LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 188

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188 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

bian agenda, along with sexual immorality and violence against
every age and gender of the crown of God’s creation, His people;
therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church of Our Savior. Windom,
memorialize The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod at its 1998
convention to pass a resolution which encourages all our people
who belong to LCMS congregations to give serious and prayerful
reconsideration to their purchase and support of Disney products;
and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod com-
municate this action to Mr. Michael Eisner, chairman of the Disney
corporation, expressing our deep disappointment in the moral di-
rection he is leading Disney.

Our Savior
Windom. MN

3-119

To Oppose Homosexual Activity
and Participate in Boycott

WHEREAS, God wants His people to worship Him and to live as
good citizens according to His Word. We are in the world but not
of the world. (Psalm 100; Matt. 5:14-16; Acts 1:8; Col. 3:5); and

Wuereas, God declares homosexual activity to be an abomina-
tion (Lev. 18:22, 24; Lev. 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10);
and

‘
WHEREAS, Homosexual and other immoral acts are voluntarily
undertaken by individuals in their sinful human condition; and

WuerEAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and its
members have a duty and responsibility under God to speak out
against immorality and sin; and

WHEREAS, There is a sinful movement, sadly including even
some church bodies, which want our culture to accept homosexu-
ality as a natural lifestyle; and

WuereaS, The Southern Baptist convention and other church
bodies have initiated an economic boycott against businesses in the
United States, and the Walt Disney Company in particular, who
have openly promoted the homosexual lifestyle. The goal of such
boycott efforts is to raise public awareness of the issue and, through
public and economic pressures, encourage these corporations to
cease their promotion of immorality in our culture; therefore be it

Resolved, That we, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in
convention, adopt as policy that its officers. all synodical organi-
zations and institutions. ordained and layworkers actively under-
take to:

educate and raise the awareness of congregational members and
the general public of the sinfulness of homosexuality and other is-
sues of sexual immorality through preaching and other available
means of communication, as well as the availability of God’s for-
giveness through the Gospel:

communicate to other church bodies our concerns about the
damage they do to God’s church at large and to the misleading of
God’s people by changes in their doctrine to accommodate those
who seek acceptability of the “gay” and other immoral lifestyles;
and be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention join the economic boycott of the Walt Disney Company
and other corporations which promote acceptance of homosexual
and other immoral activities in our culture. We encourage mem-
bers to exercise their Christian civic duty and responsibility by boy-
cotting the Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries and others as
long as they openly promote homosexuality and other immorality
by their corporate policies. Boycott activities include, but are not
limited to writing letters to corporate officers, refusing to purchase
products, and refusing to visit theme parks or movies, watch tele-
vision, rent or purchase videos, books, compact discs, audiotapes,
or magazines produced by these firms; and be it finally

Resolved, That all the above activities be conducted in an at-
mosphere of continual prayer and Christian concern for the souls of

all involved. Particularly, God’s love should be shown and assis-
tance offered to those who desire to repent of an immoral lifestyle.

Hope
Osage Beach, MO

3-120

To Consider Boycott of Disney Products

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and their
children have for many decades enjoyed and trusted the Disney
Co.’s television programming, films, and theme parks which have

_ reinforced basic American virtues and values; and

WHEREAS. The virtues promoted by Disney have contributed to
the development of a generation of Americans who have come to
expect and demand high levels of moral and virtuous leadership
from the Disney Co.; and

WHEREAS, In recent years, the Disney Co. has given the appear-
ance that the promotion of homosexuality is more important than
its historic commitment to traditional family values and has taken a
direction contrary to its previous commitment; and

WHEREAS. In recent years. we watched the world’s largest fam-
ily entertainment company with growing disappointment as Dis-
ney Co.'s moral leadership has been eroded by a variety of corpo-
rate decisions, which include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Hosting of homosexual and lesbian theme nights at the parks

2. Choosing a convicted child molester to direct the Disney
movie Powder through its subsidiary Miramax Productions

3. Publishing of a book aimed at teenage homosexuals entitled
Growing Up Gay: From Left Out to Coming Out through its sub-
sidiary Hyperion, connecting Disney to the promotion of the ho-
mosexual agenda

4. Producing, through its subsidiary corporations, objectionable
material such as the following:

a. The films Priest (ridicules Christian values/morals); Chasing
Amy (lesbianism); Pulp Fiction (sex, violence); Color of Night
(sex); Clerks (graphic language); Chicks in White Satin (lesbian-
ism); Lie Down Dogs (homosexuality); and The House of Yes (in-
cest)

b. ABC TV shows “Ellen” (lesbianism) and “Relativity” (les-
bianism); and

WueREAS, These and other corporate decisions and actions rep-
resent a significant departure from Disney’s family values image
and a gratuitous insult to Christians and others who have long sup-
ported Disney and contributed to its corporate profits; and

WHEREAS, Previous efforts to communicate these concerns by
organizations involved in the Southern Baptist led boycott have not
produced Disney’s satisfactory return to family values; and

WHEREAS, Boycotts are a legitimate method for communicating
moral convictions (1 John 3:18); therefore be it

Resolved, That we encourage Missouri Synod Lutherans to give
serious and prayerful reconsideration to their purchase and support
of Disney products and to boycott the Disney theme parks and
stores if they continue their anti-Christian and anti-family trend;
and be it further

Resolved, That we monitor Disney's progress and encourage
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod publications to start and/or con-
tinue reporting on these issues; and be it finally

Resolved, That a copy of this proposal be sent to the President
of Disney Co., and we encourage Missouri Synod Lutheran fami-
lies to support this resolution with their purchasing power, letters,
and influence.

St. Peter
Wilkes Barre, PA