Tiller’s missing excommunication (LCMS)

Get Religion ^ | 6/8/2009 | Mollie Ziegler

[markomalley]

Last Sunday, late-term abortion doctor George Tiller was gunned down in the foyer of his Lutheran church, where he served as an usher. As anyone with even a cursory understanding of Lutheranism in America could surmise, that church was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Of the various Lutheran church bodies in America, the ELCA is the most mainline and has the most supportive position on legalized abortion.

As soon as the terrible news about Tiller’s murder hit the wire, many bloggers and liberal pundits noted that Tiller’s active church membership was at odds with the stereotype of how abortion and religion are related. It didn’t take long for that same meme to make it to the mainstream media stories.

What none of these stories have explained is that Tiller had previously been excommunicated by a Lutheran congregation on account of his lack of repentance about and refusal to stop his occupation. That Lutheran congregation was a member of my church body, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Excommunication doesn’t happen terribly frequently in this day and age but it’s not unheard of. I don’t know any of the specifics about his past congregation or what led to the discipline and anticipated learning more about it when it was covered by the mainstream media. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened.

When the news broke, I had many people who know that I’m Lutheran ask how it was possible that his church had not disciplined him or otherwise encouraged him to stop performing abortions. I had hoped that there would be stories exploring Tiller’s religious beliefs and church membership and that the stories would explain the difference between the ELCA and the LCMS. There is obviously quite a difference between a church body that would discipline a practicing abortion doctor and one that would welcome him in membership.

While we did get some stories about his religious views, none of them seemed to have any clue about his religious history. Note, for instance, this piece from the Salt Lake Tribune that was written Religion News Service’s Lindsay Perna and Tiffany Stanley:

Dr. George Tiller’s murder last Sunday morning in the lobby of his Lutheran church counters the secular image of a late-term abortion provider, pinning him more as a churchgoing “martyr” than a godless murderer.

Shot and killed while passing out bulletins in the lobby of his Wichita, Kan., church as his wife sat in the choir, Tiller is already challenging popular perceptions of both abortion providers and the abortion-rights movement.

“It shows a dimension of the movement that a lot of people don’t know about,” said the Rev. Carlton Veazey, president of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. “This man was castigated for what he did — but he was a faithful member of the Lutheran church and that gives a different view of him and his work.”

Veazey sees the face of Tiller as more of “a martyr in the same sense that Dr. [Martin Luther] King was.”

The story goes on to quote various people about how Tiller’s church membership changes the dynamics of the abortion debate. How can they not mention that he was previously excommunicated for his abortion work? It’s such an interesting and significant part of the story! That’s just a huge hole.

Also, the pro-life people who are quoted in the story are of the Randall Terry variety. With the typical pro-choice activists and typical pro-life activists quoted, the story remains in the muck of “bumper sticker” rhetoric. It’s disappointing. (Robin Abcarian’s piece in the Los Angeles Times dealt solely with the Tiller funeral, which means its sympathetic tone is more appropriate. It also took the ‘Tiller busts stereotypes’ approach.)

After Dr. Tiller’s murder, some pundits were confused about how people who see abortion as the unjust killing of babies could also oppose the murder of someone who killed those babies. Here was one such essay written by a fellow libertarian. I saw one letter to the editor written by clergymen in my church body that addressed just that issue:

There is an old saying: Two wrongs don’t make a right. This does not appear in the Bible but it certainly reflects a scriptural idea. This concept, that two wrongs don’t make a right, is certainly true in the case of the murder of Dr. George Tiller.

Dr. Tiller was an infamous abortionist, who was one of the very few in the country who would perform late-term abortions. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is strongly pro-life, and condemns the practice of abortion. Dr. Tiller, a former member of a Missouri Synod congregation, was excommunicated by that congregation for his abortion practice. (The congregation he was currently attending is part of another Lutheran body.) We stand by that action. Our sister congregation acted properly in disciplining Dr. Tiller. Such action is always intended to lead a person to see their sins and come to repentance. Excommunication is never intended to bring that person harm.

While we condemn Dr. Tiller’s actions as an abortionist, we just as strongly condemn the actions of the person who took his life. Murder, even of a murderer, is never acceptable. God teaches us in Romans 13 and other places, that the government is in place to enforce justice. We are never to take private vengeance. This is simply not given to private individuals. Murder in any circumstances is a grievous sin. It was our utmost desire that Dr. Tiller come to repentance, and perhaps in time he may have. We do not know. Only God sees all ends. Sadly, because of this heinous act of violence, Dr. Tiller no longer has that opportunity.

I can’t help but think that some enterprising reporter should look at how the two Lutheran church bodies handled Dr. Tiller’s occupation differently. It’s disappointing to read that RNS story in light of this rather dramatic back story.

[Alamo-Girl]

Truly, the death toll mounts with unrepentant serial killers.

Thank you so much for sharing your insights, dearest sister in Christ!

[metmom]

Tiller certainly was denied the opportunity to come to repentance but he was also denied the opportunity to take the lives of more babies.

Honestly, he had plenty of time to repent and plenty of opportunities. That's why it's foolhardy to put it off.

