Oh, what a laugh!

Dan the Geologist found some people looking for a Lutheran Carnival to get involved in, but they think ours is run by right-winged, disgruntled Lutheran pastors, and are comparing us to Atilla the Hun because we don't believe that the ELCA is really Lutheran anymore, and that a lot of LCMSers have compromised their faith enough that they can't be considered true LCMSers. Well, part of that is right – the latter part. As for who is running our Carnival, the administrators are none other than three LCMS laypeople! Also, most of the people who submit posts to our Carnival are also laypeople.

Those on the message board Dan mentioned (and linked to) think that those who are submitting posts are all angry LCMSers. Here's what Dan had to say on that:

"Maybe my girlfriend (who is WELS) might dispute that, along with the current LC host. She belongs to the ELS. Of course, some of our contributers come from Canada (LCC) and England (ELCE)."

Well, to those who may be looking at this blog post, I am an LCMS laywoman, born and bred. I am a quia subscriber to the Unaltered Book of Concord, and, thanks to my husband who has studied in-depth the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, I have learned more about what it means to be a Lutheran and about why it's important to subscribe to the UBoC.

Am I a right-winged pastor? No, women have no place in conducting pastoral duties in the LCMS (or elsewhere, IMHO), and I have no desire to go against my beliefs and our Synod in order to do so. I am obviously not a feminist even though I am a very confident and educated woman. All of this, yet, I have submitted posts to the Lutheran Carnival a number of times. Hmmm... Rethinking in progress, people?

I'm no theologian, at least not in the sense of one who has done deep theological study at a seminary or otherwise, but I do know what Luther's Small Catechism teaches, and I do understand the teachings of the Unaltered Book of Concord, and I also believe that to go against these publications (which are expositions and explanations on Scripture) is to go against what the Bible teaches, the Bible being the ultimate authority since it is the inerrant Word of God.

I am not an angry person, although I disagree with much of what is going on within our Synod, and with the liberals who put 1960s and 1970s feminism and touchy-feely, pastorless group studies ahead of what the Bible teaches. There are other issues, but I'll leave it at that. But just because I disagree doesn't mean I'm an angry person, and anyone who has gotten to know me over the last couple of years that I've been blogging can testify to that. There are also people with whom I've attended church all my life who could testify to that, even if they don't agree with me.

I believe that most of those who submit posts to the Lutheran Carnival are like me, although, contrary to popular belief, not all are members of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Regardless, I consider these people friends, although there may be issues of belief on which we disagree. I still enjoy reading their posts and commenting on them, and love the fact that they contribute their thoughts and posts to the Carnival.

If you are Lutheran and you don't agree with us, you don't have to associate yourself with us. It's like a blonde who's hitting her head against a wall and saying "Ouch!" every time her head hits that wall. "Why do you hit your head against the wall like that if it hurts?" someone asks. She responds, "Because it feels so good every time I stop."

(BTW, I'm a very well-educated blonde who enjoys blonde jokes, in case you couldn't figure that out from my reference.)

One more question before I open this up to comments: Is it Christian behavior to bash other Christians for their beliefs? (Answer: NO! Don't do it. I'm simply setting these ill-informed people straight.) I do moderate my comments, and any that come across as un-Christian will be deleted and/or publically called for such behavior. Comments made in a public forum are subject to correction and admonission in a public manner by myself and/or others on my behalf, as long as they are done in a Christian manner.