[from a Washington Post article]
"A high-ranking Lutheran pastor has been suspended from his duties and ordered to apologize to all Christians for participating with Muslims, Jews, Sikhs and Hindus in an interfaith prayer service in New York's Yankee Stadium after Sept. 11."
...
"By President Benke's joining with other pagan clerics in an interfaith service [no matter what the intent might have been], a crystal clear signal was given to others at the event and to thousands more watching by C-Span. The signal was: While there may be differences as to how people worship or pray, in the end, all religions pray to the same God," the Rev. Wallace Schulz, the Missouri Synod's national second vice president, wrote in the suspension letter.
...
The charges against Benke included "unionism" -- mixing the beliefs of various Christian denominations -- as well as "syncretism" -- mixing Christian and non-Christian views. Both are forbidden by the 1847 constitution of the Missouri Synod, which is based in St. Louis and is the country's second-largest Lutheran group, after the 5.1-million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
| Christianity | Interfaith | Lutherans | Religion
I wonder if people who get thrown out of their religions for things like this feel any sense of relief. I mean, I'm sure it's awful for them. But on the other hand, who wants to be affiliated with an organization that's that unforgiving? Sometimes I wish Jesus would come back: "All right you people, listen up! It's about the love and the forgiveness, right? Right. I want you to knock all this puritanical extremist crap off, toot sweet. And while you're at it, how about a little economic parity, especially you Americans. Now play nice while I go have a personal conversation with the one you call "W". I'm not sure what he thinks happened on his 40th birthday, but I can tell you now, it didn't have anything to do with me, and there are few other things I've been wanting to straighten out with him. Sorry, back to what you were doing!"
Comment #1 :: link :: July 7, 2002 9:00 AMToday's Times piece seems to indicate that there are plenty of Lutherans who aren't down with this decision. But I wonder.... are you guilty of syncretism and unionism if you recite "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance along with non-Lutherans?
Comment #2 :: link :: July 10, 2002 9:00 AM :: homepage
