There’s No Debate

Word from the Center
Written By LCRL Staff

It’s August!

As children go back to school, will you help support our efforts to contend for their freedom to proclaim the faith too?

Recently, one among us complained that the LCMS has more often taken positions on the Republican side of things, with nothing from the Democrat agenda. I wonder if such complaints, from an opposite point of view, are made in the ELCA. What of it? Among the so-called Republican views cited were articles on being pro-life and warning against the rainbow revolution and the trans crisis. But these are not positions based on politics, though politics matter as a matter of justice and protection, but are essential to our humanity. Those who favor abortion, gay marriage, and the transgender agenda are in fact at war with the God of Genesis, the Author of creation. About such things there should be no debate among us, for to deny male/female, to deny the child in the womb is to deny Christ, who Himself lived in the womb of Mary, reiterated the truth of creation (Matthew 19, Mark 10) and came to be the groom for His bride, the Church.

Those whose churches promote such things are essentially saying that Jesus is not Lord. What of immigration? Climate change? About such things we can have discussion and debate. We would do well to note that these are issues pushed by the secular left and by those who are in the camp of Critical/Marxist theory. So, we might say we should exercise prudence, but it cannot be argued that to have a border is somehow unChristian. Likewise, we can speak of environmental stewardship, but we must keep in mind that the secular Left has a decidedly anti-human agenda. This could be seen in the theology/ideology of Margaret Sanger and is carried out still wherever birth control and abortion are considered sacred.

But we should add that we are living in strange times, at least strange compared to the world of our grandfathers. The Democrat party is now ruled by those who have an ideology that has become for them a religion. That is the nature of Critical Theory/Marxism. Marx did not simply offer more of this and a lessening of that. For Marxism to work, all other institutions must be gotten rid of or taken over. Marx and Lenin sought to put an end to the Church, because ultimate allegiance belongs to the state. Likewise, the movement against patriarchy is a movement against family as well as the fatherhood of God. Again, if Marxism is to reign, both church and family must be done away with or co-opted to be put at the service of the state. Your children belong to the state, hence the fight against homeschooling, vouchers, and the like. Hence, the Left's claim to take away children who identify as trans.

Christians who follow the Marxist agenda are, and I know this is harsh, but it is the language of Lenin, useful idiots. And for the most part, the Left has followed the path of Marcuse, spreading Marxism through a march through the institutions. And among these institutions are the churches. Who on the secular Left stood up for Jack Phillips and Barronelle Stutzman? Quite the opposite. For they said that Christians must toe the line of government, even if it means going against the truth of God, conscience, and reality. About many matters, we can have debate and discussion. But it is worth observing that when push comes to shove, when it is a question of the opinion of CNN, the Washington Post, and NPR, a church like the ELCA will always side with the secular elite over the words of scripture.

So, to say it is a matter of balancing Republican and Democrat issues is a misunderstanding. In the Christian way of thinking, God comes first, then the family, and then allegiance to our nation. We support political leaders who understand this and who fight against the government claiming to be all in all, the source of rights, the ruler of our families, and the dictator of our beliefs.

Perhaps the secular Left, especially those who claim the name Christian, might take a baby step and come out strong against abortion and might take a step towards reality, and fight against those who would sterilize and then mutilate confused young people. Suffice it to say, when it comes to the matters of God, the mainline churches have other, personally higher, allegiances.

 

The Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer is chairman and professor of Exegetical Theology and director of the M.A. program at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.

 

Be Informed
Hear a recent Issues, Etc. podcast about a judge’s attempt to block the defunding of Planned Parenthood with Margot Cleveland of The Federalist.

 

Be Equipped
“Abortion is the leading cause of death in America topping 1.1 million abortions in 2024.” Read more here.

 

Be Encouraged
“But this is only the beginning. Every dollar stripped from the abortion giant is a win for life, but the goal is total and permanent defunding and the closing of every abortion facility’s doors. No taxpayer should ever be complicit in violence. Every mother deserves real support, and every child deserves the chance to live.” –Lila Rose, Live Action

See Also
Our Founding Fathers
Our Founding Fathers

Our Founding Fathers are indeed the fathers of all Americans. DEI taught us to despise them, to concentrate on their faults, to think of ourselves as somehow more enlightened. Critical theory is all about destruction, about seeing through something so that you can no longer see the thing itself. DEI is the philosophy of the scoff and sneer.

