LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 109

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 109

&. that abortion is sinful killing:
9. that capital punishmentis in accord with Holy Scripture:

10. that a nation has the right to defend itself with the force
of arms:

11. the complete historicity of Holy Scripture:
12. doctrinal certainty:

13. that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. and the
heathen who die without a saving knowledge of Christ are lost:
an

_ 14. civilobedience. except when the government commands
its citizens to sin.

Trinity Lutheran Church

New Haven. Mo.

Orville Mever. Secretary

3-39
To Deal with Evolutionists

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has re-
peatedly affirmed the Genesis account of creation and rejected
any evolutionary view of the origin of man and the universe:
and

WHEREAS, The LCMS in 1979 resolved that “where the
evolutionary concept is being taught in the public schools. a
special creation concept should be permitted to be taught in the
public schools”; and

WHEREAs, There are some clergymen and professors within
the LCMS who have published books supporting the evo-
lutionary origin of man and who have publicly defended the
notion that man has evolved from some primary organism;
and

WHEREAS, These pastors and professors are listed on the
1983 clergy roster of the LCMS even though they have not
retracted their anti-Scriptural evolutionary views; and

WHEREAS, An important creation science test case is now
being considered in Louisiana: therefore be it

Resolved, That all those listed on the 1983 official clergy
and teacher roster of the LCMS who accept the evolutionary
orgin of man be removed from the roster if they refuse to retract
their evolutionary views and accept the Scriptural account of
creation; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS recommend that literature pro-
duced by the Creation Research Society. the Bible-Science
Association, the Institute for Creation Research, Creation-Life
Publishers, and other reliable creationist groups be used in all
of its schools, colleges, and seminaries; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS urge its colleges and seminaries
to arrange debates between such creationists as Dr. Duane
Gish and Dr. Henry Morris and leading evolutionists so that
students can hear both sides in a free and open discussion; and
be it finally

Resolved, That the LCMS send one ofits articulate creation
scientists to testify at “Scopes II” in Louisiana about what the
LCMS has resolved with regard to evolution and creation.

Trinity Lutheran Church
New Haven, Mo.
Orville Mever. Secretary

3-40
To Deal with Atheistic Communism

WHEREAS, The Communists in their promotion of Martin
Luther's 500th birthday in 1983 are attempting to give the
impression that there is no real serious difference between the
views of Martin Luther and the Communists; and

WHEREAS, Communism is atheism on the march. It is a
satanic international criminal conspiracy against civilization,
based upon a God-denying philosophy of life; and

WHEREAS, Dr. C. F. W. Walther, the first President of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, summarized the Biblical
attitude toward communism in aseries of lectures published in

1879 in which he noted that “no reasonable man. much less a
Christian” can “take part in the efforts of communists and
socialists”: and

WHEREAS, Such authorities as the Russian Nobel-Prize-
winning writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn have repeatedly
warned the U.S. that the Kremlin's relentless goal. in spite
of all its peace propaganda. is to destroy the West. Solzhenitsyn
warns us:

The Communist ideology is to destroy vour social order. This has
been their aim for 125 vears. and it has never changed: only the
methods have changed a little. When there is detente. peaceful co-
existence, and trade, they will still insist: the ideological war must
continue. And what is ideological war? It is a concentration of
hatred. a continued repetition of the oath to destroy the Western
world.

Just as in the Roman senate a famous speaker ended every
speech with the statement: “Furthermore. Carthage must be des-
troved,” so today, with every act—detente. trade. or whatever—the
Communist press as well as thousands of speakers at closed lectures
all repeat: “Furthermore. capitalism must be destroved.”

Solzhenitsyn added:

In addition to the grave political situation in the world today, we
are witnessing the emergence of a crisis of unknown nature, one
completely new and entirely non-political. We are approaching a
major turning point in world history. in the history of civilization, It
has already been noted by specialists in various areas. I could
compare it only with the turning from the Middle Ages to the modern
era, a shift in our civilization. It is a juncture at which settled
concepts suddenly become hazy, lose their precise contours, at which
our familiar and commonly used words lose their meaning. become
empty shells. and methods which have been reliable for many
centuries no longer work (The Christian News Encxclopedia, pp.
511, 1590—96):

and

WHEREAS, The Communists are responsible for the greatest
mass murders in all history. having murdered millions in
Russia, China, Cambodia. Afghanistan, and elsewhere; there-
fore be it

Resolved. That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
declare during 1983 that Communism with its mass murders
and atheism are totally incompatible with historic Christi-
anity. confessional Lutheranism, and Martin Luther; and be it
further

Resolved. That the LCMS urge its official publications to
publish some of the speeches of Solzhenitsyn in which he
warns the West about the danger of Communism and its
program to destroy the West.

Trinity Lutheran Church
New Haven, Mo.
Orville Mever, Secretary

3-41
To Support Capital Punishment

WHEREAS, Most major denominations have been condemn-
ing capital punishment: and

WHEREAS, God's Word supports capital punishment (Gen.
9:6: Rom. 13:4; Acts 25:11); and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has de
clared that “capital punishment is in accord with the Holy
Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions” (Res. 2-38, 1967
convention); and

WHEREAS, Scholarly studies have shown that imposition of
the death penalty has a deterrent effect on potential murderers;
therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
reaffirm its position supporting capital punishment; and be it
further

Resolved. That the LCMS publicize its stand on capital
punishment so that our nation will recognize that not all major
denominations oppose capital punishment.

Trinity Lutheran Church
New Haven, Mo.
Orville Meyer, Secretary