Evolution Tolerated in Concordia University System

Charges Filed vs. District President Defending Evolutionist
Will Harrison and LCMS Vice Presidents Take Action vs. Evolutionists?
EVOLUTION TOLERATED IN CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
Christian News, Vol. 49, No. 11, March 14, 2011

When the editor of Christian News spoke at Concordia University Wisconsin, on February 3, a panel of professors and members of the CUW Board of Regents challenged CN to provide evidence that evolution was being tolerated within the Concordia University System. The panel insisted the CN has never presented such evidence.

CN has for decades noted that evolution was being tolerated in CUS. The editor told the panel that he had asked the schools in the Concordia University System if they insisted that all of the professors in their science and theology departments teach that Genesis must be interpreted in a natural historical manner, God created the world in six, 24 hour days, evolution is an anti-scriptural unscientific myth, and the Bible teachers that women not serve as pastors. Only Concordia University, Selma, said all of its professors must affirm the historicity of the Genesis account of creation and oppose evolution and women serving as pastors.

When the editor spoke at one of the CUS schools, he debated creation vs. evolution with a science professor at the school who defended evolution. CN has for decades noted that Dr. Harold Roellig an LCMS theologian and scientist, a classmate and friend of the editor, defended by his Northwest District and particularly by Dr. Matthew Becker, a member of this district, promoted amoeba to man evolution and billions of years for the age of the earth. Several times CN photographed a dozen pages from Roellig’s The God Who Cares. The CN editor offered to give the book to an LCMS convention committee assigned with dealing with evolution being taught as fact in the LCMS. The committee and LCMS leaders simply were not interested in examining the evidence the editor presented. CN has often said “there are none so blind as those who do not want to see.” The CN editor in his address at CUW noted: “Marquart wrote in his statement for the Lutheran Witness when he was on the LCMS presidential ballot: ‘The single most crucial issue facing our Synod, in my view, is the progressive loss of doctrinal unity. There is, for instance, the acceptance of evolution by some within the Concordia University System and there is the neo-Pentecostalism of ‘Renewal in Missouri.’” (The editor’s address is in Bonhoeffer and King: Their Life and Theology as Documented in Christian News 1963-2011).

CN challenged the faculty of CUW on February 3 to submit an overture to the next LCMS convention with this resolve:

“Resolved, that the convention of the LCMS declare that all professor in LCMS colleges and seminaries must teach that evolution is contrary to the Bible and true science and that God created the world in six, 24 hour days and not in millions or billions of years.”

The CN editor wrote to Rev. Paul Linnemann, President of the LCMS’s Northwest District on February 10:
-----
Christian News to
Linnemann on Becker and Evolution
February 10, 2011
Rev. Paul Linnemann, President
Northwest District, LCMS
Paul@nowlcms.org
Dear President Linnemann:

On February 3 when I spoke at Concordia University Wisconsin and faced a panel of professors and members of the CUW Board of Regents, I was challenged to provide evidence that evolution was being tolerated within the Concordia University System. I did not mention the essays in A Daystar Reader by Dr. Matthew Becker and Dr. Charles Kunert, two LCMS clergymen listed in the Lutheran Annual as members of your district. Both promote evolution in these essays. I did not know whether disciplinary action had been taken vs. Becker and Kunert. I filed charges of false doctrine with you against Becker on July 26, 2010 after the many district presidents, CUS faculties, or other church leaders to whom Daystar said it sent A Daystar Reader, failed to voice any public protest or file charges vs. Becker or Kunert.

I sent copies of the formal charges to members of the LCMS’s Praesidium, Matthew Harrison, Herbert Mueller, Daniel Preus, Scott Murray, John Wohlrabe, and Paul Maier.

You responded in July that you would look into my concern after a week’s vacation.

Have you done anything about these charges? Have you asked Dr. Kunert to retract his promotion of evolution in his article in A Daystar Reader titled “The Teaching of Evolution in a Lutheran University.” Both Dr. Becker and Dr. Kunert are listed on the LCMS roster published in the 2011 Lutheran Annual.

Have LCMS President Matthew Harrison and the LCMS vice-presidents who were sent a copy of the letter I sent to you asked you to deal with this matter?

Part I of my presentation at CUW is in the February 7 CN. A report of the essay and panel discussion is in the February 14 CN.

Please let me know as soon as possible if any disciplinary action is being taken vs. Becker and Kunert. Becker regularly makes it clear on his blog that he is still solidly behind the position of Seminex condemned as false doctrine and not to be tolerated in the LCMS in Resolution 3-09 of the LCMS’s 1973 convention and reaffirmed at the 2010 LCMS convention.