But as Americans, we do well to think on the God of providence and to celebrate this day with thanksgiving. Now, mind you, I honor all peoples as they sing their anthems, giving thanks for their own special heritage. But our heritage is a cornucopia, a legacy that we are called to live up to.

The Magdeburg Confession
The Magdeburg Confession

475 years ago, Magdeburg, Germany, was under siege by her own emperor, Charles V. It was the last Lutheran city remaining in Germany only four years after the death of Martin Luther. At issue was the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. The highest authority in the land was demanding that the city churches re-institute Roman worship practices.

The city officers faced a difficult choice. Should they abandon the scriptural doctrine and practice restored by the Lutheran Reformation? Or should they take up arms against the God-ordained temporal authority? The pastors and theologians of the city penned the Magdeburg Confession to instruct the city councilmen of their God-given duty.

Two Kinds of Righteousness
Two Kinds of Righteousness

Two kinds of righteousness? I suppose, but not as it's often spoken about in our midst. There is civic righteous, which is to live in accordance with the natural law and may rightly describe the life of anyone, with or without Christ. Civil righteousness, reverence for life, for marriage, for the rights of property, and the like is a good thing. A Mormon may then live a life of civic righteousness, though he cannot be truly righteous or declared righteous.

 

We are told that the righteousness that comes from God is vertical and differs from all human righteousness. But such a notion needs to be challenged. The righteousness that we receive from God is, in fact, the righteousness lived on the horizontal plane. Many Christians think of righteousness as a gift from God that finds an opening in the cross of Christ. But that is misleading. The righteousness of God is, in fact, the righteousness of Christ, imputed to us because of Christ's active and passive obedience, even unto His death as a sacrifice for our sins. The likes of Forde and Paulson mislead, saying that Christ came forgiving, and for that He was murdered. By no means. Christ's forgiveness was made possible by the Father's sacrifice of His Son, as well as by Christ actually fulfilling, not putting an end to, the Law.

There’s No Debate
There’s No Debate

Recently, one among us complained that the LCMS has more often taken positions on the Republican side of things, with nothing from the Democrat agenda. I wonder if such complaints, from an opposite point of view, are made in the ELCA. What of it? Among the so-called Republican views cited were articles on being pro-life and warning against the rainbow revolution and the trans crisis. But these are not positions based on politics, though politics matter as a matter of justice and protection, but are essential to our humanity. Those who favor abortion, gay marriage, and the transgender agenda are in fact at war with the God of Genesis, the Author of creation. About such things there should be no debate among us, for to deny male/female, to deny the child in the womb is to deny Christ, who Himself lived in the womb of Mary, reiterated the truth of creation (Matthew 19, Mark 10) and came to be the groom for His bride, the Church.

When Satan Subverts Godly Government, the Church Cannot Be Silent
When Satan Subverts Godly Government, the Church Cannot Be Silent

English Statesman George Savile quipped, “Men are not hanged for stealing horses, but that horses would not be stolen.” With all that is happening in the world, his words concentrate our thoughts. Justice is not merely about trials and verdicts leading to punishment. It’s also about deterrence.

Through current events, many are relearning a seemingly long-forgotten factor relative to justice. As I watched the evening news with my wife, a segment came on about Venezuelan gang members being ordered back into the country after deportation. Without prompting, she asked, “What does it say when a federal judge orders the immediate return of violent criminals who’ve already been deported?”

Blessed Is the Fruit of Your Womb
Blessed Is the Fruit of Your Womb

The Bible is an earthy, fleshy book. God forms Adam from dirt. He fashions Eve from Adam’s rib. They eat forbidden fruit and use animal skin for covering. There are pillars of smoke and fire, roasted lambs and bitter herbs, bloody sacrifices and clouds of temple incense. And not only in the Old Testament — the New Testament continues with such physicality. Jesus heals with spit and dirt, fingers in ears, and caskets touched. A bloody cross culminates in bodily resurrection. Finally, He promises the resurrection of our bodies and a renewed physical earth.

Biblical salvation is not an offer to escape the body into some disembodied realm, whether platonic, gnostic, Eastern, transhumanist or anything else. Rather, the Bible deeply anchors redemption itself to the body. God carries out His redemptive deliverance through intense bodily realities from creation to consummation.

