Washington’s Attack on Lutherans
Let’s thank war correspondent Brian Kaylor for covering a new battle breaking out, Washington’s Attack on Lutherans. Here’s a warfront headline: “Elon Musk Stops Payments to Lutheran Family Services on the Advice of Michael Flynn.”
What?! The Lutherans?! Why would the White House want to attack lil’ ol’ Lutherans? Because Lutherans are very sedulous at raising funds and adminstering their distribution to the hungry, the homeless, and the sojourner.
In his Substack post, “Lutherans Hammer against Misinformation by Michael Flynn and Elon Musk,” correspondent Kaylor reports how disgraced former Lt. General Michael Flynn accuses the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America of illegally taking taxpayer money, laundering it, and distributing it to immigrants, refugees, and others in desparate need. Flynn also used scare quotes in his social media post to question the religiosity of Lutherans. Some of the groups he targeted for criticism are jointly affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Here’s what Flynn told Musk’s X followers.
Lutheran Family Services and affiliated organizations receive massive amounts of taxpayer dollars, and the numbers speak for themselves. These funds, total BILLIONS of American taxpayer dollars. Here are just a few of the recent grants awarded… by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICE INC: $367,612,906 LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE SOUTH, INC: $134,190,472.95 LUTHERAN SERVICES FLORIDA, INC.: $82,937,819.95 There are MANY more organizations cashing in on our hard-earned money.
These entities are receiving huge sums, which raise serious questions about how taxpayer funds are being spent and who’s benefiting.
Lutherans are efficiently distributing tax payer money to help execute the teachings of Jesus.
“…inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36).
It’s high time we put a stop to those Lutherans! Right?
Should Lutherans push back?
Should Lutherans defend themselves from Washington’s Attack on Lutherans? Here’s one barrage fired from a defensive bulwark. Global Refuge Statement on Misinformation and Our Humanitarian Work
“Global Refuge condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the false accusations lodged against our humanitarian work. As a faith-based nonprofit, we have faithfully walked alongside legally admitted refugees and immigrants for more than 85 years. This includes Afghan Allies who risked their lives to protect U.S. troops, as well as persecuted Christians, all of whom have been extensively vetted and approved by multiple U.S. government agencies before traveling to our country.
We also remain committed to caring for unaccompanied children forced to flee unimaginable circumstances in their home countries to seek safety in the United States. Across Democratic and Republican administrations, we have partnered with the U.S. government to protect vulnerable children, safeguard them against human trafficking, and safely reunify them with their parent(s) or guardian.”
Is it time for Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton to take a courageous stand on the bulwark? Yes, indeed!
“Our call to love our neighbors remain steadfast,” says the good bishop.
Should Roman Catholics and other religious service agencies push back?
Should Roman Catholics push back like the Lutherans? According to Religious News Service (RNS), there is good reason. Vice President JD Vance delivered one of the ugliest attacks on the Catholic Church by a political leader in modern American history. He suggested Catholic bishops are out for financial gain rather than serving the vulnerable: “I think that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?” The vice president suggests that the churches are corrupt. I wonder if the White House is exempt from corruption.
The Mennonite Church, Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Convencion Bautista Hispana de Texas, Union for Reformed Judaism, and numerous other religious organizations are pushing back. They have filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Citing Leviticus 19:34 and Matthew 25:35, the suit states that “Plaintiffs’ religious scripture, teaching, and traditions offer clear, repeated, and irrefutable unanimity on their obligation to embrace, serve, and defend the refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants in their midst without regard to documentation or legal status.”
Sojourners reports that three organizations that resettle refugees in the U.S. in partnership with the federal government — Church World Service, HIAS, and Lutheran Community Services Northwest — are part of a lawsuit challenging the 47th president’s executive order that suspended the U.S. refugee resettlement program (USRAP) and withholds funding for those groups. Their complaint argues that the suspension of USRAP, including its chaotic implementation by federal agencies, is unlawful, violating Congress’ authority to make immigration laws, and that the State Department’s stop-work orders violate basic regulatory requirements.
Conclusion
The winds of war are blowing through Washington DC. Washington’s attack on Lutherans is only one front in the broadside White House’s war against domestic dedication to justice, equality, compassion, and hospitality.
Can we call for the Democratic Party to defend us? That’s laugh. The Republicans may be shameless, but the Democrats are spineless.
So, I would like to issue a call to arms. But, a call to spiritual arms seems so wimpy. Spiritual warfare is no match for Washington’s arsenal of Supreme Court immunity for official presidential acts, the capturing of the Department of Justice for political revenge, the anticipated pillaging of our progeny’s security by raising the debt ceiling $4 trillion, and the forthcoming annexation of other soverign properties abroad.
Might it be time to remind ourselves of past heroes of the faith, such as King David, to stand up against Goliath? Will throwing verbal stones hit their mark?
PT 3308 Washington’s Attack on Lutherans
PT 3251 Lutheran Public Theology
PT 3252 Is “Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction” the New Barmen?
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For Patheos, Ted Peters posts articles and notices in the field of Public Theology. He is a Lutheran pastor and emeritus professor at the Graduate Theological Union. His single volume systematic theology, God—The World’s Future, is now in the 3rd edition. He has also authored God as Trinity plus Sin: Radical Evil in Soul and Society as well as Sin Boldly: Justifying Faith for Fragile and Broken Souls. He recently published. The Voice of Public Theology, with ATF Press. See his website: TedsTimelyTake.com and Patheos blog site on Public Theology.
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