Using the 8th Commandment to attack

It will take me a while to process the odd statements that were issued by the Council of Presidents (COP) and Synodical President (SP). Unfortuantely, I’m completely used to this bureaucratic double/no-speak where the passive voice is overused to avoid anyone from taking any responsibility. “The decision was made,” etc. etc. Accountability seems to be avoided at any and all costs.

Putting the best construction on all this, we can see that the non-dissenting COP and SP hope to distance themselves from what happened, silence inquiries into what happened and discourage and condemn any further outcry.

The way the statements are written, I kind of get the feeling they are speaking to pastors as opposed to laypeople. I think pastors are less free than laypeople to call a spade a spade when it comes to bureaucratic shenanigans. But while there are some pastors who are being very courageous in aiming to find out the truth, Issues, Etc. was a program for laypeople. And we’re upset that our laymen’s seminary has been taken from us. Normal bureaucratic silencing methods just have no sway with us. We want the truth!

Anyway, here are some random thoughts sent along by a correspondent:

Both statements appear to accept without question Strand’s contrived reasons for canceling the show and firing Rev. Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz.

Both statements appear to accept without question Strand’s ever-shifting stories of the events.

Both statements appear to accept without question the manner in which Strand cancelled the show and fired the men, except — of all things! — his timing.

Both statements appear to accept without question Strand’s deliberately under-reporting of Issues, Etc. listeners, and his omission of on-demand and syndicated audiences.

Both statements appear to accept without question Strand’s failure to inform his board or the Treasurer.

Both statements lay blame for this controversy solely on the laity who have complained about the cancellation and firings.

The COP’s statement even assigns a diabolical motive and origin to the laity’s reaction (something that even Dr. Kieschnick was not arrogant enough to do).

“Only the devil would rejoice over this disruption!”

This is a very unfortunate choice of words. Whoever wrote them should hope for continued anonymity.

Dr. Kieschnick’s statement blames the cancellation and firings on the failure of the laity to fill synod’s coffers.

“I pray for the day when the financial resources of our Synod do not necessitate the reduction in force of radio personnel, the return of missionaries from the foreign mission field, or any other such difficult and painful decisions.”

It leaves one to wonder what “other such difficult and painful decisions” Dr. Kieschnick has in store for the laity in the future. God help us all.

Both statements use the eight commandment as a club to beat down the laity’s reaction down, while ignoring the COP’s and SP’s duty to call David Strand to repent for bearing false witness against Todd and Jeff.

Both the COP and the SP utterly fail to acknowledge (or even to be aware of) the REAL reason for the laity’s reaction –that the BCS director thoughtlessly threw away Issues, Etc. at the peak of its outreach, and then lied to justify his actions.

I believe that the COP and SP have completely misread the laity’s reaction.

The COP and SP seem to think that all this would have been fine, if it would have been done a few days earlier or later. This is a very shortsighted and arrogant misreading of the laity of our Synod.

In a general sense, the COP and SP statements send a clear message to laity of the LCMS: “We are in charge. Stop complaining. Be quiet. Send us your money.”

And, what does “Adopted… without dissenting vote” mean?

It doesn’t say “unanimously.”

Does this mean that some of the COP abstained, voted present, left the room, were asleep?

Were dissenting votes permitted?

This must be the new “union” in the LCMS we’ve been hearing so much about.

It appears that Dr. Kieschnick’s restructuring has already occurred.

It makes one wonder why the COP and SP even bothered writing their statements. Did they expect any other reaction than the guffaws, additional questions and incredulity they’re getting? I feel like I’m playing a part in a satire comedy. Except that it’s not so funny in real life.