of homosexuality, even in the 21st century, we believe we are ultimately dealing with the authority of Holy Scripture as the inspired Word of God. Even in the sensitive matter of human beings and their sexual identity, the church is to submit in humility to the authority of the Word of God. The Scriptures testify clearly and repeatedly that the lifelong committed union of one man and one woman is the place the Lord intends for human sexuality to be lived out. Biblical passages which address the practice of homosexuality do so in terms of disapproval.

Rooted in the Bible’s witness and in keeping with Christian teaching through 2000 years, we continue to believe that the practice of homosexuality – in any and all situations – violates the will of the Creator God and must be recognized as sin.

Bypassing the gross problem that this statement utilizes nineteenth and twentieth-century socio-psycho-babble concepts such as “homosexuality” and “sexual identity” (which are completely foreign to Scripture), this statement also fails to recognize that “the lifelong committed union of one man and one woman,” i.e. marriage, and the disordered-ness of same-sex sex is also rationally recognizable even apart from Scripture.

Are we to assume, for example, that if only folks would accept the authority of the Scriptures they would have a proper understanding of marriage? How so? Can’t unbelieving Muslims, Hindus, and even atheists conceive of marriage even apart from Scripture? Well, of course they can and they do. Believing and submitting to the authority of Scripture is not a requirement for an adequate conception of marriage. What about homosexuality? Is the Bible absolutely required in order to see the disordered-ness of same-sex acts? Of course not. True, the sacred writings of other religions and secular musings of pagan philosophers sometimes approve, yet more-often-than-not disapprove of them.

This brings up the way that some contemporary “conservative” Lutheran theologians argue in favor of traditional marriage and in disfavor of same-sex acts. Sadly, the usual default mode of discussing these issues is 1) biblical inerrency, and 2) that homosexuality is a sin. Both are theologically correct. However, merely leaving the matter there falls short of a full appreciation of what Scripture tells us about why male and female were created in the first place.

Here I maintain that we must appropriate all that the Bible says not only to condemn same-sex acts, but also to affirm traditional marriage. Here, affirming traditional marriage includes the purposes of marriage: 1) the procreation and education of children; 2) the love and help of husband and wife; and 3) due to the Fall, a protection against sin.

Yes, the Church is to submit to the written Word of God. But in its proclamation, the Church is to proclaim all that God has to say about a subject in His Word. The Church should also not shy away from connecting that Word to God’s will revealed in Creation. Most call this Natural Law. St. Paul did it, so it’s OK.

Same-sex sex is sinful. Why? Because the Bible says so? That the Bible says it is sinful is not the same as saying, on the basis of Scripture, why it is sin. Same-sex behavior is sin because it is a full, frontal assault on God’s will revealed in Scripture and expressed in Creation, notably His desire to grow and to educate His human family through male/female marriage and child bearing/rearing.

And that, curiously, is what some “conservative” Lutherans seem unable or unwilling to proclaim.

God is no capricious despot approving the sexual activities of some of His human creatures, while disapproving of the sexual activities of others. No, God created male and female, and their life-generating organs, in order to populate the earth with human creatures believing in and serving Him with willing hearts. To use those life-generating organs against His will as expressed in Scripture (our only sure guide and deposit of truth), and against His will expressed in His Creation (accessible by human reason, or Natural Law) is a gross violation of God’s sovereignty (which is also a Lutheran concept).

Now, then, since we are assured that a proper understanding of these matters entails a proper understanding of God’s will concerning the use of our sex organs, what other issues remain at hand that present similar moral difficulties?

I can think of one.

Contraception.

This morning, I contacted Dr. Judith Reisman by e-mail, asking her if she knew the provenance of the term “sexual beings.” Dr. Reisman has spent a considerable part of her life exposing the fraudulent statistical data Kinsey used in support of changing sexual mores during the 1930s-50s in the United States, not to mention numerous unseemly sexual details about Kinsey himself.

Here is part of Dr. Reisman’s response:

From: jareisman@cox.net [mailto:jareis...@cox.net]
Sent: Monday, August 24, 2009 2:38 PM
To: Robert Baker
Subject: Re: Greetings

Dear Dr. Baker,

That is the direct Kinsey fallout, of all children are sexual from birth to  Planned Parenthood’s Mary Calderone to the fields of psychology, social work, sociology psychiatry and the general society. Calderone extended it to the womb, claiming a boy baby has an erection in the womb thus proving “sexuality” in the womb.

I discuss this in my book Kinsey Crimes and Consequences. . .

Best, JA Reisman

As I mentioned here, sexual beings is used several times in Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective, published by The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations (1981). This is all the more important given the recent passage of Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at its General Assembly meeting in Minneapolis this week.

Actually, the ELCA sexuality statement uses the term sexual beings three times:

Erotic desire, in the narrow sense, is only one component of the relational bonds that humans crave as sexual beings. (lines 355-356, p. 11).

The counsel to love and care for the neighbor is not a command that is foreign to our created natures; rather, reaching out in love and care is part of who we are as relational and sexual beings. (lines 361-363, p. 11)

We are sexual beings from the beginning of our lives. (line 884, p. 24).