Assisted Suicide: No Lives Matter
Assisted Suicide: No Lives Matter

Make no mistake, legal suicide corrupts. Corrupts doctors who have taken an oath to do no harm. Corrupts a medical system that comes to think of patients as costs. Corrupts sacred bonds of a family, and the ties that bind generations. The fact that we are so willing to kill an unborn child, the fact that Obama, when in the Illinois legislature, would not even vote to ban partial-birth abortion should tell us something. The weak and the vulnerable are found at life's beginning and end and then everywhere in between. Where there is not right or wrong, there is only power; where life is not held as precious, it becomes cheap.

A Father Sacrifices His Son: Dads Matter
A Father Sacrifices His Son: Dads Matter

That's the story of salvation. We are given a glimpse in Abraham's willingness to put Isaac on the altar. In a worldly way, we see it when parents send their sons off to war. But what of those parents who say, "I just want my child to be happy"? I think we all get it, though that can't be the end all. There has to be something more. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that Abraham knew that Isaac would live again, would rise from the dead. But then, don't we?

Remembering the LRCL’s First Fourth of July in D.C.: Rejoicing Today!
Remembering the LRCL’s First Fourth of July in D.C.: Rejoicing Today!

It’s Friday, July 4th, 2025, in Washington D.C. and it has been an incredible journey. Our LCRL work started in 2017. From the start, our mission has been to bring a faithful two-kingdom voice into the heart of federal politics—a voice that limits the reach of government, defends the family and the Church, and upholds First Amendment freedoms so that God’s people can freely proclaim the whole counsel of God without fear of coercion or intervention to the contrary. For a time, threats like COVID shutdowns, the Obergefell decision, and the politicized coercion of DEI-LGBTQ mandates eroded those protections and weaponized government against those holding to traditional, biblical values.

The Oppressors and the Oppressed
The Oppressors and the Oppressed

That's how Marxism works. In the Communist Manifesto, it's the freeman and slave, the patrician and the plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman. Translated into the present, it's critical theory where it becomes a matter accumulating points. Score one for being a woman, one for being a person of color, one for being LGB, and perhaps two for being T. Count yourself as an enemy of the one percent, and that's at least a half-point. Such an odd thing, yet you gain a bit of oppressed status by including yourself among the 99 percent. Say you are an LGBTQ ally, another half point, and so on. Colleges have long operated this way, and many young people, young women especially, come home as trained Marxists.

Cohabitation Hurts More Than a Couple
Cohabitation Hurts More Than a Couple

If a couple came to me and said, “Pastor, we’d like to get married, and we’d like to do everything we can today to make sure our marriage ends in divorce tomorrow,” then I would tell them that the first thing they should do is move in together. Cohabitation is that destructive to marriage and family life.

However, the warning must not stop there. Because it is a form of public and intentional sin, cohabitation is particularly destructive to the conscience, and not just to the couple’s conscience but also to the conscience of the Christian community. Many couples view their choices as going no further than themselves. I would like to challenge this by considering some of the ways that cohabitation harms the broader Christian community.

Defund Planned Parenthood?
Defund Planned Parenthood?

That's the very least we can do. We have a lot of work to do. Blue states love abortion, want more of it, will never even speak against partial-birth abortion, much less children who, if born, could live outside of the womb. Red states are full of pro-life folks, many of whom would rather not push the issue. Abortion is the dark underside of our culture. What's a child in the womb worth? Nothing at all? Or is an unborn child dispensable? Is the child's worth totally dependent upon the mother? If a person is not loved, does that mean they can be dispensed with?

Compassionate Abortion?
Compassionate Abortion?

The story has many troubling aspects, not least of which is the parents’ decision based on inaccurate information about the child’s chance of surviving and thriving. But what troubles me most is that I encounter fellow Lutherans who have bought the narrative that it is better for babies with physical imperfections to be aborted rather than embraced and loved for whatever time the Lord allows them to live. I offer four problems with that mindset.

The Mob's Demonic Shrieks
The Mob's Demonic Shrieks

Abortion is a human right. So also is the right to ensure that children have puberty blockers and hormone treatment leading to mutilating surgery. Engage in debate, present the facts, and you will be shouted down by the mob. But that is a little child in the womb, a human being at an early stage. But you will hear only "My body, my choice." And if you take the argument further, you will hear more shouting, as the protestors screams and then repeats over and over again. What is a woman? There is no answer, but that doesn't bother the mob. Is there really such thing as a trans-child? How would you know? Might the child simply be confused? No answer, only the mantra, "Trans right are human rights."

