Luther’s Explanation to the Eighth Commandment in the Small Catechism advises us to “put the best construction on everything.” I confess I don’t see a best construction on this issue, but only different degrees of worse.
Most of you are aware however slightly of the Issues, Etc., radio show that was canceled by the LCMS during Tuesday of Holy Week last year. After being released from LCMS, Inc., Pastor Todd Wilken and his producer Jeff Schwarz restarted the show in May, broadcasting over the Internet and over the Bott Radio Network.
After discovering that LCMS had relinquished its right to the Issues, Etc., trademark in 1999, presumably because it costs money to keep a trademark up and because they had pondered canceling the show in the past, an attorney, Harry Madsen, filed for the rights to the name. LCMS has opposed the filing.
There seems to be no positive reason for LCMS to keep the name. No show with this name appeared on KFUO. The name would not be used.
There are negative reasons: inconvenience on the part of Wilken and Schwarz to re-brand their broadcast, including audio and publications; to keep quiet those things Wilken and Schwarz have said while flying the Issues, Etc., banner; to force Wilken and Schwarz to incur legal expenses, and others.
In addition to opposing the trademark, there is additional drama. The attorney for Wilken and Schwarz received a letter using this opposition as a bargaining chip for the show to never again criticize anything the LCMS does.
There also seems to be an inconsistency in an application of a Biblical principle. When LCMS was sued in Missouri for not following its own bylaws, 1 Cor. 6:1-8 was used by the Synod to shame people from suing the LCMS. Now it seems the shoe is on the other foot, and court actions are OK.
Any of these points is reason enough to stand against the opposition of the LCMS to Harry Madsen’s petition and to allow Wilken and Schwarz to continue using the name. Even if one has never listened to the show, one can understand how this looks bad for the corporate headquarters in St. Louis. How does one put a positive spin on this?
Thus another online petition has been created to give individuals the opportunity to voice their concerns over this behavior. Links to individual documents can be found here for your perusal.
The best thing for everyone would be for the Synod to simply leave these people alone. Their show is not a 2-hour, 5-day-a-week screed against the Synod. This previous week, their topics included:
- The Augsburg Confession
- Discussing your faith without losing your cool
- Christians and Contraception
- Martin Luther
- The Faith of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
Threatening stuff, to be sure.
Check out the petition, and I encourage you to sign it. This is not worth the time or our money.
The Gospel will always be threatening stuff. That is for sure, promised by the Savior himself. It is even worse than screeding against the synod. Thanks for keeping this in front of God’s people.