Note again similar verbiage from SIECUS (Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States):

All persons are sexual, in the broadest sense of the word. . . Sexual feelings, desires, and activities are present throughout the life cycle.

Planned Parenthood:

We are all sexual. We are sexual from the day we are born until the day we die. Our sexuality affects who we are and how we express ourselves as sexual beings.

And now, Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective:

Few characteristics so deeply stamp our selfhood as our maleness and femaleness. In fact, it is quite impossible for us to know ourselves as God’s good creation without a recognition of our identity as sexual beings. . . what Jesus did to redeem us from the power of sin and its affect on our lives as sexual beings. . . it is hoped that the affirmations stated at the end of the study will provide guidance for Christians as they seek to order their lives as sexual beings. . . (pp. 4-5).

More later. For now, here is the first part of a video about Alfred Kinsey:

I won’t play all my cards here, but the tornado that swept through the Minneapolis Convention Center and took down Central Lutheran’s steeple cross could have been, and in many corners was, predicted. Some 23 years ago, while a college senior, I distinctly remember a telephone conversation I had with my then-LCA Lutheran pastor’s wife over the direction that that church body (a predecessor to the ELCA, which was formed by merger in 1988) was taking over this very issue. That was just a quarter century ago. I left the ELCA for the LCMS in 1992.

And yet, the foundation for change in official doctrine and practice in the ELCA was laid even before Minneapolis. Cartesian and Lockean empiricism basing truth on demonstrable experience, the influence of Kant and Schleiermacher, rationalism, romanticism, the historical-critical method of biblical interpretation (promoting the inerrancy and inspiration of the interpreter), the high fashion and ecumenism of liturgical renewal, the concept of sexuality that developed in the nineteenth century, all sprinkled with a generous portion of Freudian sex-centrism and fraudulent Kinseyan sexology has–voila!–brought brought us where we are today.

As I mentioned, not that surprising. Confusing, maybe, but with hindsight, at least explainable.

And yet, it would be not only uncharitable but also dishonest to maintain that we on the other side of the aisle (orthodox, conservative, biblical,  confessional, or however you wish to hyphenate yourself) Lutherans have been unscathed by the philosophical, theological, and linguistic undercurrents of our culture that have swept us also away from our traditional moorings, however far. Before we take a look at the LCMS’s own sexuality statement, Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective (LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations, 1981), let’s peek at two secular organizations that offer their contemporary insights about “sexuality.”

The first is SIECUS (Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States). SIECUS is a strong proponent of comprehensive public sex education beginning at birth in order to “complement and augment the sexuality education children receive from their families, religious and community groups, and healthcare professionals.” SIECUS also advocates non-marital, consensual sex between adults (regardless of gender), and promotes masturbation. SIECUS asserts that:

All persons are sexual, in the broadest sense of the word. . . Sexual feelings, desires, and activities are present throughout the life cycle.

SIECUS follows the sex-centric approach of Alfred Kinsey, who maintained that “children are sexual at birth.” For a low down on the down-low of Kinsey, spend a few moments at Judith A. Reisman’s Web site. Then read a few psalms to get it out of your system.

The second is Planned Parenthood, which advocates for and provides abortion “services,” provides contraception, and supports the homosexual lifestyle:

We are all sexual. We are sexual from the day we are born until the day we die. Our sexuality affects who we are and how we express ourselves as sexual beings.

Again, Alfred Kinsey. Do note that Kinsey, SIECUS, and Planned Parenthood are connected not only in theory, but also organizationally. SIECUS’s founder and pro-abortionist Mary Calderone was also Planned Parenthood’s first medical director.

Now compare these contemporary examples to Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective:

Few characteristics so deeply stamp our selfhood as our maleness and femaleness. In fact, it is quite impossible for us to know ourselves as God’s good creation without a recognition of our identity as sexual beings. . . what Jesus did to redeem us from the power of sin and its affect on our lives as sexual beings. . . it is hoped that the affirmations stated at the end of the study will provide guidance for Christians as they seek to order their lives as sexual beings. . . (pp. 4-5).

Striving to be charitable you may say, “Well, that may be the same phrase those others groups use, but here it has a different meaning.” I respond, “I wish that you were right. And here I am neither succumbing to the ‘correlation is causation fallacy,’ nor am I making false accusations about the document or its authors. I am merely pointing out the similarity in phraseology that is striking, so much so, in fact, that it should not be ignored. But, even if this is a benign use of common parlance, it is nevertheless disturbing to read it today. And if the foundational understanding of our thinking in this area begins with the concept that we are sexual beings, as understood by other groups today, then have we not laid, perhaps, the wrong foundation for discussing male and female, the blessings and purposes of marriage, procreation, and so on?”

More on this later. As is my practice, I will be in contact with the Rev. Dr. Joel Lehenbauer at the CTCR advising him of this post. In previous e-mails with him concerning other matters, he has always been very cordial and receptive.

Besides, I think Luther would have appreciated the freedom to debate without acrimony or prejudice matters of theological import, don’t you?

