LUTHERAN HERMENEUTICS?

WHICH CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?

AS CARL BRAATEN TOLD A REPORTED LAST SPRING, "IT [THE IMPULSE TO CHANGE CHURCH POLICY TO NORMALIZE HOMOSEX] DOESN'T COME FROM SCRIPTURE; IT DOESN'T COME FROM TRADITION, THAT LEAVES CULTURE."

SO WHY ARE WE SO ILL EQUIPPED TO RESIST CUTURE WHEN IT WANTS TO LEGALIZE SOMETHING?
IN A WORD, HERMENEUTICS. THAT'S WHAT MAKES OUR COLLEGES AND SEMINARIES SO IMPORTANT. WHAT IS TAUGHT NEXT FALL WILL SHAPE OPINION FOR A GENERATION.

ENTER SARA DILLE, A LUTHERAN WHO TEACHES OT AT WATERLOO, CANADA. SHE MANAGES TO GUT THE FISH IN A FIVE PAGE PAPER ON LUTHERAN HERMENEUTICS. IT STARTS OUT WELL ENOUGH BUT THEN WE LEARN SOME ASOUNDING THINGS LIKE "LUTHER BELIEVED THE OT LAW CODES WERE RELEVANT FOR THE ANCIENT JEWS BUT NOT FOR GENTILE CHRISTIANS." REALLY? WHY DID HE PUT THE 10 COMMANDMENTS IN THE SMALL CATECHISM?

IT TRULY AMAZES ME THAT LUTHERANS TODAY SEEM TO HAVE NEVER HEARD THE THEOLOGICAL TERM "MORAL COMMANDMENTS." PROFESSORS SUCH AS DILLE GIVE 5 WAYS OF APPROCHING THE OT BUT DIVIDING RITUAL AND CEREMONIAL LAW FROM MORAL TEACHING IS NOT ONE. IT IS HEARBREAKING. NO WONDER OUR PASTORS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO APPLY SCRIPTURE.

READ IT YOURSELF HERE.

YOU'LL LEARN OTHER THINGS:

"THAT WE KEEP BEFORE US THE ONLY LAW THAT IS BINDING ON US IS THE LAW OF LOVE (JOHN 13:34, 15:12) ...

"THE QUESTION IS REALLY WHETHER SAME-SEX RELATIONSHIPS ARE POTENTIALLY POSITIVE ..."

AND SHE ASKS

"ARE SAME-SEX BLESSINGS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE WELCOMING THAT IS ESSSENTIAL TO OUR PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL?"

ER, THE ANSWER TO THE LAST ONE IS "NO. 180 DEGREES OPPOSITE. NO! AND I WISH YOU WOULD STOP IT ..."

YOU CAN READ OTHERS HERE.