# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1992_S115 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 117 2. As Creator, God alone knows with certainty whether a disease or an injury is incurable. 3. When the God-given powers of the body to sustain its _ own life can no longer function and doctors in their profes- sional judgment conclude that there is no real hope for recovery even with life-support instruments, a Christian may in good conscience “let nature take its course.” : 4. Administering pain-killing medications, even at the risk of shortening life, is permissible, since this does not entail the choice of death as either a means or an end. | 5. It is good ethical procedure for the doctor to request . and receive a statement signed by the patient, if competent _to consent, or by the nearest of kin, agreeing to the use- lessness of further “heroic efforts” and consenting to ter- mination of treatmenis. 6. Each person, no matter how infirm and socially use- less he or she may appear to be, deserves to be accepted as a being created in the image of God. : 7. While suffering is an intrusion into life, it provides the opportunity for Christian witness and service. 8. Often the time prior to death is so wrapped in mystery that no one ought forcibly to interrupt the movement of man’s spirit as it may be communicating through God's Spirit with his Creator.and Redeemer by way of responding in trust and inner yearning. 9. Death is not merely.a physical but a crucial spiritual event for each person. 10. Any decisions made in this highly complex area, and any actions taken that may later appear to have been wrong, have been redeemed by that forgiveness which is available to all who put their trust in the work and merits of man- kind’s Savior and Redeemer. 11, The spiritual and moral questions raised by the issue of euthanasia are of such a nature that their evaluation is an enterprise touching on the very survival of the basic principles which undergird the integrity of our Christian faith and the survival of our cultural heritage. They con- ; stitute the primary spiritual and moral crucible of this age. 12. Christians are obligated to make their position known, by whatever means possible, as a way of helping to- shape public opinion on the question of euthanasia. and be it finally Resolved, That we encourage the members of The Lu- theran Church—Missouri Synod to boldly address such ethical questions as the following to the society in which we live: “What kind of people are we becoming if we cannot care for the weak and helpless?” “What does it-demonstrate about our character if we think we have the right to end life?” Action: Adopted (11). (In session 10 an amendment and two additional points were offered as additions to the original resolution. No action was taken on these proposals. However, in session 11 the revised resolution incorporated the proposed whereas as the second one in its 3-11A and one of the point as the final resolve. The specific points could not be changed since they were a direct quotation from a revious document. The seen d point which would have stat , “Spiri- tual care and support, however, must be provided for those who struggle with the issues and burdens of caring for patients with : such chronically debilitating illnesses such as Alzheimer’s,” was, in substance, included as a fifth whereas, the delegates adding the words including material support, by common consent.) To Develop Plan for Ministry to Homosexuals and Their Families RESOLUTION 3-12A Overtures 3-86, 3-88A—C, 3-89A-B, 3-91 (CW, pp. 207- 08) . Wuereas, Many voices in our society as well as in var- ious church bodies are expressing the view today that ho- mophile behavior is an acceptable alternative lifestyle; and Wuereas, The Word of God clearly condemns homo- phile behavior in Lev. 18:22, Rom. L 26-27, and 1 Cor. 6:9; and _Wuereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention in 1973 stated: “That the Synod recognize ho- mophile behavior as intrinsically sinful”; and Wuereas, The Commission on Theology and Church’ Relations document on Human Sexuality, A Theological Perspective, states, “Whatever the causes of such a con- dition may be, . . . homosexual orientation is profoundly ‘unnatural’ without implying that such a person’s sexual orientation is a matter-of conscious, deliberate choice. However, this fact cannot be used by the homosexual as an excuse to justify homosexual behavior. As a sinful hu- man being, the homosexual is accountable to God for ho- mosexual thoughts, words, and deéds.” (Human Sexuality, A Theological Perspective, p. 35); and Wuereas, The redeeming love of Christ, which rescues humanity from sin, death, and the power of Satan, is: of- fered to all through repentance and faith in Christ, re- gardless of the nature of their sinfulness; and " Wuereas, The need exists to make available a carefully developed Law/Gospel ministry plan to congregations and other institutions in order to minister to those who are troubled by their homosexuality; and ° _ Wuereas, It is necessary for the church to expose and resist the sexual idolatry of our society; therefore be it’ ' Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in convention, reaffirm the position it stated in 1973, “That the Synod recognize homophile behavior as intrinsically sinful”; and be it further Resolved, That the President of the Synod direct the appropriate boards and commissions to develop a plan for ministry usable by congregations, campus ministries, in- stitutions, and agencies in the Synod, for the purpose of providing biblical and Gospel-oriented ministry to persons troubled by being homophile in their sexual orientations and to their families; and be it finally Resolved, That the goals to be pursued by such a plan for ministry be “1. to offer to our world biblically alternative models of sexual celibacy outside of a committed, permanent het- erosexual marriage and same-gender social, but not gen- itally sexual, deep friendships; 2. to confront the individual] with his/her sinfulness, and call him/her to repentance;