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Letter to the Editor, California and Responses from President Holder and an Artois Pastor Valley Mirror, 11/30/02, Artois, CA Religion Editor: I have been unable to learn the final outcome of this story which appeared about a year ago: Near the end of November, 2001, six pastors from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (our nation's second largest Lutheran denomination) filed formal charges calling for the expulsion of Rev. David Benke, a fellow Lutheran. Other bigots also petitioned to remove Lutheran President Kieschnick for condoning Rev. Benke's behavior. What were Rev. Benke's "crimes"? He elected to join celebrities, civic leaders and ministers from other churches in singing patriotic songs and in prayer following 9/11! While Rev. Benke regarded participation in the New York event as his duty, a number of fellow clergymen saw his participation (and that of other Lutherans) in an interfaith event as some kind of heresy. Rev. Benke was further accused by hard-line Lutheran Pastor Oberdiek of participating in nothing less than "idolatry" by joining non-Christians at the Sept. 23 service. In addition, various closed-minded , trouble-seeking clergymen accused Rev. Benke of "syncretism," which means he promoted the radical view that all religions have equal worth. The 10-page petition eventually drawn up against this unfortunate clergyman called his participation in the ceremony "an egregious offense against the love of Christ, that gave the impression that the Christian faith is just one among many by which people may pray to God." His critics (steeped, of course, in the all-encompassing love of Jesus) believed that by standing alongside "heretics" such as Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Christians of other denominations, Rev. Benke implicitly endorsed those misguided faiths, while giving the impression that all offer equal paths to salvation. All the above is taboo in this strict Synod, which boasts 2.6 million members nationwide. Members also must not pray in public with anyone, even with other Lutheran denominations. Incidentally, the rebel against corrupted Catholicism, Martin Luther, after whom the church is named, was himself a notorious anti-Semite. He, like countless other Christians, somehow separated Jesus himself and many early Christians from other Jews, in vicious games of make-believe. With the striking example set by the above Lutherans (and countless other so-called religious people), is it any wonder that all human (and especially religious) history is filled with continual strife? Leonard Burkhardt Religion Editor's note: A quick check on the Internet revealed that Rev. Benke was suspended from his position in July of this year. He is appealing his suspension. No further news regarding this matter was found. + + + + + This letter of response from President Sonia Holder was inadvertently omitted from the website yesterday, December 2, 2002 St. Peter's Lutheran Church and School December 2, 2002 Letters to the Editor, Religion Soapbox Dear Sir: I am writing in response to the Letter to the Editor of Leonard Burkhardt of Redding, California. I am from the very opposite end of the country, in Brooklyn, New York. I am the President of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Brooklyn; our pastor is David Benke, whom Mr. Burkhardt references in his letter to you. First of all, thanks to Leonard for the support! Pastor Benke has been bearing up under the charges of heresy for over a year now, and he just keeps on praying! In fact, our motto, which we give to you, Mr. Burkhardt, is "It's OK to Pray!" Some of the attacks on Pastor Benke have been and continue to be vicious; somehow the worst of them seem to come from clergymen in our own denomination. That is truly outrageous. Our congregation's website, www.stpeter-brooklyn.org contains evidence of the case as well as responses to the worst of the attacks. We have set up the David H. Benke Advocacy and Defense Fund to help our pastor. On the other hand, one thing we have learned from Pastor Benke is that we don't engage in name-calling in response to name-calling. That's regrettable. So, Mr. Burkhardt, we don't call those who oppose our pastor "bigots," for example. Instead we follow what the Bible requires, that we always are prepared to give evidence of the hope that is within us, but "with gentleness and respect." Pastor Benke may win or he may lose his "case" with the Missouri Synod. There are many great folks within that Lutheran denomination, and they're praying, as we are, very hard for justice. It's got to be OK to pray in public at a time of national crisis. Win or lose, he believes the way to come out on top is to invite people to talk through their differences, even religious differences, while not giving up their beliefs. He calls that "making an exclusive claim in an expansive way." Pastor Benke will move ahead. We will move ahead. We're going to establish an institute on religious tolerance right at St. Peter's in Brooklyn in 2003. Mr. Burkhardt, come on out any time and join us! Sincerely yours, Sonia Holder, President + + + + + December 4, 2002 Sonia: You and I have never met. I am a classmate of Pastor Dave. I think Dave and I are well enough acquainted that he will remember my name. Thank you for the response to the letter to the editor column of the Valley Mirror. If there is any way I can be of assistance, please let me know. I personally know the editor. He has been quite supportive of carrying items related to our Oktoberfest and community Easter egg hunt. Though I would not classify him as a friend, neither would I call him an enemy. The newspaper office is literally about 300 yards from our sanctuary. Artois is a town, unincorporated, of about 240 people. It used to be larger but the towns 9 miles to the north and 7 miles to the south were destined to become the centers of economy. Orland, which is to the north, has a population of 6,100, and Willows, to the south, has a population of 6,400. Chico, about 40 miles to the NE is the real economic hub of the area. (BTW I also pastor a second congregation which is located in Willows.) Glenn county is home to about 25,000 people and about 30,000 birds....mostly Canadian geese....hence the local high school mascot...we are known as the Honkers. If you like white sticky rice and you buy the Cal-Rose brand, chances are you have tasted a significant element of our local economy. In short, we are a small, rural, agricultural community. I have no idea what the circulation of the Mirror is, but I do know the editor works hard at keeping the paper afloat. I would expect it has a coverage area primarily in a 50 mile radius of Artois. The paper's local reputation is inclined toward the Enquirer end of the spectrum with the Willows Journal being held in higher esteem. Some of the folks just don't like the dirt that the editor, Tim Crews, digs up. He does have a sensationalist flair about him. I have not done the research to know for sure, but my suspicion is that Leonard Burkhardt's letter might have been a general letter he composed and sent to the papers in the area to their "Letter to the Editor" column. He is listed as the Social Concerns person for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Redding on their Web site. The reason for my suspicion is that Redding is nearly 100 miles to the north and it does not make sense that he would naturally subscribe to the mirror as a course of daily operation. I became aware of the article on Sunday when one of my Willow's members who subscribes to the Mirror brought me a copy of the article. In a later conversation the member indicated that Burkhardt's letters appear periodically in the paper usually on some topic related to religion. Hopefully you have found this to be helpful background information. Again if there is any way I can be of service, just let me know. I am still deliberating as to whether or not to offer a response to the letter that appeared in the Mirror. Yours did a fine job. Oh, another side-lite, on the page opposite of the one on which appeared the letter you already know about appeared the news release I had sent in concerning our Advent services with the theme "Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest." The opening paragraph of my newsrelease went like this: Many in the Christian community are familiar with a simple table prayer known as "Come Lord Jesus." The prayer goes like this: "Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen." On December 4 the emphasis will be on the first phrase, "Be Our Guest" with a focus how Jesus was a guest at many a table during his earthly ministry and can still be a guest at our table today. At the December 11 service the focus will be "Your Gifts." Attendees will be encouraged to bring various items that symbolize gifts of God. These will be placed on a table in the chancel area to convey the message that when Jesus comes to our table as a guest He does not come empty-handed. The December 18th gathering will convey the theme of "to us be blessed." The table will be set with symbols of baptism, Holy Communion and God's word the means whereby God brings His blessings to us. It's OK to pray, |
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