In all my reading about the sudden, inexplicable and (IMHO) unjustifiable cancellation of Issues, Etc., good Christian people of all stripes have been taking pains to put the "best construction" on the LCMS' actions. "Don't forget the Eighth Commandment!" they cry.
Yes, but ...
Let's say your husband comes home at 3 a.m. one night reeking of alcohol, stale smoke and pheromones. His clothes are rumpled. He has lipstick smears on his shirt and it's not your shade.
Now, how would you put the "best construction" on that scenario? He was abducted and held hostage in a nightclub by lipstick-wielding aliens?
The more the LCMS tries to spin the story, the worse they look. Their "explanations" have logic holes big enough to apply for statehood. (See Dr. Erich Heidenreich's excellent follow-up questions to the latest "statement" here.)
The LCMS went nuclear on Issues, Etc., and the only logical construction is that it was a complete and total repudiation of the show, its content and its host and producer.
The restoration of the archives and the LCMS' "explanations" have come only after holy fits from thousands of listeners.
I truly believe we have our answer, folks. From where I sit, the LCMS has no intention to bring back Issues, Etc., at least not with the robust content it produced under the leadership of Pastor Todd Wilken and the intrepid Jeff Schwarz. To me, the only point in continuing to scream at the LCMS is to get someone ... anyone ... to cop to the decision and admit that this was a political hit. Barring that, we might as well go scream at the moon.
However, I believe that Todd and Jeff will rise again. As Captain Malcolm Reynolds might say, Issues, Etc. was just too pretty to die.
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3 comments:
I found your site though a link on the Bring back Issues blog. I have put a link to your site on my blog under Anglican Friends of Issues etc. I thought it was a nice way to stand by our LCMS Brethren.
God's Peace
RL
Thank you very much!
One thing I loved about Issues Etc is that it was for "Thinking Christians" everywhere. Issues did a superb job of being solid confessional on issues, but, to my knowledge, avoiding internal LCMS church politics.
Maybe that's why it's hard to put the best construction on things? If the cancellation had been "it's best to part ways, do your thing somewhere else, go off the air in 2 months..."
It looks like the non-KFUO new "Issues" is coming soon...
http://laymenetc.typepad.com/laymen_with_issues_etc/
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