LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1965, Page 170

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170 RESOLUTIONS — COMMITTEE 9

the name of Christ employ every God-pleasing method
of helping them.

Action: This resolution was adopted.

To Decline Overture Regarding Nationalistic
Teaching, etc.
RESOLUTION 9-19
Overture 9-20 (CW, pp. 345, 346)

Whereas, Overture 9-20 appears to be unclear in its
assumptions and implications; therefore be it

Resolved, That Overture 9-20 be declined.
Action: This resolution was adopted.

To Urge Our People to Study Immigration
Proposals Before Congress
RESOLUTION 9-20

Overture 9-21 Un (URO, p. 44)

Whereas, Existing legislation governing the entry
of immigrants into our country has severe shortcom-
ings, as a result of which neither Christian humani-
tarianism nor our own national self-interest is ade-
quately served; and

Wuereas, The following five objectives can provide
a basis for a law that will be equitable to all and will
most truly serve the public welfare:

1. To supply our permanent population with a steady
proportion of newcomers who have chosen the United
States as their new homeland and can impart to their
American neighbors an understanding of the cultures,
attitudes, and interests of other races and peoples of
the world;

2. To assure our nation’s proper share of interna-
tional responsibility for the resettlement of refugees and
other persons urgently in need of the compassionate
haven of a new homeland;

3. To protect the integrity of the basic family unit
and facilitate the reuniting of families;

4. To facilitate the entry of persons possessing spe-
cial skills or other capacities needed by the American
economy and culture;

5. To admit annually a reasonable number of the
persons described above on an objective basis of selec-
tion which, while discriminating, will not be discrim-
inatory with respect to race, national origin, color, or
religion, testifying thereby to our nation’s recognition
of the interlocking and mutual interests of all nations
with regard to the migration of people, the interaction
of culture, and the respect for universal human rights;
and

Wuereas, Congress is now considering legislation
which represents substantial progress toward fulfilling
the hope of establishing equitable immigration laws that
are fair and just to all and will serve the public wel-
fare; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod, in convention assembled, urge the members of
its congregations to study the proposals now before
Congress in relation to the above five objectives and
to give their support as their conscience dictates in the
interest of enacting immigration legislation which will
be equitable, fair, and just to all and will most truly
redound to the public welfare.

Action: This resolution was adopted.

Four Resolutions on Racial Questions, ete.
Preface to Resolutions 9-21, 9-22, 9-23, and 9-24

In addressing itself to the issues which resulted in
the following resolutions, the floor committee on Social
Action and Welfare approached its task in the context
of “Effective Christian Social Action,” a comprehensive
introductory statement drawn up and approved by the
Commission on Social Action. This statement is quoted
extensively in Report 9-01 of the commission (CW,
pp. 327, 328), and we feel that several paragraphs are
worth repeating here.

The Primacy of the Gospel in the Church

Synod itself and the local congregations must ever be
concerned, primarily, with the Gospel of salvation and
the Word of God’s truth (Romans 1:16, 17; Luke 12:
13,14). The Word of God’s love in Christ must always be
the first and only source of the church’s faith and
work. ... There are indications today that weakness in
carrying out primary functions . .. have resulted in
some of the troubles which now plague church and
nation. A true revival of the use of the Word of God’s
love in Christ Jesus is the best hope for social action
and influence in today’s world.

The Social Implications of the Gospel

The church does have a clear responsibility . . . to be
a leaven. Christians must ever seek to strengthen and
preserve social and civic well-being (cf. Jeremiah 29:7,
1 Timothy 2:1-8). Moses and the Old Testament proph-
ets, especially Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, and Amos, spoke
out fearlessly against civic and social evil as part of their
preaching of the Law. God’s prophets have always been
fearless in speaking up for righteousness, even when they
had to stand alone. Christ Himself said: “Render there-
fore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto
God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Chris-
tians must ever remember that they are called by God
into a relationship with their fellowmen in which they
show love and concern for all, display God as the source
of their life, and ultimately speak the Word that recon-
ciles man to God. (1 Peter 2:12-17)

The commission’s report states the essential doctrinal
and ideological problem thus:

The Heart of the Matter

The church must ever lift a prophetic voice if it is
to be faithful to God and relevant to the personal and
social life of man. . .. The church alone can preach
both Law and Gospel for the purpose of building God’s
eternal kingdom... .

Any churchly commitment to a special or specific
solution to a temporal problem is always highly tenta-
tive and dangerous. Any ecclesiastical affiliation with
a political party, group, or movement will be precarious
and may be clearly wrong. How can a “Thus saith the
Lord” be pronounced over any law which attempts to
establish a specific minimum wage or to settle some