Sincerely,
Herman Otten

cc. Matthew Harrison
Herbert Mueller
Daniel Preus
Scott Murray
John Wohlrabe
Paul Maier
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CN Provided Linnemann with more evidence on Becker

July 29, 2010
Rev. Paul Linnemann,
President
Northwest District
The Lutheran Church-
Missouri Synod
1700 NE Knott
Portland, Oregon 97212
Dear President Linnemann:

Thank you for acknowledging receipt of the formal charges vs. Dr. Matthew Becker, “the intellectual leader” of the new left in the LCMS.

I could have mentioned in the formal charges much more than just what is in A DayStar Reader. However, I want to keep the charges simple. Dr. Becker does have plenty of supporters in Daystar and Jesus First. Concordia Seminary has regularly been publishing reviews by Becker while seldom, if ever, articles and reviews by those who took a strong stand against the anti-scriptural theology of Seminex and supported 3-09 of the 1973 convention reaffirmed at the 2010 convention.

Enclosed are some issues of Christian News which have material on Becker and Concordia, Portland where Becker taught while in your district.

I. Christian News, June 11, 2001
1. “LCMS District Calls for Investigation of Concordia, Portland”, p. 1.
2. “Daystar Reaching Convention Delegates”, p. 1.
3. “Daystar – Who Are We”, p. 12.
4. “Northwest District Defends Evolutionist”, p. 14.
5. “The Case for Overture 5-11 Submitted by Iowa East”, p. 14.
6. “Concordia University System College Uses Textbook Promoting Homosexuality and Attacking Christianity”, p. 15.
7. “Congregations Calling for Investigation of Concordia Portland”, p. 16.
8. “12 Pages of Queer Edward II” by Derek Jarman, required reading at Concordia, Portland.
9. “Time to Scuttle the Concordia University System?” p. 17.
10. “College Dean: Concordia, Portland, a Solid Lutheran School”, p. 17.
11. “Attorney for LCMS Prof (Becker) Demanding Retraction from CN”, p. 18.
12. “When Women Speak for God” essay by Becker at Trinity, Lutheran Church, Roselle, Illinois, 1997. Jesus First Leaders Charles Mueller, Sr. and Jr., pastors.
13. “Response to Attorney for LCMS Prof – Becker Denied Inerrancy of Bible” by Joseph and Richard Falbo, students of Becker when he was teaching at Concordia University, Chicago.

II. Christian News, February 16, 2004
1. “Daystar Liberals Voice No Objection – Becker Again Calls for Acceptance of Evolution in LCMS”, p. 1.
2. “A Major Issue Facing 2004 LCMS Convention: EVOLUTION”, p. 9.
3. “Evolution O.K. for Some in Jesus First”, p. 9.
4. “The Whole Church Is Christ’s Mission: Education for the Mission”, by Becker at Daystar Mission Conference, Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Chesterfield, Missouri, 2004.

III. Crisis In Christendom – Seminex Ablaze
(This book was sent to all delegates to the 2004 convention and offered to all delegates to the 2010 convention. If you do not have a copy and are interested I will send you a copy.) Becker is mentioned on these pages:
1. p. 20
2. On Albert Schweitzer in Concordia Journal of St. Louis Seminary, p. 351.
3. “Stunning Minority Report in Becker Case – CN Told the Truth About Becker – LCMS NOW ALLOWS FOR EVOLUTION”, p. 390.
4. “Admirer of Schweitzer, Denies Inerrancy of the Bible and Supports Ordination of Women, Ed. Review committee Decides In Favor of Prof. Matthew Becker”, p. 39.
5. “LCMS SHOULD THANK DR. MATTHEW BECKER”, p. 392.
6. “LCMS BACKERS OF WOMEN PASTORS MEET IN ST. LOUIS . . . 8. Matthew Becker, p. 413.
7. “Letter to Kieschnick and His Daystar and Jesus First Supporters”, p. 421. Dr. Matthew Becker and others.
8. “Seminex Professor Says: BOHLMANN NOW ‘ON THE SIDE OF THE ANGELS’”, p. 433. Letter to Bohlmann concerning what Becker reported about Bohlmann’s change, p. 433.
9. “THE ‘LIE’ OF EVOLUTION CREEPING INTO LCMS”, 461-462.
10. “Jesus First Supporters” published by Jesus First. Lists Matthew Becker on list of 1,018 supporters, pp. 469-470.
Dr. Harold Roellig, who had been a member of your district and whose promotion of evolution Becker supports, was a classmate of mine at Concordia, Bronxville, and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. We were good friends. I promoted his work exposing the masons but had to take issue with him after he went all out for evolution while at Columbia University in New York. He is the author of The God Who Cares. Several parts of the book are in the issues of CN I am sending you. When I testified at a convention committee hearing where William Diekelman was the chairman, I offered the book to Diekelman. He wasn’t interested in such evidence of the promotion of evolution in the LCMS. Hopefully, under the new administration of the LCMS there will be some scholars and theologians who know how to evaluate evidence and have the courage to stand up to “the intellectual leader” of the new left in the LCMS.

