Yesterday, Elon Musk and Michael Flynn slandered Lutherans with a lie so outrageous that it barely deserves a response—except that in today’s world, where disinformation spreads like wildfire, the truth must be spoken, clearly and forcefully. The accusation? That Lutheran social service organizations are engaged in “money laundering.”
This is not just false. It’s an attack on people of faith who have dedicated their lives to serving others. It’s an attack on seniors, foster children, immigrants, refugees, and struggling families—those who benefit from Lutheran social services. It’s an attack on truth itself.
Here’s the truth about Lutherans and service. A central truth of Lutheran faith is love of neighbor.
The Rev. Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, executed by German nationalists for resisting tyranny, once said: “The church is only truly the church when it exists for others.”
This was true in 1930s and ’40s Europe, and it is true today in the United States, where Lutherans—alongside Catholic, Episcopal, Evangelical, and other Christian partners—have stepped into the breach where governments have failed.
For over 150 years, Lutheran social service agencies have served the most vulnerable in this country. They have:
**Reunited families torn apart by war and violence.
**Helped refugees find safety and stability.
**Cared for seniors, including those on Medicare and Medicaid.
**Provided foster care and adoption services.
**Supported low-income families in crisis, and so much more.
Lutheran Services in America reaches 1 in 50 people in the U.S. every year—not for profit, not for power, but because it is what the Gospel commands.
Lutherans, like other Christians, subscribe to the 8th Commandment: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Fr. Martin Luther, in the Small Catechism, explains: “We are to fear and love God, so that we do not tell lies about our neighbors, betray them, slander them, or destroy their reputations. Instead, we should come to their defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything they do in the best possible light.”
Musk and Flynn’s accusations violate this commandment in every way. And the damage is not theoretical—it is real. Lies like this erode trust, fuel suspicion, and endanger the very organizations that provide critical support to people in need.
There is no money laundering. There is service, support, and sacrifice. Let’s be crystal clear:
**Lutheran social service organizations operate legally, transparently, and under strict government oversight.
**The funds they receive come from legitimate government contracts—to do work that the government itself cannot do.
**There is no profit motive. There is no slush fund. There is no scheme. There is just the work of caring for people in need.
This accusation isn’t just an attack on Lutherans. It’s an attack on every faith-based organization that provides food, shelter, medical care, and social services across this country. It’s an attack on everyone who cares about their neighbors.
Why do Musk, Flynn, and their ilk want to tear down organizations that serve the vulnerable? Why attack churches and nonprofits that help people find dignity and stability? Why promote lies, division, and cruelty? This is what’s left when all you believe in your own self-interest and when your vision for the world has no room for compassion or mercy for anyone else.
To be sure, Lutherans and other faith communities aren’t going anywhere. We will continue to serve. We will continue to resist lies with truth. We will continue to stand together. We will continue to love our neighbors, even when it is difficult, even when it is unpopular, even when it comes at a cost.
Because the church is not the church unless it exists for others.
And no amount of slander will change that.
Period.
Bishop Jeff R Johnson is Sierra Pacific Synod lead of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This post is republished from his Facebook page.