These Two Are Not The Same
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s presiding bishop offered a take on the Dobbs decision in which the Bible is not quoted a single time, but rather their social statement on abortion is many times. Eaton is unable to call those with child, women, but rather “pregnant persons”. Way back in the dinosaur days of 1991 when the social statement was written, people believed that only women could get pregnant, so when she quotes that statement it must be a bit embarrassing. In the end, her statement is nothing other than a lament that Roe is done, since “safe and legal abortion” will not be available in every state of the union. Of course, it is never safe for the unborn children, children which Eaton never admits actually exist, except by talking of “developing life”, or a “fetus”.
What you see is a so-called bishop using tradition to make her case. In this way the ELCA is really no different than the Pharisees our Lord condemned saying, “So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” St. Matthew 15:6-9 The ELCA has a tradition, quite different from that of the Pharisees to be sure, but tradition all the same. And our Lord, by His own Word, condemns both.
On the other hand, here is the statement of the President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Rev. Matthew Harrison. It is full of the Bible, hope, love, and prayer. Not only that, here is the statement, of our Synod’s Life Ministry, with more of the same, including a note that we have $1 Million dollars set aside for matching grants for care for the unborn and their mothers, and I hear that we might just get another million to give out. And if that wasn’t enough, here is a letter from our Synod President, and the Presidents of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, to the Attorney General of the United States, exhorting him to do his job and protect pro-life organizations. I really like this last letter - putting the Synodical Conference band back together.
As if it were not obvious, the ELCA and the LCMS are not the same. They hold to the traditions of men/wymyn, believe in “pregnant people”, and the slaughter of babies. We believe, teach and confess, the Word of God. So we speak and act for women (adult, female, human beings), and for the children, (little human beings, boys and girls) they bear.