God’s richest blessings,
Herman Otten

cc. LCMS President Elect
Matthew Harrison
LCMS Vice-President
Elect Herbert Mueller
LCMS Vice-President
John Wohlrabe
LCMS Vice-President
Paul Maier
LCMS Vice-President
Elect Daniel Preus
LCMS Vice-President
Elect Scott Murray
Dr. Matthew Becker
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Formal Charges vs. Linnemann

February 25, 2011
Rev. Matthew Harrison,
President
Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod
1333 South Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63122-
7295

Dear President Harrison:

Rev. Paul Linnemann is the President of the Northwest District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Dr. Matthew Becker is listed on the “LCMS Roster of Ministers of Religion – Ordained” on p. 260 in the 2011 Lutheran Annual. He is listed as a member of the Northwest District.

I sent you and the other members of the LCMS Presidium the formal charges of false doctrine I filed against Dr. Matthew Becker on July 26, 2010 and a letter I sent to President Linnemann listing some of the many articles Christian News has published about and by Dr. Becker. Recent issues of Christian News sent to you show that Dr. Becker has not retracted his false doctrine as he boldly continues to champion evolution, the ordination of women and those who supported the theology of Seminex, condemned in Resolution 3-09 of the LCMS’s 1973 convention. 3-09 was reaffirmed at the LCMS’s 2010 convention.

“Linnemann and New LCMS Praesidium Sent More Evidence On Becker’s Pro-Evolution” in the August 16, 2010 Christian News included the letter I sent to President Linnemann on July 29, 2011 when he acknowledged receipt of the formal charges vs. Becker. You were sent Linnemann’s response.

Although DayStar said it sent it’s A DAYSTAR READER to all LCMS district presidents and other leaders of the LCMS, I still sent you the essays in A DAYSTAR READER edited by Dr. Becker in which Becker and Dr. Charles Kunert, who is also under Linnemann’s doctrinal supervision, boldly champions evolution.

When I filed formal charges of false doctrine against Dr. Paul Bretscher of Valparaiso and Rev. Donald Prange, I notified the district presidents that if no action was taken vs. these outspoken liberals in their district I would file charges against them. During President Kieschnick’s administration both Bretscher and Prange were removed from the LCMS clergy roster. President Linnemann has similarly been notified that if he took no disciplinary action vs. such an outspoken defender of evolution and the ordination of women in his district as Dr. Becker, charges would be filed against him.

I have not received any response from President Linnemann to the letter I sent him on February 10 asking him to inform me if any disciplinary action is being taken vs. Drs Becker and Kunert. A copy of this letter was sent to you and the other members of the Praesidium.

I am now formally charging Rev. Paul Linnemann, President of The Northwest District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod with defending a false teacher under his jurisdiction and violating Article 4.4.5 of the LCMS’s Handbook. The charges are being sent to you since Article XI of the LCMS’s Constitution says on
“B. Duties of the President
“1. The president has the supervision regarding the doctrine and the
administration of
a. All officers of the Synod;
b. All such as are employed by the Synod;
c. The individual districts of the Synod;
d. All district presidents;
“2. It is the president’s duty to see to it that all the aforementioned act in accordance with the Synod’s Constitution, to admonish all who in any way depart from it, and, if such admonition is not indeed heeded, to report such cases to the Synod.”

The 1973 convention on the LCMS resolved in Overture 3-09 that the theology of those who formed Seminex and signed Faithful To Our Calling – Faithful to Our Lord is “in fact false doctrine running counter to the Holy Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, and the synodical stance and for that reason ‘cannot be tolerated in the church of God, much less be excused and defended’ (FC, SD, Preface, 9); . . .”

When the 2010 LCMS convention adopted Omnibus B it reaffirmed 3-09 of the 1973 convention. President Jerry Kieschnick made this clear when he commented on the need to adopt Omnibus B just as it came from the committee. See “3-09 – 1973 – 2010 – The Most Significant Resolution,” the lead story in the August 2, 2010 Christian News.

If I have not followed correct procedure, please inform me what the correct procedure is when a district president refuses to discipline an outspoken evolutionist and supporter of the ordination of women in his district.

God’s richest blessings,
Herman Otten
Galatians 6:14

cc. President Paul Linnemann
Dr. Matthew Becker
Dr. Charles Kunert
Rev. Herbert Mueller
Dr. John Wohlrabe
Dr. Paul Maier
Rev. Daniel Preus
Dr. Scott Murray

Ed. A return receipt from the LCMS’s President’s office

indicated the letter was received.