I saw the fast-moving, misshapen, unusually-wide funnel over downtown Minneapolis from Seven Corners. I said to Kevin Dau, “That looks serious.”

It was. Serious in more ways than one. A friend who drove down to see the damage wrote,
“On a day when no severe weather was predicted or expected…a tornado forms, baffling the weather experts—most saying they’ve never seen anything like it. It happens right in the city. The city: Minneapolis.

The tornado happens on a Wednesday…during the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s national convention in the Minneapolis Convention Center. The convention is using Central Lutheran across the street as its church. The church has set up tents around it’s building for this purpose.”

According to the ELCA’s printed convention schedule, at 2 PM on Wednesday, August 19, the 5th session of the convention was to begin. The main item of the session: “Consideration: Proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality.” The issue is whether practicing homosexuality is a behavior that should disqualify a person from the pastoral ministry.

The eyewitness of the damage continues:
“This curious tornado touches down just south of downtown and follows 35W straight towards the city center. It crosses I94. It is now downtown.

The time: 2PM.

The first buildings on the downtown side of I94 are the Minneapolis Convention Center and Central Lutheran. The tornado severely damages the convention center roof, shreds the tents, breaks off the steeple of Central Lutheran, splits what’s left of the steeple in two…and then lifts.”

Let me venture an interpretation of this Providence with some biblical warrant.

1. The unrepentant practice of homosexual behavior (like other sins) will exclude a person from the kingdom of God.

“The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

2. The church has always embraced those who forsake sexual sin but who still struggle with homosexual desires, rejoicing with them that all our fallen, sinful, disordered lives (all of us, no exceptions) are forgiven if we turn to Christ in faith.

Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11)

3. Therefore, official church pronouncements that condone the very sins that keep people out of the kingdom of God, are evil. They dishonor God, contradict Scripture, and implicitly promote damnation where salvation is freely offered.

4. Jesus Christ controls the wind, including all tornadoes.

Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (Mark 4:41)

5. When asked about a seemingly random calamity near Jerusalem where 18 people were killed, Jesus answered in general terms—an answer that would cover calamities in Minneapolis, Taiwan, or Baghdad. God’s message is repent, because none of us will otherwise escape God’s judgment.

Jesus: “Those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:4-5)

6. Conclusion: The tornado in Minneapolis was a gentle but firm warning to the ELCA and all of us: Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great Lutheran heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from distorting the grace of God into sensuality. Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ and its power to transform left and right wing sinners.

Tornadic winds do damage at Central; Historic steeple damaged; Outdoor food venues destroyed
A rare downtown tornado passed close enough to Central this afternoon to completely destroy the two outdoor food venues set up for the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, The Carillon Cafe and Pub Central.  The winds came quickly and swiftly at about 2:00 p.m. today.  There were no public events in session at Central when the tornado passed.  The Assembly was in legislative session across the street at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  There were about 75 persons inside Central when the storm struck.  They were all ushered safely to the Lower Narthex by Central’s security team.  There were no injuries.

The Carillon Cafe had served nearly 800 persons the last two days and Pub Central was full last evening for its opening day.  Those hospitality offerings to guests of the Assembly are canceled.  The Great Lutheran “Potluck Favorites” Supper, scheduled for Thursday, previously to be served from the North Plaza, will now take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center beginning at 5:30 p.m.  The supper immediately precedes the National Lutheran Choir Hymn Festival at Central, beginning at 8:00 p.m.  All other Assembly week events at Central will go ahead as planned.

The Lutherans Concerned North America Eucharist will take place as scheduled tonight at 7:30 p.m.

“We give thanks to God that no one was injured by today’s tornado,” said the Rev. Rick Nelson, Central’s senior pastor. “I also thank God for the extreme talent and seemingly endless energies of our magnificent staff, particularly all related to events, security, and maintenance around this place; and also the Convention Center catering staff who’ve been scrambling outside to make for safe and clean passage.  All of them are wonderful servants of God, and faithful practitioners of grace.”

The North Plaza had been set as “The Carillon Cafe” for with seating for 200 and serving stations under two large tents.

Equipment and parts of the massive tent that was “Pub Central” was blown into third avenue.

the cross on central’s historic steeple dangles on Thursday afternoon following the tornado.

Photos by Joe Bjordal

In other news, a tornado damaged nearby Central Lutheran Church (ELCA). Noted the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

Central Lutheran Church in downtown had an old copper steeple damaged, and two tents used for entertaining also were struck. One was blown into the street and the other was collapsed, said church spokesman Joe Bjordal. The tents were set up in connection with the national gathering of about 2,000 at the Evangelical Church in America at the Convention Center. “We’re thankful that nobody was hurt,” Bjordal said.

According to its Web site, Central was to host a special Eucharist for pro-GLBT organizations Lutherans Concerned North America and Goodsoil, both of which have been strong advocates for the full inclusion of gays, lesbians, bi-sexual, and transsexual/transgendered person in the life of the church.

The tornado also damaged the roof of the Minneapolis Convention Center where the Assembly is meeting and a south-city music store called the Electric Fetus.

The tornado, however, is not being called an “act of God.”