A Lutheran Wedding
A Lutheran Wedding

There was a great wedding in Leipzig, Germany, in the mid-1730s. We don’t know whose wedding it was, and we wouldn’t think anything of it today at all, had not Johann Sebastian Bach composed a cantata for it. A cantata was a piece of concerted music, about 20 minutes long and split into various movements, made up of sung Scripture passages and poetic verses. Almost all of Bach’s cantatas end with a hymn stanza.

Think for a moment about which hymn stanza would best conclude a cantata at a wedding. What words should be echoing in the ears of bridegroom and bride as they prepare for married life together? Which would be best?

Created In God's Image
Created In God's Image

What does it mean that Adam was created in God's image? Surely this includes righteousness, as well as the ability to be in conversation with God. But then, the same could be said of angels, who are not said to bear that image. This image also looks forward to God's eternal intention to become one of us in His eternal Son, who is the express image of God.

Marriage: Human Construction or Divine Institution?
Marriage: Human Construction or Divine Institution?

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) will go down in history as the landmark Supreme Court case which redefined marriage in this country, granting same-sex couples throughout the land the right to marry. Keen observers have noted, however, that nowhere in the opinion of the majority (written by Justice Kennedy) is marriage itself ever actually defined.

Jesus vs. Caesar
Jesus vs. Caesar

“Savior.” “Lord.” “Son of God.” If you asked someone in the ancient world who these titles referred to, they might tell you “Jesus.” But depending on who you were talking to, they might also tell you “Caesar.” Modern readers of the Bible often miss the fact that some of the language the New Testament uses to talk about Jesus was also commonly used to talk about the Roman Emperor, who was not just a political leader, but someone whom people worshipped and even offered sacrifices to.

SEEING THINGS FROM GOD’S “MISSION-VICTORY” POINT OF VIEW!
SEEING THINGS FROM GOD’S “MISSION-VICTORY” POINT OF VIEW!

D.C. We have seen religious liberties for Christians now protected and defended rather than threatened and litigated. We have seen other constitutional protections undergirded as well. But sadly, we are also seeing a growing callousness to the issue of life, not just from a select group of secular elites, but even from American citizens who are religious. The Pew Research Center shows that while conservative Christians still see abortion as an illegal action against innocent Children in the womb, other Christians are beginning to support the “abortion in all circumstances” mantra in pop culture.  The abortion euphemistic cover of a constitutional “right to choose” has been properly litigated, but now the deceptive phrases of “reproductive freedom” and “women’s health care” has many callously embracing the killing on demand of innocent children right up to the moment of birth. Politicians and citizens alike are growing in their support of the outrageous notion that a child can be aborted up to the time of birth and even after it is born, as long as the mother and the doctor decide.

Religious Liberty and Bearing the Cross: It’s Always to Share the Message of the Cross
Religious Liberty and Bearing the Cross: It’s Always to Share the Message of the Cross

A blessed Good Friday, Easter morning to you all!!

One of my favorite recurring guests on the “Liberty Action Alert” is Cal Thomas. He is a clear-thinking, fearlessly-engaging, Christian voice in the public square. His columns and commentary always give “public” Christians a lot to think about as they try to live out their faith lives in the particular vocations in the world in which they serve. He wrote this Good Friday piece about 3 years ago,

Sacrificial, Unconditional, Incarnational: A Biblical View of Marriage
Sacrificial, Unconditional, Incarnational: A Biblical View of Marriage

I recently began a wedding sermon addressing the couple, “Your marriage is going to be tough! It’s going to be filled with conflict and suffering and sorrow and pain. And, if you do it right, you’ll eventually get to watch each other get old, have more pain, carry more grief and watch each other move toward death.”

Their eyes got as big as saucers, and their huge smiles started to waver. I paused for a bit with a very serious look on my face, because it is all, sadly, true. I then continued, “However, you’re about to enter one of the most beautiful experiences you can ever have on earth. You’ll have glimpses of heaven that most will never see. You’ll delight in the love of Jesus overflowing to you from your spouse. When you fall, you’ll have each other to speak words of forgiveness and renewal. Your joy will grow and overflow to everyone. And I can say this with certainty.”

