AN OPEN LETTER TO THE NEW PRINCIPLE BISHOP OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA

My congratulations and best wishes go to Elizabeth Eaton on her election. I truly hope that you're the moderate that you are characterized as being in the press. I especially hope that this quote from your press conference is accurate: "we really have to free ourselves of the siren song of a popular culture that doesn’t understand where true joy and freedom can be found." I fully agree with that statement. The "I don't want to offend anyone" attitude of the modern "Progressive" society would mute the teachings of the Church.

My conviction is that we must learn to Hate Sin while Loving the Sinner, a most daunting but necessary task.Your charge  is to find a way to Preach the Word, including God's commandments, without needlessly offending anyone, and yet inspire them to follow Christ. Granted, this is a nearly impossible task. You will have to develop a thin skin and become even more resolute in executing your authority as the voice of the ELCA in the world.

Your interview with TIME MAGAZINE was very interesting. I realize that you were trying to be honest but your response on the question of spiritualism was disquieting to me. I agree that spiritual people are not necessarily religious people, but that struck me as an unnecessary statement to make.  In my opinion, this is where the impartial religious scholar and the true seekers for God part company. You come from an academic background and a milieu of agnostic and atheistic scholars and I believe that showed up in your response and apparently you regard  this as a weak point in you religious self as well. I would suggest that you make this a very public struggle so that all of us in your fold can benefit from your insights and progress.

Your predecessor presided over a nasty schism in our ELCA synod. Although I personally supported the resolution on Sexuality, I know that many did not. I hope that we have all learned a lesson from this. Communication is sooooo important, and apparently not enough convincing communication was done. The issue is still rancorous  in the wider Lutheran Community and the ELCA should lead on this issue rather than sit back and lick its wounds. In my opinion, the ELCA leaders and theologians need to be more aggressive in their teaching of the wider flock. They need to address what they think is Scriptural (God's Word for us) and what is Secular ( the common Societal Mores and Norms of the Biblical times) in the Bible. In my opinion, this is where the problem lies. Is every word of the Bible to be taken as literal truth? My Bethel Bible series experience has convinced me of the answer to this question but many of my fellow parishioners are more conservative (Greek thinkers) in their interpretation of scriptures. We need strong leadership on this subject IMHO.

Again Congratulations and Best Wishes

Philip W. Johnson
Augustana class of 1960