# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1924_S29
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1921. 29

disease of our time: indifferentism. Indifference toward doctrine meets the difficulty of the various church fellowships halfway by declaring that there is really no difference or that the differences are only slight and unimportant. These people therefore also believe and teach that it is hardly worth the trouble to get to know the differences that exist between the various church fellowships. Here the deceiver and the wolf in sheep's clothing therefore has his opportunity. With fine, smooth words that bristle with love and liberalism he invites his victim to come and enter the strange church; "for in reality there is no difference." Here is a soft bed for the comfort of the spiritually indolent: "Why should I trouble myself to distinguish truth from error? There are really no differences at all." That opens a paradise of repose for ignorance and sloth. These are the wise and holy ones who can see no difference. Is that not the open door to unbelief? These people say: "In matters of faith many good people will always be of different opinions; but those are only opinions. However different they may be, it does not matter what one believes, if one is only sincere and does what is right." Then one has graduated in the school of interdenominational unionism if one can offer everyone the hand and hold fellowship with him, if he only declares that he is trying to do right. This masterstroke throws Bible, catechism, confession, faith, God and eternity aside. Is this interdenominational unionism not a wonderful discovery? As Christian Science declares: "There is no sickness," and thus with a Don Quixotic stroke annihilates all medical schools, books and sciences, so indifference destroys faith and puts in its place a convenient morality which everyone cobbles together as he pleases.

Interdenominational unionism opens the door to the heretic and gives him opportunity to scatter his poisonous weeds in the Church. It demands of me that I recognize as a Christian brother the one who denies Christ's words in the Holy Supper and thus makes Jesus a liar, and permit him to preach his soul-murdering error to my flock. It demands of me that I grant to the lying apostles, the so-called "higher critics," to those who blaspheme the efficacy of the sacrament and mock infant baptism, together with the fanatics and enthusiasts, a place in my church, at my communion table [printed: Abenmahlstisch] and in my pulpit. Thus he opens the gates of the divine vineyard and lets in the swine which root it up and spoil it.

On the other hand interdenominational unionism must silence every positive, clear and decided testimony to the truth of every word of God and every fearless warning against error. If interdenominational unionism is the right attitude of a Christian toward Scripture, then he is regarded as a reactionary, as a blind zealot, as a narrow-minded sectarian fanatic who condemns all false doctrine in clear, unmistakable words, exposes the errors and faithfully warns against them, whereas he is regarded as a man of progress, as a teacher who has discovered the new, pleasant way in religion, as the man who ought to be admired by all, who with sweet, smooth, liberal phrases neutralizes the truth and blunts the sword of the Spirit. Interdenominational unionism has no place for Christ,