My best friend now has a blog. You know, calling it "Fearsome Viking" will not endure him to anyone in the Lutheran blogsphere. It is an obvious ripoff from Josh's "Fearsome Pirate". Come up with another title dude. Maybe he should call it "Raving Frenchman"... Other than that, it looks like a good start.

I had something extremely thoughtful I wanted to say, but I no longer remember what I wanted to say. Maybe tomorrow.

I saw more of my family yesterday. Life is good.

I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving. I did. Every once in a while, it is nice to get away from all the nuttyness of everyday life and sit down and think about what we have to be thankful for.

I've noticed that I haven't posted anything that was well thought-out in a while. I'll have to remedy that soon.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I still have nothing really to blog on. I have been reading The World's Most Dangerous Places, but I do not have much to say about the book. It is possibly the most depressing book I've read all year.

I am looking forward to thanksgiving because of football. What a stupid reason.

The new Consensus newsletter is out.

If you want something to laugh at, read this. I guess our synod's premiere theologians and Latin scholars don't have a clue as to what they are talking about. That's essentially the argument of this article. Good luck next time.

The ELCA now has a real quagmire. For now, it's in fellowship with a church that openly ordains gay bishops, which is still officially against what the ELCA claims to believe. Many of its member are now making noise because of this, and the report due in 2005 is going to be very interesting. The ELCA will split as fast as the lawyers will let it.

If you have never had Chili Beer, you are missing out my friends. This stuff burns going down, but it tastes very good. I would actually drink this stuff rather than my beloved Warsteiner (Life's to short to drink cheap beer) or Belikin. Or Guinness.

beerisforamateurs@yahoo.com

Maybe I'll actually check my e-mail before I go to bed.

We lost a giant in the faith on Monday.

I haven't blogged much lately because, in reality, I haven't had much to say. I've been reading frantically trying to keep up with the ever-increasing load of papers covering my thesis.

I haven't made snide comments about The Purpose-Driven Life because I have not read any further.

Josh (a.k.a. Fearsome Pirate) is now calling me Random Daniel. I wonder why. (For those of you who can't figure it out, that was a joke.)

Georgia is unstable. What else is new?

The extended version of The Two Towers is awesome. A few of the things I wondered about were answered in the extended edition. What I am really curious to see is how they portray the scouring of the Shire in relation to the climax. It could be good. It could suck. I will have to wait and see. Less than a month away...

In all my book-bashing, I have forgotten all about the war and taking pot shots at my best friend for his Frenchie positions which sound awfully like a NPR report. Anyways, he complains that Saddam had no connections to al Queda (the base). All I have to say is NANNY! NANNY! BOO! BOO!. Once again, I prove that I am right and he is French. Enough said.

I have bought the newest edition of one of the greatest books ever written known as The World's Most Dangerous Places. It is a travel guide for the insane, or a way to learn about the hellholes in this world the news never covers unless things really go south. I love reading this book. You get links to internet sites you have never heard of that reports on hellholes. Did I mention I love this book. I'm about to delve into the Balkans area, so I'll take my leave.

I am glad to have the friends I have. They keep me in line when I go on a rampage on this site, which is many times. I do almost consider this my personal journal that I publish just for giggles. Many of my thoughts come out uncensored, and my use of foul language has peaked recently. My stream-of-conscience format allows for interesting reading, but also offensive comments. I do admit a couple of things. First off, I am still mad at the pastors at my former church and that still shows. I am not mentally in a place yet to even step into my old church, let alone confront my old pastors on why I believe they are teaching error. I really shouldn't be talking behind their backs. One thing the internet allows is anominimity. I am relatively anonymous (how many Daniels are there in the world?) and that allows me to say things I wouldn't say if the whole world knew me and knew who I am. I must apologize for those remarks. Until I am ready to confront them personally, I should just keep my mouth shut. Secondly, in my last post, I use the words "so-called" Lutheran pastors. I am still wrestling with what I said and if I should say it. On one hand, I do not know most of the pastors using the book and how they are presenting the material. On the other hand, how can a Lutheran pastor in good conscience allow a book to be used where the law dominates? Not only is it law, but it is mostly "law lite," a version of the law that doesn't cut one to the core. The book almost has a Phariseeatical (new word) tone to it. That isn't Lutheranism. Lutherans should always allow the Gospel to dominate their lives. Anyways, I need to think this through a little more.

