The Reporting Of Religion

Attention has been drawn to the fact that newspapers have been dropping their religion sections. Many newspapers are hurting financially and, therefore, they have begun to cut back. One of the best areas where they feel free to do this is that of religious reporting. Drop the religious section? As the editor of a Dallas newspaper said, "In a time of flat revenues, we simply could not generate the advertising to break even on the section." Knowing the preferences of their readers, we could hardly expect editors to drop the society section or the sports pages. Sadly, religious issues are of but passing interest to many Americans. Besides, for the most part they can find such news via the internet if they want to.

So newspapers begin to drop religious sections. Is that bad? Not necessarily. As one editor remarked, "The tendency of newspapers is to look at the quirky aspects of religion." They really haven't covered it with much substance, and there may be many who would like to see more substantial coverage—more mainstream coverage, so to speak. Anticipating this, some journalists argue that eliminating religious sections could actually improve religion coverage. It could well be as one observer said (quoted in the magazine Christianity Today): "To really do a good job of this, you need to integrate religion coverage and put it in the rest of the coverage; take it out of the Saturday page ghetto." We await a possible improvement in religious coverage by the daily press.

An Unwelcome Witness

The Associated Press reported briefly on a religious event back in March, the biannual conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For at this conference its president found it necessary to defend Mormon teachings. He expressed some surprise at any opposition from Christian sources, and we quote: "I would think that every Christian would welcome this second witness of the reality of Jesus Christ. Strangely, they do not."

The "second witness" he refers to is the Book of Mormon. While one could argue that this book speaks about Christ and therefore is a witness to His reality, that argument is misleading. What concerns Christians is that Mormonism is not a witness to the truth about Jesus Christ. The truth is that Jesus is God and the only way of salvation, "not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:9). Mormonism is a religion of works. Furthermore, it dishonors Christ by placing a manmade book on a level with His Word. This they do in spite of what Jesus by way of the apostle John has said: "If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book" (Rev. 22:18). Mormonism may have a Christian veneer in the Biblical terms it uses; but it is just a veneer. Its so-called ''witness'' to Christ is a false witness, and therefore an unwelcome one.

In Germany - An Uncertain Future

The Christian Century (March, '07) reported on the Lutheran Church in Germany with this heading: "Luther's spiritual heirs face uncertain future." The church in Germany is faced with declining membership and therefore also faced with declining income. As a state church, it is supported by automatic paycheck deductions that are taken from all registered church members. So, though church leaders are upset by the prospect of more empty pews, the financial consequences have them really wondering about the future.

Hoping to gain some inspiration for a viable future, a meeting was held in a town made famous in Lutheran history, the town of Wittenberg. The 300 attendees "brainstormed on structure, financing and how to make the church that Luther built viable for the 21st century." The Lutheran state church in Germany is but a shadow of that which Luther, by God's grace, had begun. Noticeably absent from this meeting were any discussions of doctrinal issues, or how the church might best carry out the Savior's great commission. The state church has long ago departed from the Bible-based approach with which Luther carried on his work. It is a misnomer to call that church in Germany today, "Luther's spiritual heirs."

However, another church group in Germany deserves to be called "Luther's spiritual heirs" and our ELS is happy to be in church fellowship with them. This group of confessional Lutherans is called "The Evangelical Lutheran Free Church" of Germany. In a country where theological liberalism has settled like a cloud over the church that bears Luther's name, the ELFC is as a light shining in the darkness.