LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 110

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

110 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

3-42
To Deal with Gambling

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has al-
ways taught that gambling is a sin:

1. The Milwaukee Federation of Lutheran Churches’ Dialog and
Doctrine Commission said in a 1975 statement on gambling, “Since
gambling violates commandments. 7. 9 and 10. possibly also
commandments 1 and 2. by taking neighbor's goods. coveting.
trusting to luck rather than in God. and in some cases even involving
God in situations of vice and sin:

“Therefore. gambling in all its forms. also church gambling
(bingo, raffles), must be identified as wrong. and Christians should
be encouraged not to engage in any form of gambling. but instead to
trust in God's goodness for His blessings. to labor honestly in their
daily tasks, and to serve God and their neighbors with their goods as
His faithful stewards” (CE. pp. 949—S1).

2. “Gambling—is it a sport? Is it sin? Let there be no doubt about
the answer. The answer from the Word is all too clear. No matter how
you disguise it. emerging as it does from our own hasic motives. a
love for money, at another's expense, only one answer is possible:
SIN.” (Dr. Eugene W. Linse. executive secretary of the LCMS's
Board for Social Ministry Services. The Lutheran Witness, No-
vember 1982):

and

WHEREAS, Gambling has become big business throughout
the world. and many of our LCMS members are being asked to
vote on gambling: therefore be it

Resolved. That the LCMS reaffirm and publicize its position
that gambling is a sin.

Trinity Lutheran Church

New Heaven, Mo.

Orville Mevér. Secretary

3-43

To Deal with Liberals
on LCMS Clergy Roster

WHEREAS, There are still some theological liberals on the
clergy roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod who
reject the scriptural position of the LCMS:

1. Dr. Martin Scharlemann wrote in 1980:

Some among us seem to think that the “wars” are behind us. We
are even being told officially that things are going wellin the LCMS,
also doctrinally. That is simply not fact. Those who would subvert
our strong confessional heritage are still very much with us and
among us. At the moment they are keeping a low profile: but at the
first opportunity they will he right there to pick up at the very point
where the battle against theological indifference seemed to have
been won for a moment.

We still bave district presidents who play fast and loose with the
seminex perversion. They will use every conceivable device to
circumvent what has repeatedly been expressed as the wish of our
church body (The Christian News Encyclopedia. p. 1245).

2. This vear Affirm. which is published by loyal members of
the LCMS, said that the LCMS still has some serious problems.
Affirm said that the problems which remain include these and
others:

Whole districts of Missouri form reputed havens for liberal-minded

clergy: some district presidents openly take liberal stances: recurring

unionism plagues us: some Sem graduates during the vears of its
boldest liberalism quietly act and preach according to the liberal
theology they learned: only a handful of our campus pastors hold
conservative views; unlomism remains tbe fashion in our welfare

ministry: Missouri's school system finds itself deeply troubled. . . .

3. Seminex has said that one of its surveys indicates that
almost all graduates of Seminex certified by the LCMS still are
in basic accord with the theology of Seminex.

4. Evangelical Lutherans in Mission said that at one time
some 2,000 LCMS clergymen were in accord with the theo-
logical position of ELIM and Seminex. ELIM says that a major
portion of the financial support for Seminex comes from
pastors and lay members of the LCMS.

5. Some professors of Seminex. evolutionists. proabortion-
ists,and charismatics are still on the clergy roster of the LCMS.

6. The Christian News Encvclopedia includes a number of

petitions and resolutions which were signed by several hundred
LCMS clergymen supporting Seminex. Some clearly expressed
support for the theological position of Seminex. While some of
the signers of these petitions have left the LCMS, many are still
listed on the 1983 clergy roster of the LCMS. These LCMS
pastors and professors have been asked if they ever withdrew
their signatures from the petition they signed supporting
Seminex. Some have made it clear that they reject the anti-
Scriptural theology of Seminex, but many of the signers of
these petitions supporting Seminex and ELIM still appear to
bein accord with the theological position of Seminex which the
LCMS has rejected. (The committee dealing with this reso-
lution will be furnished copies of the letters sent to the signers
of the petitions and copies of responses received): therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS ask all those who signed state-
ments backing Seminex to declare that they agree with the
LCMS that the theology of Seminex as it is expressed in
Seminex's Faithful to Our Calling—Faithful to Our Lord is
contrary to Holy Scripture: and be it further

Resolved, That those who signed statements backing the
position of Seminex be asked to declare that they now maintain
that there should not be room within the LCMS for clergymen
who teach that (1) the Bible contains errors; (2) man evolved
from some primary organism; (3) the first five books of the
Biblecame from the J-E-D and P sources: and(4) women should
be ordained to the holy ministry.

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

3-44
To Deal with Divorced Clergymen

WHEREAS, One of the most grievous tragedies facing almost
all denominations is divorce among clergymen; and

WHEREAS, The only Scriptural grounds for divorce are
adultery and desertion (Matt. 19:9:5:32; 1 Cor. 7:15; see Samuel
Nafzger., “Divorce and Remarriage.’ Lutheran Witness. June
1982); and

WHEREAs, Clergymen should set good examples for their
congregations: therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS reaffirm its Scriptural policy of
allowing divorce only for adultery and desertion: and be it
further

Resolved. That clergymen who have secured an unscrip-
tural divorce and who refuse to repent of this sin be removed
from the clergy roster of the LCMS: and be it finally

Resolved, That we recognize that there is forgiveness for all
sins. “But also here we must remember that in Christ there is
forgiveness for ALL sins, including the sin of putting asunder
that which God has joined together. To be sure. genuine
repentance necessarily includes the desire for reconciliation.
When reconciliation is impossible, however, because the former
partner has either remarried or is unwilling to be reconciled,
then remarriage becomes a possiblity” (Nafzger. “Statement
on Divorce and Remarriage’).

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

3-45
To Deal with Homosexuals in the Churches

WHEREAS, An increasing number of denominations, includ-
ing some Lutheran Churches, are accepting practicing homo-
sexuals and even homosexual clergymen who refuse to repent
of the sin of homosexuality; and

WHEREAS, Homosexuality is clearly condemned in God's
Word as sin (Lev. 18:22; 20:13: Rom. 1:24-27); and