There is no greater proof of original sin than the way people crave the law that condemns us intstead of the Gospel that saves us.

I forgot to add, there is one more person who has begun the path to being warped beyond repair. One of my friends saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail completely through for the first time and loved it. So if he happens to read this, I say, "Ni!"

The Purpose Driven® Life is driving me slowly to the nuthouse. Alright, it is not the book, but the fact that Lutheran pastors actually think that this book is even remotely useful. I know, I actually mean so-called Lutheran pastors because any pastor which allows this book to be taught within the confines of his church need to go back to seminary and be forced to reread Walther's The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel. Any Lutheran pastor who would allow this book must be confused with this distinction and therefore unable to keep his ordination vows. After reading the first seven chapters, the most common words in the margin are Law and where's the gospel? I had a few other choice words in the margin (neo-gnostic, semi-pelagianism, works-righteousness, etc.), but I haven't written the words Oh Fuck! in the margin yet. I guess that's a good thing. ¡Qué la chigada!

Consensus is finally starting to update regularly after about three months asleep at the job. Thankfully, their output is as good as ever as evidenced by this critique of The Purpose Driven® Life. There are also a few other articles that might be of interest.

Updates on the Crisis in the LCMS site include Putting Missouri Back on Track by Dr. Kurt Marquart,
Doctrinal Integrity and Outreach in the LCMS, and Power in the Word of God Alone, both by Chaplain John C. Wohlrabe. All of these articles are quite long, so don't expect to read everything all at once.

In case you didn't know, Dr. Jim Kittleson died recently. He will be remember in Lutheranism for producing one of the best Luther biographies to date.

Some interesting websites with some interesting points of view.

AfricaPundit. Keep up with the dark continent.

Paris Hilton Lawsuit

Joshua Claybourn

Clayton Cramer

USS Clueless

MooreWatch

Dave Kopel's Home Page

Right Wing News

Also, I am pursuing my own copy of The Purpose Driven Life, I have found many more errors within the book. Everything from confusion on doctrine to law and gospel. I am bleeding all over this book.

An interesting idea for confessionals to think about via Lutherquest

The other concern that I have is that following a liberal victory in '04, that the Confessional/conservative men and congregations will simply flake off one man and/or congregation at a time rather than stand together to take a very needed concerted action in the face of such a possibility.

It seems to me that the process, (should things go south), would be to organize a large, broad-based, concerted statement declaring the signers in statu confessiones against the synod.

Secondly, this group of men, women, and congregations would serve as the organized voice of decent and set a deadline for the righting of the wrongs itemized in the statement (say 2007). It must be clearly understood that should the false teaching not be corrected, that there will be a new synod following the '07 convention and that mechanisms to bring that about will be on-going from the conclusion of the '04 convention to the '07 convention.

Should satisfaction not be received, the organization would then find it necessary to bring forward a overture seeking the formal dissolution of the LCMS and a dividing of the resources proportionate to the size of the groups dividing.

Concerted action is the way to go, should it become necessary, but for now, we must concentrate in making sure it is the other guys who will find it preferable to take a hike.

and

[T]he hoops one must jump through to call a special convention make it nearly impossible. As I understand it, such a convention requires:

a. A three-fourth majority vote of the delegates to the 2004 convention.

b. A three-fourth majority vote of the Council of Presidents.

I could be wrong on the exact percentages above, but I'm not far off.

