Is the ELCA Lutheran? by Christine Larsen Goble

Is the ELCA Lutheran? by Christine Larsen Goble is available from Amazon

"A must read for ELCA members, both clergy and lay, Christine Goble has written a down-to-earth assessment of the problems within this denomination. She combines concise, disturbing, indisputable facts with clarity and a sense of humor. Written for the Lutheran in the pew, it spells out clearly how the ELCA is surrendering its heritage for the sake of ecumenical unity in the church. Not only has the ELCA tossed aside the Lutheran confessions, but now they are declaring that Scripture does not speak clearly on matters of sexuality. This book is a must read for Lutherans and Christians who want to understand what is going on in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America."

One of my Church Council members brought the book to our last meeting. It's a good read.

BTW, get use to the general disparagement and ridicule at remaining in the church. We will be all over the media outlets in August, but we're getting reamed even at Amazon (who knew what a blessing for mission that reaching out to gays was going to be, a real pluriform of blessings).

You'll find these other reviews at Amazon:

"It appears to me that the ELCA is quietly accomplishing a mini-revolution in Lutheran practice. They are counting on the general reluctance of the clergy to address any potentially divisive issue with their members, and the sleepy confidence of members that everything is going to be all right in the end. One day we'll wake up and it will be a done deal. Yet there is enough coverage of the issues in The Lutheran magazine and other media that the ELCA cannot be accused of maintaining a blackout. Our congregation has not subscribed to The Lutheran for a long time. It caused too many telephone calls to the church office every time an issue hit the mailboxes, which tells you something."

and

"I would say, "NO!", May 13, 2005 "The ELCA is definately not Lutheran, and some including I would go out on a limb and say they are not even Christian. Not to say if you go to an ELCA church you aren't Christian, but much of the rejection of scripture, and man made doctrines is what makes it a Non-Christian church."

and

"The ELCA no longer accepts the inerrrancy of the bible; no longer considers the Lutheran confessions to be authoritative interpretations of scripture; no longer believes, teaches, or confesses that sex is intended by God to be limited to married men and women. By every definition of lutheranism, it is no longer Lutheran. Like the Episcopal Church USA, they have decided to perform actions that have made them into a schismatic group. The sleepy laity has little idea what is going on while the gay lobby does everything in its power to junk reformation theology in order to excuse their lifestyles. Wise lay people will leave the ELCA for a confessional Lutheran church - or else watch the ELCA become fully schismatic, then a scandal, and finally, a pagan religious group with christian cultural overtones and symbolism."

and

" For the many Lutherans who are less than enthusiastic about their church's rush to embrace homosexuality, this book may well prove to be a magnifying glass for the summer sun of their concerns. Well conceived and well written, it's enjoyable, thought provoking reading. Goble dares to do what few do in the face of a rabid gay lobby---to take a long, clear, honest look at data on the effects of homosexuality. Bravo."