The Common Order of Christian Love
The Common Order of Christian Love

According to Luther’s teachings about the Christian life, the good works God desires of us are carried out in our vocations. That is to say, the Christian life does not necessarily involve heroic accomplishments and dramatic deeds. Rather, God calls us to love and serve our neighbors in our ordinary interactions with the members of our families, our coworkers and our fellow citizens.

Making the Case for Life
Making the Case for Life

It’s easy to talk about your pro-life beliefs with your Christian friends. You’re all coming from the same source: the Bible. But what happens when you chat with friends or teachers who aren’t Christian, who don’t see the Bible as anything at all? How can you stand up for life in a pro-choice world?

Don't Be Political
Don't Be Political

Don't speak against abortion, though it will undermine everything you say about the sanctity of life and the Incarnation, our Lord who made His life in the womb. Oh, and babies will be killed. Don't be political and speak the truth of marriage, though God gave it for the sake of all children, so that they might have a mom and dad. Whatever you do, don't get into the whole male and female debate. Let the confused kids fend for themselves. Don't go out of your way, like some Good Samaritan to help them. Don't stand in the way of the predator wielding the knife.

Being for the Family
Being for the Family

“What is marriage?” It seems like a silly question. But it’s one our society is vigorously fighting about. For thousands of years, and for all of recorded history prior to the year 2000, societies around the world recognized that marriage was an exclusive relationship of faithful permanence between one man and one woman, who vowed to remain together until death parts them.

However, in a matter of a few short years (in the scope of human history), the institution of marriage has gone from being exclusively defined between one man and one woman, to being debated by society (it’s now at the highest court in our land), to consider if it might also be applicable to two homosexual men or two homosexual women.

Trust Not In Princes
Trust Not In Princes

“Trust not in princes?” Of course not. But be politically active to defend the unborn, remembering that the aborted child will never be baptized. Trust not in princes, though we don't really have princes, because the Constitution is what governs us. Trust not in princes, but elect the kind of people bold enough to ban males from the sports of females. Trust not in princes, but rejoice when our national laws are in congruence with the higher law. Trust not in firefighters, police officers, or soldiers, but work to create a system where they do their duty for the sake of the common good. Trust not in doctors, but find a good one.

THE GOD OF CREATION
THE GOD OF CREATION

The order for Confession and Absolution often begins with these words: “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.” It is a plea lifted from Psalm 124. But it prompts some questions. Why are we invoking help from God as Creator rather than as Savior? Why not plead for spiritual deliverance? Why are we looking for help from the God of creation?

Two Threads, One Blessing: A Tale of Harmony and Salvation
Two Threads, One Blessing: A Tale of Harmony and Salvation

Jesus said a very interesting thing in Luke 20:25, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are Gods.” And later to Pontus Pilate, the governor of Judea, who claimed that he had authority over Jesus himself, Jesus responded, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11). Wow! God is at work. He saves the world through the person and work of Jesus; that’s the main message of the Bible.

A Strange World
A Strange World

We live in a very strange world. It is world that says men and women are the same. In fact, they are so much the same, that a man can decide he is a woman, or a woman can decide she is a man, and everyone around that individual is supposed to act like this is just the way things are. It is asserted that men and women are completely interchangeable, and so marriage can occur between a man and a woman or between two men or between two women.

2025 TO DO LIST
2025 TO DO LIST

What might we, as a people, wish to accomplish in the coming year? Most of it has to do with gaining our voice, and then putting our words into action. That means cultivating courage.

First, we should deal with a constellation of issues revolving around gender. Of course, men should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Speak up, boycott, act like you mean it. Likewise, let us keep males out of the public bathrooms of women. Protest. Let them know you care about your daughters. Along with that we must begin once again to speak the truth and to reclaim the language. Do not call Rachel Levine a woman, for he is not. Mock those who cannot answer the question, "What is a woman?" And, for heaven's sake, never speak of gender affirming care. Call out such surgery for the barbarism that it is, resulting in irreversible damage, bodily mutilation, a lifetime of misery. Make such treatment illegal everywhere. Instead, help our young people become comfortable in their own bodies.

LCRL Staff
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