Saturday, February 07, 2009

Issues, Etc. Trademark “Drama”


From Friday’s airing of my favorite radio program comes this “gem” from the host of Issues, Etc., Todd Wilken:

We’re not without our difficulties still with regard to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. I mean, Jeff mentioned last week I think that the application for the trademark on the name Issues, Etc. is being opposed by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod incorporated; actively, legally opposed. And along with that the news of the opposition, also came a letter informing us of the opposition and that we, Jeff and I personally, are being threatened with legal action. They haven’t initiated any legal action against us that we know of but they have threatened to do so. So, even though the story is over, the show is back, the drama as my daughter would say, the drama of all of it continues.

By all that’s unholy it seems that stupidity knows no bounds. It shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that a bureaucratic corporation that couldn’t keep its story straight about why Issues, Etc. was cancelled and the host, Todd Wilken, and producer Jeff Schwarz, were fired during Holy Week, couldn’t be honest about what agreement was reached upon termination of the program with its former employees (hint, hint, offering a gag order to ensure folks keep quite with a promise of retaining benefits isn’t the same as actually having such an agreement, The Reporter, the official newspaper of the LCMS lied and continues to lie about this, its plain and simple.) and with LCMS, Inc. repeatedly stating that such a program just didn’t or couldn’t make enough money to be viable when Issues, Etc. was the only program required to raise it’s own money for KFUO with the moneychangers getting their cut (what was it? 30-40% ?), is it any surprise that LCMS, Inc. which declined to renew the trademark now thinks that they new guys shouldn't have any right to it? Is it really surprising that a corporation with LCMS, Inc’s track record would use intimidation in the form of threatened legal actions to shut down a Christ centered, cross focused program?

If LCMS, Inc. is concerned that their “brand” might be harmed if Issues, Etc. continues its Gospel focused programming, they really have nothing to worry about as all of us are constantly reminded that the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is longer our grandfather’s synod. Who in the world could disagree with that? Not me.

4 comments:

Elephantschild said...

::groan:: It seems that this little unimportant radio show, that supposedly only caters to indsiders, and that was so easy to cancel perhaps actually IS teaching truth. Otherwise, why would Synod, Inc (TM) be so concerned?

This'll make you feel better.

Heidi said...

Everything is more palatable with bacon...

Oh geez... and just in time for us doddering old Lutherans to celebrate the one year anniversary of us actually protesting something! And to think, I was tempted to skip Friday's podcast so I could catch up by tomorrow :) Lesson learned... don't skip any of them.

Big Doofus (Roger) said...

1 Corinthians 6 (NASB)

1 Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints?

2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?

3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

4 So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?

5 I say this to your shame Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren,

6 but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?

7 Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

Elephantschild said...

BD, I wish we could send you to talk to our synod's president. He might listen to you, since he seems to have stopped listening to us Lutheran types.