The other advantage of waiting until 2007 would be simply a logistical one. It will take a good three years of hard work to put into place the mechanisms of a new synod so that we are not scrambling around and have our act together. Additionally, during that time, there are many things that could be done to work around the synod, in effect, acting as our own synod while in a state of confession. We could provide alternative ways to call pastors circumventing the adverse actions of negative DP's. We could do the work needed to set up retirement and health insurance for those coming along with us. We could put into place screening mechanisms for accepting pastors, teachers, DCE's etc., into our group and finally into our new synod. It would provide us time to put together a governmental structure that would, then be fully functional by 2007. All the while, we can impact the synod in a more organized fashion and bring more along with us without having to leave the synod during that three year period. Additionally, during that three year period we could encourage all participating congregations to discontinue their funding of the synod and instead send their funds to the organization to impact the LCMS in a Scriptural/Confessional way and/or to provide the resources necessary to establish a new synod.

It is not logistically realistic to just declare a new synod and think it will function right off the bat. It would require a huge investment in time, energy and resources.

Both posts were by Pastor Richard Bolland and the originals can be found here.

The Law Driven Life. Maybe the people at Lutherquest should register that trademark. It might be useful someday. One of the nice things about this discussion is that Pastor Wheedon is participating in that discussion, so if you have any questions about the Issues Etc. program remaining after listening to it, he is around to ask.

Issues Etc. has a nice criticism of The Purpose Driven Life. Scroll down to October 29.

Name me Pope Martinius.

Once again, I am blogging when I am at a loss for material. I spent most of today in front of the TV watching the never-ending stream of college football offered to today's modern consumer. OU won, and that's all I care about. That and the fact we're studying Bach tomorrow during Bible class. I haven't mentioned my love for Bach recently, but I will listen earnestly to anything the man composed. That reminds me, I need to put up the J.S. Bach Homepage on my links along with my home congregation.

In case new people are actually reading my site. You can e-mail me at beerisforamateurs@yahoo.com. I'd put the link up, but then spambots would pick it up and I hate spam, unlike the bloody Vikings.

I know what some of you are thinking. How do I know this? Alright, I don't really know what you are thinking, but since I do have friends who read this blog and are reading The Purpose Driven® Life (I had an epiphany and realized they registered the words purpose driven®. This is as bad as the It's OK to Pray™ nonsense), I thought I might inform them on how the book confuses Law and Gospel.

This quote is from page 44, top paragraph.

The good news is that God wants you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows the tests you face to be greater than the grace he gives you to handle them. [Quotes 1 Corinthians 10:13 from Today's English Version]

Every time you pass a test, God notices and makes plans to reward you in eternity. [Quotes James 1:12 from God's Word to the Nations

There is so much wrong with this passage I do not know where to start. The first problem is where does the gospel end and the law begin? It's tough to tell at first. When you pick the passage apart, you realize that there is no Gospel. This passage begins by telling us God wants us to do well. How do we know God wants us to do well? He gave us the Decalogue. There is no mention of Christ saving us, and, considering the context of the rest of the quote, I don't think the atonement was given one though. It then states the grace of God is the power to handle these situations. I always thought God's grace was giving us a Son to suffer and die in my place. Silly me. If the guy cannot properly define grace, what other terminology throughout the book does he muddle and confuse? I don't know since I haven't started Chapter six. That second part is the easiest part. Tests have two possible outcomes in the most simplistic form: pass or fail. We get told about passing our test and told how happy God is with us and how we are rewarded in heaven because we passed this test. Would someone like to tell me the difference between this statement and what the Mormons teach? Anyone? Anyone? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!. This is Pelagianism, an outright heresy. God rewards you for doing good, the natural religion of man at its finest. The worst part is Mr. Warren assumes you are going to succeed. What if we fail? Nothing. There is no mention of God's love for us on the cross. There is no mention of the atonement, no mention of the reward we don't earn, no mention of the forgiveness. Law and Gospel are confused when the law is presented as the new gospel. Mr. Warren might as well sell indulgences. They'll work about as well as what he's perscribing.

