Madre's Missives

In my previous article, I attempted to clarify some issues regarding the argument a few of us have with the Lutheran Carnival as it is presently run.  I did not and still do not understand the animosity and level of personal attack I, and others even moreso, have received in what could be a perfectly civil discussion, offering constructive criticism (remember, we have been complimentary of the Lutheran Carnival concept, just with a couple of tweaks in its operation).  

Intolerant Elle, one of the founders of the Lutheran Carnival, submitted her own post to the latest Carnival explaining why it is set up that individuals must submit their own work, rather than someone else nominating or submitting their blog articles for the Carnival:

Requiring the author to submit his own post confirms what only the author can himself confirm -- his confessional Lutheran status. By submitting a post, a blogger is, in essence, making a confession and no one can do that for anyone else...There is no special honor in being included except that it means a blogger's confession isn't obviously contradicted by his posts.

Ok.  Fair enough.  Let's look at this week's submissions and see what confessions everyone is making for themselves by their posts.

For the most part, the Lutheran Carnival posts were substantive and in line with Lutheran doctrine and practice.

But then there were a few I was surprised about.

Kathy, at Yokefellow Small Groups, blogs:

In Yokefellow small groups, we advance the idea that God exists and He cares about each person. Because He cares about each person we should too. Many people who come to a Yokefellow group are in a civil war inside of themselves. Perhaps they see that they need God or feel that they want to know God. But the old man is so alive and struggling. Anguish is the result. Is this rebellion something they have to live through, or could better teaching help them come through the war to surrender? I don't know. My own surrender has taken years and continues each day.

This post was just plain concerning to me in general, lots of red flags went up as I read a lot of things contrary to Lutheran doctrine, with a disappointing lack of the Gospel in the entire article.  This post confirms the author's confessional Lutheran status?  Really?  I'm sure next week's submission will alleviate my concerns.

And instead of addressing the issue as was done at Cross+Wise (who appears to have understood Bloghardt's point very well), acknowledging the struggle between sinner and saint so integral to good Lutheran theology, Aardvark continued to spread the strange idea of "sanctified pride",  defending the sinner against the Law expressed by Bloghardt's introspection and constructive criticism of the Lutheran Carnival self-submission and promotion process.  Aardvark begins an interesting argument, but surprisingly seems to miss the significance of concupiscence in it.  Aardy says that his pride in his submitted Carnival posts is "sanctified" somehow because of all the Gospel proclaimed in Carnival posts.  Maybe my readers can help me find the Gospel proclaimed in Aardy's submission to the most recent Carnival.

The "argument" against Bloghardt has continued to degrade in its personal attacks, some of which the Lutheran Carnival was apparently happy to publicize far and wide.  It's one thing for the author of Long Thoughts of a Confessional Lutheran to post a satirical article about someone on his own blog, full of nothing but completely fabricated information on the basis of a disparaging strawman one person made against another person, or even to find the satire amusing and link to it on your blog.  It's quite another to post it as part of a larger directory of articles or Carnival.  Is this the sort of thing that the Lutheran Carnival is going to promote, and considers this confirmation of the author's confessional Lutheran status?

Note:  I find it extremely interesting that the Carnival refuses to post submissions that are not made personally by the author, because self-submission "confirms his desire to be a part of the Lutheran Carnival," but has no qualms about publishing multiple derisive posts ABOUT someone, by name, who has stated that he does not desire to be part of the Carnival and ironically the reasons he does not wish to participate in it are the impetus for others dragging his name into it anyway. 

I am reading Clown Ministry Release Date: 01 June, 1984