Now it's Lutheranism in the crosshairs

I saw this coming a long time ago: Lutherans running afoul of Trump and MAGA. My concern was at the point where I sent an email to the top official, bishop, of the ELCA. This was five or six years ago. 

"Lutherans" have managed to stay out of the headlines in connection to Trump and MAGA. We can add "Elon Musk" to those references, as it appears Americans are just sitting back and allowing the outsized (do ya' think?) influence of Musk. There is nothing I can do about that. 

Bishop Eaton responded to my email. My email warned of how the Trump forces might go on the attack against the ELCA of the Lutheran faith. That's the denomination that became known for "progressive" attitudes. That is anathema in the eyes of Trump, Musk et al. 

And right now MAGA is rolling past all obstacles in ways we could never have expected, even at the height of our angst. Well let's correct that: our angst is even higher now. But can it lead to corrective action? 

We here in western Minnesota have a congressperson who would not utter a peep of objection to what Trump says. We have chosen this. 

You could not expect the ELCA to experience smooth sailing under the cloud of MAGA. Both the in-town ELCA churches of Morris are pastor-less now. Word is, it's extremely difficult to fill such vacancies now. We're liberal according to the prevailing zeitgeist in greater Minnesota. 

I think it's unfortunate if you have chosen the MAGA route simply because you're upset about "trans." I know many people have flipped out on this. They have flipped out even more than when gay rights really started coming at us. That was the catalyst for the retreat from the ELCA. 

Is it even worth it to stick with the ELCA now? You give money to your church and then the pastor leaves. We are rudderless. Are we supposed to just stick with an ELCA church for sentimental reasons? 

I reminded the late beloved Truman Carlson that his own children were confirmed at a Lutheran church. Happened to be First Lutheran which is (still) my church. Not sure how much longer I can stay there, and I'm sure many people would say "we don't care what you do." Fine, no problem. My faith life might just end up being between me and my creator. "The creator" is at the center of Native American faith tradition. Maybe they have the answers. 

Carlson bolted from the ELCA and he did not wish to even engage in constructive conversation about it. He was a pillar of wisdom and conformity as young people went through school in Morris. He'd just smile if I attempted to challenge him. Such are the MAGA folks now, so many of them anyway. 

Elizabeth Eaton

I advised Bishop Eaton that Trump had a basis for really attacking Lutheranism if he wanted to. And we are being reminded right now that Trump equivocates not one bit, not one inch. As we speak he is the bull in the China closet, probably not drawing much concern until people realize their financial interests are in jeopardy. Jesus Christ was not influenced so much by money. 

I warned Eaton that Trump could give a speech at one of his rallies about Martin Luther's extreme anti-Semitism. So extreme that Luther's words contributed to the holocaust many years later. This is easily researched. Lutheran leaders who try to apologize for this will say Luther was simply getting "old and grouchy." He was definitely in possession of his faculties.  He wrote a whole treatise. Those who would want to conceal this have a harder time because of the sunlight of the Internet. It cannot be concealed. 

Maybe it does not concern you because you are anti-Semitic. To my knowledge I have never been wronged by a Jew. If that changes I can readily inform you through online communications. Oh, you're offended  because they "reject Christ?" Is that it? In a heartbeat I would say that everyone is entitled to their own personal religious beliefs. 

How much longer can the ELCA be allowed to exist while still having breathing room? My fears of several years ago are now being borne out. The headline from Yahoo! News: "Musk assails funding for Lutheran groups as MAGA's ire toward mercy for immigrants continues." 

I nodded my head - it is finally happening. I wonder if Bishop Eaton remembers my prescient email now. 

A sentence early in the Yahoo! News article: "And now it seems that Republicans are coming after Lutheran groups." Well of course. This on the heels of VP Vance criticizing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. 

Michael Flynn

Trump follower Michael Flynn, who seems a basically weird/deluded person, began stirring the waters relative to Lutherans. Really? The "Minnesota Nice Lutherans?" We have not all gone over to Good Shepherd Church of rural Morris, the outpost of Trump sympathizers. 

Flynn got major attention with his pronouncement that Lutheran organizations are using religion "as a money laundering operation." 

This got the attention of Elon Musk. Early on Sunday Musk vowed that his mysterious DOGE will cut off funding to "Lutheran organizations." He wrote "the DOGE team is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments." 

It appears that DOGE is not a real government agency. But a lot is surreal right now, so soon into this new so-called presidential administration which has caused earthquakes of anarchy. Musk's minions step into the void or abyss to impose their will. Trump himself is now the most powerful person in the world. Our congressperson would express no reservations. Go and ask her, see if she'll even respond. 

The Yahoo! News article continued: "And it certainly seems as though Musk, Flynn and the broader MAGA movement are bearing down on people based on their religious expressions of care to marginalized people." 

Flynn is targeting groups like the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, an organization now called Global Ridge that provides aid to resettled immigrants. 

To those of you upset about "trans," I will tell you I'm in total agreement. I don't even want to talk about it. I have supported reasonable accommodations for gay people including gay marriage because I think marriage is just a legal thing. Let's enact all this on humanitarian terms and then just move on. At the same time we do not need "gay pride activism." We don't need a gay pride float in the high school homecoming parade. The Christian faith is being forced into needless schisms. 

Girls and women's sports should be open only to biological females. Progressives are cutting their own throats by arguing otherwise. 

We need a movement now to stop the Flynns and the Musks but I've been shouting from the rooftop for a long time about this.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com