Don't forget that he quipped that performing abortions was worth going to hell for.

For those who bemoan his missed opportunities to repent, don't forget that he got what he wanted. Sometimes God gives us that.

[Alamo-Girl]

Indeed. Thank you for sharing your insights, dear sister in Christ!

[pray4liberty]

Don't forget that he quipped that performing abortions was worth going to hell for. For those who bemoan his missed opportunities to repent, don't forget that he got what he wanted. Sometimes God gives us that.

Well, at least in Hell he can't murder another innocent human being. God is just.

[Redleg Duke]

As someone who left the ELCA for the LCMS, while the murder of this abortionist is reprehensible, the actions of my new synod in his case fill be with confirmation of the rightness of my decision back in 2005 to leave the ELCA.

The ELCA provides medical coverage for its employees that includes coverage for abortion procedures. The ELCA is no longer a Christian Church in my eyes but a left wing political organization.

[Charles Henrickson]

Mollie Ziegler Hemingway has been a friend of mine for probably close to ten years. In fact, Mollie was the one who first told me about Free Republic! That was back in November 2000, after I had just written a parody about the recount called "The Palm Beach Pokey," and Mollie told me it was getting a lot of attention on a site called "Free Republic." That's how I became a Freeper! (I don't know if Mollie is herself a registered Freeper or, if she is, what her screen name is.)

Mollie is the daugher of an LCMS pastor, and her husband, Mark Hemingway, writes for National Review Online (many of his columns have been posted here).

Mollie Z. Hemingway and I (Charles Henrickson) both have blogs--on the battle for confessional Lutheranism within the Missouri Synod--at the Brothers of John the Steadfast website, steadfastlutherans.org.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

You’re a slow learner. Mr. CGG and I left more than 15 years ago!! :)

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

I think it was lightman who sent me a link to your blog. Thank you. I shared it with our pastor.

[Charles Henrickson]

that still doesn’t deny the fact that she is...Not Guilty!

Yes, Mollie, if you are reading this, you are . . . NOT GUILTY! ;^)

[Charles Henrickson]

Thought an ELCA apostate would appreciate this!

I'm not exactly an ELCA apostate, because I left an ELCA-predecessor body before there was an ELCA! As a kid in Chicago, I was a member of the old Swedish Augustana Synod, but so many of the Swedes were moving out to the suburbs in those days, and we lived in the city. So when our little neighborhood Augustana congregation disbanded, we joined a nearby LCMS congregation.

[Arrowhead1952]

Thanks for the pings. We were discussing this very topic about the question why Tiller was not excommunicated by his church. This is not being reported by the SRM. He WAS excommunicated by the LCMS.

BTW Charles, I shared this link with many of our members and I got a number of positive comments. Thanks again.

http://www.issuesetc.org/ondemand.html

[Charles Henrickson]

Issues Etc. is a great site, and they are all over these type of stories, where politics and religion intersect. (BTW, Issues Etc. is another area where Mollie has devoted her considerable energies. She and I both were involved in organizing the demonstration outside LCMS headquarters in support of Issues, and we each have been on the program a number of times.)

[SoCalPol]

re Tiller, Glad to see again the difference between ELCA & LCMS brought up.

I knew Tiller could not have been LCMS and still doing his dirt.

[Charles Henrickson]

Wichita, Kansas, was the home of TWO serial killers who had at one time been LCMS but later became members in good standing of ELCA congegations: Dennis “BTK Killer” Rader and George “Tiller the Killer” Tiller. At least the ELCA church where BTK was a member didn’t know about his penchant for murder.

[bcsco]

Wichita, Kansas, was the home of TWO serial killers...

Wichita needs another Wyatt Earp in town...

[wagglebee]

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[Arrowhead1952]

I sent an email to the adult Bible study group about Tiller having the Chaplin at his clinic and baptizing the aborted babies. I got back some replies I didn't expect. The were horrified when I talked about that in class yesterday morning.

[Charles Henrickson]

Two publicly-known abortion-supporting politicians, Sen. Paul Simon and Gov. Jesse Ventura, were members of LCMS congregations. I don't think Simon's congregation did anything to discipline him, but I do think the pastor at Ventura's church did.

Also, I seem to recall that a serial killer by the name of John List may have been a member of an LCMS church.

Sin and Satan know no boundaries, but where open impenitent sin is publicly known, church discipline should be exercised.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

where open impenitent sin is publicly known, church discipline should be exercised

Thus endeth the "choir-specific" portion of Pastor's sermon.

[bcsco]

Also, I seem to recall that a serial killer by the name of John List may have been a member of an LCMS church.

I'd heard List was a Lutheran, but don't recall hearing which church he belonged to.

And I'm not sure he's properly classified as a serial killer. He murdered his family, but I don't recall his ever having killed anyone else. While this qualifies as a miltiple murderer, I don't believe this qualifies as the serial type.

Also, he was on the run for a number of years. What I know comes from an old TV program so may not be that accurate.

OTOH, John Wesley Hardin was a Methodist, I believe (note the first and middle names). He was one of the most prolific killers of the 19th Century. What does that tell us about Methodists (just kidding, folks...)?