LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 39

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

MISSIONS, EVANGELISM, AND SOCIAL MINISTRY 39

denomination, council. or group that has a different doctrinal
basis or expressly associates with and promotes corporate
positions in secular matters: and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS affirm its long-held conviction
that its individual members—and the fellowship of all Chris-
tians—be urged to individually take an active and ethical part
in the social, economic, and political issues, and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS be urged to proclaim anew that its
primary task is to win souls for Christ and that it should avoid
entanglements in and of the world which detract from this
primary mission; and be it finally

Resolved, That the LCMS be asked to affirm its confident
belief that more won Christians, armed with the knowledge of
the Law and the promise of the Gospel, will surely. with the
help of God, influence the secular world in unfathomable,
significant, and beneficial ways.

St. Thomas Lutheran Church
Rocky River. Ohio

Richard Dorow, President
Kenneth Mayer. Secretary

1-42

To Encourage Obedience, Support,
and Prayer for Our Government

WHEREAS, Many religious denominations and organizations
have seen fit to speak out on civil and military affairs wherein
Christians may have differing opinions; and

WHEREAS, We are blessed with a kind of government in
which we have the opportunity to express our individual
opinions on government programs and policies; and

WHEREAS, It is desirable for Christians to be involved in the
civic affairs of the community and nation; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod encourage all its members to
become more informed on civic matters on every level; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Synod urge all its members to obey the
laws of the nation and community, and to support our govern-
ment by respect and honor, and to pray for allin authority that
we might enjoy peace, godliness, and honesty in our cities and
the nation at large.

Mount Hope Lutheran Church
Casper, Wyo.

John G. Evans III, Secretary
J.B. Brown, Pastor

1-43

To Speak to the Issue of Nuclear Arms

WHEREAS, We have seen an increase in nuclear buildup in
recent years; and

WHEREAS, The people of God as responsible citizens need to
voice concern about the development of weapons capable of
wiping out mankind; and

WHEREAS, The Scriptures call for God’s people and all people
to trust in God, not in their own military might; be it therefore

Resolved, That the LCMS declare that arms escalation and
nuclear proliferation are against the best interest of the United
States and the world, since they threaten to diminish, rather
than enhance, the prospects for national and global security
and peace; and be it further

Resolved, That we urge our government to invite the Soviet
Union and other nations to join us in a freeze on the develop-
ment of any new nuclear weapons systems and on the produc-
tion of any additional warheads or delivery vehicles within
already developed weapons systems; and be it further

Resolved, That we urge our government to invite the Soviet

Union and other nations to join us in step-by-step reduction of
the number of warheads and delivery systems: and beit finally

Resolved. That we. as a Synod. continue to pray for our
national leaders and employees who are daily pressured by the
political rhetoric and pressures which have brought about the
nuclear arms race.

Bethany Lutheran Church
Lake City, Minn.

Sylvia Hoffman. Secretary
Richard E. Haar. Pastor

1-44

To Deal with Disarmament
and the Nuclear Freeze

WHEREAS. Many churches and churchmen have been pro-
moting a nuclear freeze and unilateral disarmament and have
been saving that a “just war’ is no longer possible in a nuclear
age: and

WHEREAS, The draft of a widely publicized pastoral letter of
the Roman Catholic bishops of the U.S. says that “The
destructive potential of nuclear power threatens the sover-
eignty of God over the world he has brought into being” and

WHEREAS, Dr. John Tietjen, president of Seminex, writes in
the Feb. 14,1983, Lutheran Perspective in defense of a nuclear
freeze:

Recent convention actions of the American Lutheran Church
and the Lutheran Church in America. along with the proposed
action of Roman Catholic bishops, underscore that there is no more
critical moral issue before our world than the prevention of nuclear
war. Just war and nuclear war are contradictions in terms.

We human beings now have the power to destroy God's gift of life
on our planet. We must not let it happen”:

and

WHEREAS, Churches lack vital information available to the
governmentsince the government must withhold some defense
information for security reasons; and

WHEREAS, It is the primary purpose of the Christian church
to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not to meddle in
political matters (Matt. 28:20; Luke 4:43; 12:14; 19:10); and

WHEREAS, There still is a valid case for a “just war” ina
nuclear age: and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Confessions state:

Of Civil Affairs they teach that lawful civil ordinances are good
works of God. and that it is right for Christians to bear civil office, to
sit as judges. to judge matters by the Imperial and other existing
laws, to award just punishments, to engage in just wars, to serve as
soldiers. to make legal contracts. to hold property, to make oath
when required by the magistrates, to marry a wife. to be given in
marriage (AC XVI);
and

WHEREAS, Even some of the Lutheran churches which are
making pronouncements on disarmament, a ‘just war,’ anda
nuclear freeze clearly violate Art. XXVIII of the Augsburg
Confession. which says in part:

There has been great controversy concerning the Power of
Bishops. in which some have awkwardly confounded the power of
the Church and the power of the sword. And from this confusion very
great wars and tumults have resulted. while the Pontiffs, em-
boldened by the power of the Keys. not only have instituted new
services and burdened consciences with reservation of cases and
ruthless excommunications, but have also undertaken to transfer
the kingdoms of this world. and to take the Empire from the
Emperor. ...

Therefore the power of the Church and the civil power must not be
confounded. The power of the Church has its own commission, to
teach the Gospel and to administer the Sacraments. Let it not break
into the office of another; let it not transfer the kingdoms of this
world; let it not abrogate the laws of civil rulers; let it not abolish
lawful obedience; let it not interfere with judgments concerning civil
ordinances or contracts: let it not prescribe laws to civil rulers
concerning the form of the Commonwealth. As Christ says, John
18:36: “My kingdom is not of this world": also Luke 12:14: “Who
made Me a judge or a divider over you?” Paul also says, Phil. 3:20:
“Our citizenship is in heaven”; 2 Cor. 10:4: “The weapons of our