You're earthly body is just a temporary residence for your spirit.

Nothing says gnosticism like this says gnosticism. There is a reason Jesus was resurected from the dead bodilly. It's because his resurection is a precursor to our resurection. Yes, we will be bodilly resurected in the end as well, once again uniting our flesh with out spirit.

Two heresies in the first five chapters, and Lutheran pastors think they can use this book and "Lutheranize" it? Sure, and I'm the pope.

Our problems are getting run again in the Wall Street Journal. Lutherquest does point out some of the weaknesses of the piece. She does make a good point: liberals are tolerant until you express an opinion that does not fall under their definition of what you should be thinking. Go ahead and read the posts for yourself.

I am mentioned by Fearsome Pirate. While I would not call myself grumpy (I would be able to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail an umpteen amount of times if I was), I do get very angry when certain subjects come up, and it comes out here. My friends know I go out of my way to make people laugh and make silly comments in the middle of serious situations. As I like to say, I am getting more immature as I grow older.

Larry the Cable Guy on Rosie O'Donnell. What can I say? I have a warped sense of humor.

I am probably going to continue adding useless websites until ..., I don't know. I need to put up a Monty Python link and a couple of geology links (or maybe a couple of Monty Python links and a geology link) soon. Either that or my links will be swamped by conservative and libertarian websites.

I changed the look of my site, and now it looks so much cooler. Thankfully, this new template had built-in Links, so all I had to do was type in some internet addresses and now you all can link and look at the same stuff I do every day. Yes, I am obsessed with the stupidity of the French. It makes me feel better after reading obnoxious theology. I better get back to my thesis project. Uggg.

I reread the first five chapters of The Purpose-Driven Life, and all it managed to do is irritate me to no end. By Chapter Four, I was convinced that the confusion between law and gospel was so egregious as to make me have to quit highlighting the parts I didn't like because the whole book was a mess. This book is such a mess that no amount of "Lutheranize" a pastor might think he could do could even come close to saving this book. The proper thing to do would be scrap the thing and use God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. Law and Gospel are rightly distinguished in that book.

For those who might have trouble with what I just said, I'll refer you to What Is This "Law & Gospel" Thing?

I made a couple of clarification edits. Big deal.

Good News. World Magazine now has a blog

Bad News. My little piece of the net doesn't come up on Google since no one really links to me, and I am too lazy to change my site so I can put links up to other people. So, I will sit here in my blogger mediocrity and pout.

More good news. Fish Communicate By Farting.

Even better news. The Purpose-driven Life now makes sense. All I needed to do was read it through a a jive filter.

Bad News. I still can't dialectize my own blog. I think it would read better in redneck.

Good News. There is good Lutheran theology that covers what is covered by the book The Purpose-Driven Life. And Here

Bad News. The book is still popular.

Good News. Calvinist don't like the book. Ouch.

I've had enough fun at this book's expense.

Alright, One more. Gnosticism.

A Critique of The Purpose-Driven Church. Read this and weep at what is happening to our Synod. The same pastor who planned the Reformation Service is now trying to shove this tripe down his church's throat. This also being my former church and the church my parents still attend. I am now extremely glad to get out when I did. I will probably drop by my old bell choir this Monday to drop off a few items (I still have some music order forms, oops) and to voice my concerns about how the church is going to hell in a handbasket. This could be very interesting...

Things are looking better in Southern California. Now they'll have to begin harvesting all the burnt timber so it doesn't sit there, dry out even more, and become an even bigger fire threat. Will the Sierra Club or Greenpeace like that? No, but it is necessary to rebuild a healthy forest. Why would they be against such a thing that would help the forest? Becuse logging companies would have to do it and that would go against all the pinko, communist, socialist tendencies the enviro-wackos have.