Should Lutherans Apologize to America?

A report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media.  This week’s item is from the Rockport, Illinois Register Star, July 14, 2002 with a headline: “Lutheran Church Owes Apology,” dateline: Washington.Are you waiting for a formal apology from the Reverend David Benky?The Lutheran Church which Benky serves as District President of the Missouri Synod has suspended Benky from his post and has ordered him to apologize to all Christians.According to the Lutheran hierarchy, Benky sinned ten months ago when he participated in the Prayer for America service at Yankee Stadium in response to the September 11^th horrors.You may remember that service.Oprah Winfrey hosted it.Rudi Giuliani got a hero’s welcome.New York policemen and firemen drew ovations.Chants and prayers from Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Catholics, Protestants, and Hindus.The shock and pain were still very fresh and a craving for answers and comfort was urgent and desperate.The collection of clergy was there to help.However, for taking part, Benky was seen as a heretic.The charges filed against him included unionism and syncretism.As Reverend Wallace Shultz, Vice President of the Missouri Synod put it in the suspension letter, “to participate with pagans in an interfaith service and to give the impression that there might be more than one God is an extremely serious offense against the God of the Bible.”Some of us say that discriminating against and snubbing other believers is offensive to any religion that preaches love, compassion, and unity as Christianity certainly does.Despite the frequent and appalling instances of violence, vengeance and segregation committed under the cover of holiness.It seems especially un-Christ-like to forsake the scores of non-Christians who needed relief from the grief and fear that settled upon New York, not to mention the prayer services’ usefulness in dissolving some of the inter-ethnic, inter-religious clots that sickened the country in the wake of 9/11.Pagan is a bit harsh, wouldn’t you think?It sounds like something an extremist would say.It’s not unlike calling someone who does not share your religion an infidel and where have we heard that lately?Because he honored the spirit of Christianity, the Reverend Benky does not owe an apology to this Christian.The Lutheran Church however, does.

Tom:

Dave, one of the reasons I selected this article, it really, not so much with regard to the politics of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod and so on, but it has to do with another editorial and we are seeing a lot of these things today.This particular editor, Deborah Mathis, well she claims to be a Christian.She says right here, “Reverend Benky does not owe an apology to this Christian.”So she claims to be a Christian.But again, why I selected this was there are so many aspects of this article that are so unbiblical, anti-Christian, but yet she professes to be a Christian and things that are just illogical.For example she says, “The craving for answers and comfort was urgent and desperate.The collection of clergy was there to help.”How are they going to help?What are they going to do?

Dave:

What answers?There were no answers.We’ve talked about it before.The mantra now is “God bless America.”God bless America?We still kill millions of babies in the womb, we export our pornography around the world, we flaunt our perversion in gay pride parades and so forth.But now just because the Twin Towers came down God is going to bless America?On what basis is God going to bless America?And as you point out, what was the basis that these clergy were going to help people?No help was given.No answers were given.But no, they prayed to a variety of gods, but what does that mean?

Tom:

Yes, there’s an answer that’s utterly confusing.Which God?And what does the particular God have to say and how is this particular god going to solve the problem?

Dave:

You see this particular article implies and of course, all of these memorial services imply that there is no difference between gods, this god, or that god.I was recently in the hospital Tom, and I talked to every nurse or doctor that comes across my path and you would be amazed.There were several of them that said; well I think I can believe anything I want.Get me out of this hospital!Unhitch that IV, give me my clothes back!Really?Why do you want—what are you talking about?You don’t have any rules?You can believe anything you want?Oh no, no, we have rules for medicine and for procedures in hospitals.Oh, you have rules for these things?But God has no rules about how to get to heaven or who he is, the basis of a relationship with him?That’s the problem.So they are believing in various gods.There are no rules.Whatever you want to say, whatever you want to do, whoever you are and oh my gracious!

Tom:

Dave, see again, editorials like this, whether it be written editorials or we get them from newscasters, we get them on news programs, they are promoting ideas, really if you think about it, if you are a thoughtful Christian, start thinking about some of these things.Look what she says—

Dave:

Thoughtful person.

Tom:

“Some of us say that discriminating against and snubbing other believers is offensive to any religion that preaches love, compassion, and unity, as Christianity certainly does.”Where did she get that idea?

Dave:

“Other believers.”Believers in what?“Any religion.”On what basis does a religion preach anything?

Tom:

Well, this criteria that she throws out here Dave, Jesus didn’t live up to this.

Dave:

No, he said, “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.”And this is the problem with David Benky that the Lutheran Church is pointing out and I would agree with what they did.There he is, supposedly a representative of Jesus Christ who claims to be the only way, the only one who died for our sins and paid the penalty by which alone we can be forgiven, and he is there praying with other—they are pagans, they are praying to a variety of gods and he’s giving the impression that they are all praying to the one true God which in fact they are not.So rather than helping people, these clergy are leading people astray.But David Benky did not stand up and say so, he went along with this lie.That’s a problem and that’s what they were rebuking him for.

Tom:

Again she says, “Pagan is a bit harsh wouldn’t you think?”Now here, okay, ask me what I think.Let’s go out and interview a hundred people and see what they think.Does this have anything to do with truth?

Dave:

And she says, “Infidel?Where have we heard that one lately?”Does she know that’s what the Muslims call all of us?All non-Muslims are infidels?

Tom:

Well if you go along with these ideas, you’re going to be led down a path of absolute confusion, delusion and so on.This is not anything close to the Word of God.

Dave:

Or what your conscience and common sense would tell you.