# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1877_S23
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 23 —

swered. The latter [the state] has to make many arrangements that we Christians may not use. It must, for example, permit divorces, which the church forbids. And a Christian notary may well assist in obtaining such. But no Christian may make use of this permission of the state. Just as we pay notaries who take part in such divorces their fees, although they do things that they, as Christians, may not do, so we also rightly pay our school taxes. So it was also in the Old Testament. There the Israelites as citizens of the state might also dissolve their marriages, but not as Israelites. The Lord himself confirmed that in the New Testament. We would be enthusiasts [*Schwärmer*] if we demanded of the state that it be so arranged as if all inhabitants were Christians. For that would lead to open revolution. No, the state regards its citizens as it were only as rational animals. For example, someone may reveal the most venomous hatred against his fellow man in court. Nevertheless he gets his rights against him if the matter is formally on his side.

We pay our taxes for the schools just as we do for the penitentiaries, although we do not use the latter either. This comparison is aimed especially against those who wrongly think that because we pay for the public schools we must also use them.

From another side it was further pointed out that it is also a mixing of faiths [*Glaubensmengerei*] if we send our children to the public schools, because prayer is offered there and in some places religious songs are sung that are offensive to us.

To this it was replied, however, that that is only an abuse, and that unionism cannot therefore be proved from it. Of course, if a father sends children who are already grounded to public schools after their confirmation, he must tell them that they may not take part in such prayers. One cannot force them to it either. For it is here as with Congress, where even Jews have prayed, but the individual representatives do as they like in the matter.

Thereupon the twelfth thesis was adopted. The convention now proceeded to discussion of the next thesis.

Thesis 13.

It is further a contradiction of the confession when a Lutheran church body does not see to it that in its congregations only orthodox agendas, hymnals, catechisms, and books of instruction and edification are used, or at least does not apply proper diligence to have existing heterodox books of this kind abolished and orthodox ones introduced.